1.   These records provided a rare opportunity to study the attenuation of strong seismic waves as a means of assessing seismic hazard.

2.   A working group of six Royal Society experts will assess the hazards to human health and the environment for a report to be published this year.

3.   Environmental groups are now trying to assess the hazards and come up with a plan of action.

4.   Federal officials rushed to the scene to assess the hazard.

5.   McSween, who has served on science teams for several Mars missions, was vice chairman of the panel that assessed potential hazards to human explorers on the planet.