In the wake of the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake, Haitians are being helped U. S. scientists for reconstruction and long-term earthquake monitoring.

Geological information that will assist with the establishment of new building codes in the country is also being provided to them, the U. S. Geological Survey researchers said.

Carol Prentice and Rich Briggs, who are working with scientists from the University of Texas to measure coastal uplift, are the most recent USGS scientists traveling to Haiti.

The current study follows the work of USGS geophysicist Walter Mooney and a team that was in Haiti Jan. 26-Feb. 3 to survey Port-au-Prince to identify geologic and engineering factors that contributed to the greatest damage from the shaking.

New Haitian building codes will be based, in part, on his team's research of geologic conditions, Mooney said. A factor that contributed to the recent widespread devastation was that currently, Haiti has no such standards.

Mooney further said," It is imperative that we move quickly,", "because in some areas reconstruction has already begun that may not withstand another earthquake of this magnitude."

A seismic monitoring stations to precisely measure the location, frequency and severity of aftershocks, has also been installed by the USGS scientists, allowing scientists to identify the most dangerous and vulnerable areas. (With inputs from Agencies)