Weston Observatory (Boston College)

Weston Observatory is a geophysical research laboratory of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College. The Observatory is located in the town of Weston, Massachusetts, about 13 miles (21 km) west of downtown Boston.[1]

The Observatory, which has been recording earthquakes since the 1930s, conducts research on earthquakes and related processes, delivers public information after significant earthquakes occur, contributes to earthquake awareness to help reduce the tragic effects of earthquakes, and educates.

Front view of Weston Observatory.

Weston Observatory houses seismic instruments for the New England Seismic Network (NESN)[2] and for the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN), as well as office and lab space and a geophysics library. The Observatory monitors earthquakes around the world, with emphasis on the Northeast United States (and particularly New England), disseminates information pertinent to any seismic events that are recorded, and is also a center for education and public outreach about earthquakes and related phenomena.[3][4]