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Natural Hazards Mission Area

Every year in the United States, natural hazards threaten lives and livelihoods and result in billions of dollars in damage. We work with many partners to monitor, assess, and conduct targeted research on a wide range of natural hazards so that policymakers and the public have the understanding they need to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience.

News

Remote-Sensing Large-Wood Storage Downstream from Reservoirs After Dam Removal

Remote-Sensing Large-Wood Storage Downstream from Reservoirs After Dam Removal

(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 Seeks Landslide Risk Reduction Proposals (FY25)

USGS Seeks Landslide Risk Reduction Proposals (FY25)

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

The solar cycle, geology, and geoelectric hazards for power grids

When sunspots are large and numerous, intense magnetic storms are likely to occur on the Earth. Magnetic storms can generate electric fields in the Earth, and these fields can, in turn, interfere with electric power transmission grids that are grounded at the Earth’s surface. Across the contiguous United States, geoelectric hazards are highest in the Upper Midwest and in the East. These regions co
Authors
Jeffrey J. Love, Steven Sobieszczyk, E. Joshua Rigler, Anna Kelbert, Kristen A. Lewis

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

Science

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Severe Magnetic Storm (ongoing)

October 10, 2024: 22:00 Eastern Time
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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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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...
Learn More

September 17, 2024 Magnetic Disturbance

Space Weather Events of September 16, 2024 - September 17, 2024 22:00 Eastern time
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September 17, 2024 Magnetic Disturbance

Space Weather Events of September 16, 2024 - September 17, 2024 22:00 Eastern time
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