Georgia will soon be home to 25 new earthquake measuring instruments.

It’s part of a nationwide effort by Seismic observatory “U-S Array” to test what causes quakes and where they happen.

The measuring tools will be placed on sites 70 kilometers apart across the state.

Director Robert Woodward says an August quake in Virginia peaked interest in Georgia’s underground activity.

“All the states in the country have some level of seismicity and substantial earthquakes can occur essentially pretty much anywhere in the country, but is Georgia at any increased risk?...My take on that would be no.”

Sites are secluded and consist of boxes the size of paint cans buried underground.

The government’s National Science Foundation funds the program.

400 instruments are already in place from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

The project started eight years ago and will finish sometime in 2013.

Tags: earthquake, National Science Foundation, USArray, Seismic stations