Articles | Volume 19, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-2677-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-19-2677-2019
Research article
 | 
02 Dec 2019
Research article |  | 02 Dec 2019

Difficulties in explaining complex issues with maps: evaluating seismic hazard communication – the Swiss case

Michèle Marti, Michael Stauffacher, and Stefan Wiemer

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Cited articles

Becker, J. S., Paton, D., Johnston, D. M., and Ronan, K. R.: Salient beliefs about earthquake hazards and household preparedness, Risk Anal., 33, 1710–1727, https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.12014, 2013. 
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Bundesamt für Statisik: Sprachen, available at: https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/bevoelkerung/sprachen-religionen/sprachen.html (last access: 1 January 2017), 2015. 
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Short summary
Maps are an established way to illustrate natural hazards and regularly used to communicate with non-experts. However, there is evidence that they are frequently misconceived. Using a real case, our study shows that applying or disregarding best practices in visualization, editing, and presentation significantly impacts the comprehensibility of seismic hazard information. We suggest scrutinizing current natural-hazard communication strategies and empirically testing new products.
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