• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, June 30, 2016

Earthquakes are unnerving. Most Angelinos, after one strikes, take to the Internet to do a search to look for the epicenter and time it occurred. Many check the chatter on Twitter, but that could change with a new feature Google announced Thursday.

Google said it will provide searchers with instant access to the size of the earthquake and a map of where it struck, without the need to click on a link or do another search.

The search feature, which will only register a magnitude of 2.5 or greater, will allow people to see earthquake results immediately after the ground shakes, showing the magnitude, a map and tips on what to do next.

It will provide the ability to confirm aftershocks and show information on other earthquakes to put the tremors in perspective.

Turning on the location feature on a smartphone or desktop computer will allow Google to serve the data without asking for a location. Those who have location turned off, the same results would require the person tying in Los Angeles or Orange County, for example.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates about 500,000 earthquakes occur around the globe each year, 100,000 of which can be felt, according to Chris Keitel, software engineer at Google, which partnered with the organization to make the data more accessible.

Perhaps the information will become one more data point when serving search and other local content.

Google isn't the only company using technology to help people find information on natural or man-made disasters. Facebook introduced Safety Check in 2014, which lets members check in on Facebook during crises, so friends and family know they're safe. Twitter launched an alerts system in 2013 to make it easier to find important information from credible sources during emergencies, according to reports.