Publications
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Challenges in making a seismic hazard map for Alaska and the Aleutians
We present a summary of the data and analyses leading to the revision of the time-independent probabilistic seismic hazard maps of Alaska and the Aleutians. These maps represent a revision of existing maps based on newly obtained data, and reflect best current judgments about methodology and approach. They have been prepared following the procedures and assumptions made in the preparation of the 2
Authors
R. L. Wesson, O.S. Boyd, C.S. Mueller, A. D. Frankel
Development of hazard-compatible building fragility and vulnerability models
We present a methodology for transforming the structural and non-structural fragility functions in HAZUS into a format that is compatible with conventional seismic hazard analysis information. The methodology makes use of the building capacity (or pushover) curves and related building parameters provided in HAZUS. Instead of the capacity spectrum method applied in HAZUS, building response is estim
Authors
E. Karaca, N. Luco
Rapid Assessment of earthquake-induced landsliding
The Pacific Northwest in the United States including Seattle, Washington, experienced unusually heavy rainfall in the winters of 1995/1996 and 1996/1997, which caused numerous landslides. Following these two winters, the City of Seattle resolved to reduce future landslide losses within its jurisdiction. By coincidence, in 1997 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a five-year project designed to
Authors
J. W. Godt, B. Sener, K.L. Verdin, D. J. Wald, P.S. Earle, E. L. Harp, R. W. Jibson
The USGS Earthquake Notification Service (ENS): Customizable notifications of earthquakes around the globe
At the beginning of 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program (EHP) introduced a new automated Earthquake Notification Service (ENS) to take the place of the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) "Bigquake" system and the various other individual EHP e-mail list-servers for separate regions in the United States. These included northern California, southern Californ
Authors
Lisa A. Wald, David J. Wald, Stan Schwarz, Bruce Presgrave, Paul S. Earle, Eric Martinez, David Oppenheimer
Characterizing an "uncharacteristic" ETS event in northern Cascadia
GPS and borehole strainmeter data allowed the detection and model characterization of a slow slip event in northern Cascadia in November 2006 accompanying a brief episode of seismic tremor. The event is much smaller in area and duration than other well-known ETS events in northern Cascadia but is strikingly similar to typical ETS events at the Nankai subduction zone. The 30-45 km depth range and t
Authors
Kelin Wang, Herb Dragert, Honn Kao, Evelyn Roeloffs
Predicted surface displacements for scenario earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region
In the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will be called upon to provide information on the characteristics of the event to emergency responders and the media. One such piece of information is the expected surface displacement due to the earthquake. In conducting probabilistic hazard analyses for the San Francisco Bay Region, the Working Group on Californi
Authors
Jessica R. Murray-Moraleda
Documentation for the 2008 update of the United States National Seismic Hazard Maps
The 2008 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Maps display earthquake ground motions for various probability levels across the United States and are applied in seismic provisions of building codes, insurance rate structures, risk assessments, and other public policy. This update of the maps incorporates new findings on earthquake ground shaking, faults, seismicity, and geodesy. Th
Authors
Mark D. Petersen, Arthur D. Frankel, Stephen C. Harmsen, Charles S. Mueller, Kathleen M. Haller, Russell L. Wheeler, Robert L. Wesson, Yuehua Zeng, Oliver S. Boyd, David M. Perkins, Nicolas Luco, Edward H. Field, Chris J. Wills, Kenneth S. Rukstales
Converting HAZUS capacity curves to seismic hazard-compatible building fragility functions: effect of hysteretic models
A methodology was recently proposed for the development of hazard-compatible building fragility models using parameters of capacity curves and damage state thresholds from HAZUS (Karaca and Luco, 2008). In the methodology, HAZUS curvilinear capacity curves were used to define nonlinear dynamic SDOF models that were subjected to the nonlinear time history analysis instead of the capacity spectrum m
Authors
Hyeuk Ryu, Nicolas Luco, Jack W. Baker, Erdem Karaca
Collision tectonics of the Central Indian Suture zone as inferred from a deep seismic sounding study
The Central Indian Suture (CIS) is a mega-shear zone extending for hundreds of kilometers across central India. Reprocessing of deep seismic reflection data acquired across the CIS was carried out using workstation-based commercial software. The data distinctly indicate different reflectivity characteristics northwest and southeast of the CIS. Reflections northwest of the CIS predominantly dip sou
Authors
D.M. Mall, P.R. Reddy, Walter D. Mooney
Finite-fault analysis of the 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake using Pnl waveforms
We apply a kinematic finite-fault inversion scheme to Pnl displacement waveforms recorded at 14 regional stations (Δ<2°) to recover the distribution of coseismic slip for the 2004 Parkfield earthquake using both synthetic Green’s functions (SGFs) calculated for one-dimensional (1D) crustal-velocity models and empirical Green’s functions (EGFs) based on the recordings of a single Mw 5.0 aftershock.
Authors
C. Mendoza, S. Hartzell
Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect and continental evolution involving subduction underplating and synchronous foreland thrusting
We investigate the crustal structure and tectonic evolution of the North American continent in Alaska, where the continent has grown through magmatism, accretion, and tectonic underplating. In the 1980s and early 1990s, we conducted a geological and geophysical investigation, known as the Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect (TACT), along a 1350-km-long corridor from the Aleutian Trench to the Arctic coa
Authors
Gary S. Fuis, Thomas E. Moore, G. Plafker, T. M. Brocher, M. A. Fisher, Walter D. Mooney, W. J. Nokleberg, R.A. Page, B. C. Beaudoin, N.I. Christensen, A. R. Levander, W. J. Lutter, R. W. Saltus, N.A. Ruppert