in 2003, the united states geological survey installed a network of accelerometers throughout the building to monitor the effects of earthquakes on tall buildings. the atwood building was selected due to the unique properties of the "bootlegger cove formation" soil it stands on, and the historical seismicity of the region "(see good friday earthquake.)" the mission of the research is to better understand the effects of seismicity on similar buildings to better prepare them for future large earthquakes.