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Earthquake Hazards Program

The USGS monitors and reports on earthquakes, assesses earthquake impacts and hazards, and conducts targeted research on the causes and effects of earthquakes. We undertake these activities as part of the larger National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), a four-agency partnership established by Congress.

News

(Some) Assembly Required: How to sign your organization up for the Great ShakeOut

(Some) Assembly Required: How to sign your organization up for the Great ShakeOut

USGS seeking Loma Prieta felt reports from 35-year-old earthquake

USGS seeking Loma Prieta felt reports from 35-year-old earthquake

Loma Prieta Earthquake 35th Anniversary Compilation

Loma Prieta Earthquake 35th Anniversary Compilation

Publications

Afterslip and creep in the rate-dependent framework: Joint inversion of borehole strain and GNSS displacements for the Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake

The elusive transition toward afterslip following an earthquake is challenging to capture with typical data resolution limits. A dense geodetic network recorded the Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake, including 16 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations and 3 borehole strainmeters (BSM). The sub-nanostrain precision and sub-second sampling rate of BSMs bridges a gap between conventional seism
Authors
Catherine Hannagan, Richard Bennett, Andrew Barbour, Amanda N. Hughes

Evaluation of an open earthquake early warning system in Mexico, and laboratory tests of their sensors

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers are useful for seismological and engineering applications because of their ability to record unsaturated large seismic signals. Recent advances in MEMS technologies enable the design of instruments with improved capabilities that also allow the recording of small signals. As a result, MEMS can be useful across a broad dynamic range and for both m
Authors
Vaclav Kuna, Adam T. Ringler, Diego Melgar

Preliminary observations of the April 5th, 2024, Mw4.8 New Jersey earthquake

On 5 April 2024, 10:23 a.m. local time, a moment magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, about 65 km west of New York City. Millions of people from Virginia to Maine and beyond felt the ground shaking, resulting in the largest number (>180,000) of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) “Did You Feel It?” reports of any earthquake. A team deployed by the Geotechnical Extreme Events R
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, William D. Barnhart, James Bourke, Martin C. Chapman, Paul S. Earle, Guo-chin Dino Huang, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Won-Young Kim, Frederick Link, Mairi Maclean Litherland, Andrew Lloyd, Maureen Long, Sara McBride, Andrew J. Michael, Walter D. Mooney, Gregory Moutain, Sissy Nikolaou, Alexandros Savvaidas, Felix Waldhauser, Cecily Wolfe, Clara Yoon

Science

M 6.9 October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake ended decades of tranquility in the San Francisco Bay region. It was a wakeup call to prepare for the potentially even more devastating shocks that are inevitable in the future. Since 1989, the work of the U.S. Geological Survey and other organizations has improved understanding of the seismic threat in the Bay region, promoted awareness of earthquake hazards, and...
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M 6.9 October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake ended decades of tranquility in the San Francisco Bay region. It was a wakeup call to prepare for the potentially even more devastating shocks that are inevitable in the future. Since 1989, the work of the U.S. Geological Survey and other organizations has improved understanding of the seismic threat in the Bay region, promoted awareness of earthquake hazards, and...
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Earthquake Response and Investigations

Post-earthquake scientific and engineering investigations are undertaken by the USGS and its partners to capture critical information to understand the causes and impacts of the event, lessons from which can substantially improve the Nation’s resilience after future earthquakes.
link

Earthquake Response and Investigations

Post-earthquake scientific and engineering investigations are undertaken by the USGS and its partners to capture critical information to understand the causes and impacts of the event, lessons from which can substantially improve the Nation’s resilience after future earthquakes.
Learn More

Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards

Alaska has more large earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined. More than three-quarters of the state’s population live in an area that can experience a magnitude 7 earthquake. Our research provides objective science that helps stakeholders prepare for and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes and tsunamis, which bolsters the economic health and well-being of Alaska and the...
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Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards

Alaska has more large earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined. More than three-quarters of the state’s population live in an area that can experience a magnitude 7 earthquake. Our research provides objective science that helps stakeholders prepare for and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes and tsunamis, which bolsters the economic health and well-being of Alaska and the...
Learn More

Multimedia

4 photos of seismic instruments in a barren room
Seismographs at the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory
Seismographs at the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory
aerial view of desert with a group of buildings and mountains in the background
Aerial View of the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory
Aerial View of the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory
globe with red and green dots
Global Seismographic Network (GSN) Stations
Global Seismographic Network (GSN) Stations
shakeout manual cover page
Cover of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual.
Cover of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual.
shakeout manual page 5
Page 6 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
Page 6 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
shakeout manual page 8
Page 8 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
Page 8 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
shakeout manual page 3
Page 3 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
Page 3 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
shakeout manual page 4
Page 4 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
Page 4 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
shakeout manual page 4
Page 5 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
Page 5 of fictional Great ShakeOut instruction manual
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