Publications
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The 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model
New seismic hazard maps have been developed for the conterminous United States using the latest data, models, and methods available for assessing earthquake hazard. The hazard models incorporate new information on earthquake rupture behavior observed in recent earthquakes; fault studies that use both geologic and geodetic strain rate data; earthquake catalogs through 2012 that include new assessme
Authors
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles Mueller, Kathleen Haller, Arthur Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, Rui Chen, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nicolas Luco, Russell Wheeler, Robert Williams, Anna H. Olsen
Seismic source characterization for the 2014 update of the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model
We present the updated seismic source characterization (SSC) for the 2014 update of the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for the conterminous United States. Construction of the seismic source models employs the methodology that was developed for the 1996 NSHM but includes new and updated data, data types, source models, and source parameters that reflect the current state of knowledge of earth
Authors
Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Mark D. Petersen, Oliver S. Boyd, Rui Chen, Edward H. Field, Arthur Frankel, Kathleen Haller, Stephen Harmsen, Charles S. Mueller, Russell Wheeler, Yuehua Zeng
Updates to building-code maps for the 2015 NEHRP recommended seismic provisions
With the 2014 update of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) as a basis, the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) has updated the earthquake ground motion maps in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, with partial funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Antic
Authors
Nicolas Luco, Robert Bachman, C.B Crouse, James R. Harris, John D. Hooper, Charles A. Kircher, Phillp Caldwell, Kenneth S. Rukstales
2014 Update of the Pacific Northwest portion of the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps
Several aspects of the earthquake characterization were changed for the Pacific Northwest portion of the 2014 update of the national seismic hazard maps, reflecting recent scientific findings. New logic trees were developed for the recurrence parameters of M8-9 earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone (CSZ) and for the eastern edge of their rupture zones. These logic trees reflect recent findin
Authors
Arthur Frankel, Rui Chen, Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Brian Sherrod
Unusually large tsunamis frequent a currently creeping part of the Aleutian megathrust
Current models used to assess earthquake and tsunami hazards are inadequate where creep dominates a subduction megathrust. Here we report geological evidence for large tsunamis, occurring on average every 300–340 years, near the source areas of the 1946 and 1957 Aleutian tsunamis. These areas bookend a postulated seismic gap over 200 km long where modern geodetic measurements indicate that the meg
Authors
Robert C. Witter, G. A. Carver, Richard W. Briggs, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, R.D. Koehler, SeanPaul M. La Selle, Adrian M. Bender, S.E. Engelhart, E. Hemphill-Haley, Troy D. Hill
Geotechnical effects of the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks
This article summarizes the geotechnical effects of the 25 April 2015 M 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks, as documented by a reconnaissance team that undertook a broad engineering and scientific assessment of the damage and collected perishable data for future analysis. Brief descriptions are provided of ground shaking, surface fault rupture, landsliding, soil failure, and infrastruct
Authors
Robb E. S. Moss, Eric M. Thompson, D Scott Kieffer, Binod Tiwari, Youssef M A Hashash, Indra Acharya, Basanta Adhikari, Domniki Asimaki, Kevin B. Clahan, Brian D. Collins, Sachindra Dahal, Randall W. Jibson, Diwakar Khadka, Amy Macdonald, Chris L M Madugo, H Benjamin Mason, Menzer Pehlivan, Deepak Rayamajhi, Sital Uprety
Rates and patterns of surface deformation from laser scanning following the South Napa earthquake, California
The A.D. 2014 M6.0 South Napa earthquake, despite its moderate magnitude, caused significant damage to the Napa Valley in northern California (USA). Surface rupture occurred along several mapped and unmapped faults. Field observations following the earthquake indicated that the magnitude of postseismic surface slip was likely to approach or exceed the maximum coseismic surface slip and as such pre
Authors
Stephen B. DeLong, James J. Lienkaemper, Alexandra J. Pickering, Nikita N. Avdievitch
A century of induced earthquakes in Oklahoma?
Seismicity rates have increased sharply since 2009 in the central and eastern United States, with especially high rates of activity in the state of Oklahoma. Growing evidence indicates that many of these events are induced, primarily by injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells. The upsurge in activity has raised two questions: What is the background rate of tectonic earthquakes in Oklahoma?
Authors
Susan E. Hough, Morgan T. Page
An overview of the National Earthquake Information Center acquisition software system, Edge/Continuous Waveform Buffer
This document provides an overview of the capabilities, design, and use cases of the data acquisition and archiving subsystem at the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center. The Edge and Continuous Waveform Buffer software supports the National Earthquake Information Center’s worldwide earthquake monitoring mission in direct station data acquisition, data import, short- and l
Authors
John M. Patton, David C. Ketchum, Michelle R. Guy
Ground motions from the 2015Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake constrained by a detailed assessment of macroseismic data
To augment limited instrumental recordings of the Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake on 25 April 2015 (Nepali calendar: 12 Baisakh 2072, Bikram Samvat), we collected 3831 detailed media and first-person accounts of macroseismic effects that include sufficiently detailed information to assign intensities. The resulting intensity map reveals the distribution of shaking within and outside of Nepal, wit
Authors
Stacey Martin, Susan E. Hough, Charleen Hung
Introduction to the focus section on the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake
It has long been recognized that Nepal faces high earthquake hazard, with the most recent large (Mw>7.5) events in 1833 and 1934. When the 25 April 2015Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake struck, it appeared initially to be a realization of worst fears. In spite of its large magnitude and proximity to the densely populated Kathmandu valley, however, the level of damage was lower than anticipated, with most v
Authors
Susan E. Hough
Reactivated faulting near Cushing, Oklahoma: Increased potential for a triggered earthquake in an area of United States strategic infrastructure
In October 2014 two moderate-sized earthquakes (Mw 4.0 and 4.3) struck south of Cushing, Oklahoma, below the largest crude oil storage facility in the world. Combined analysis of the spatial distribution of earthquakes and regional moment tensor focal mechanisms indicate reactivation of a subsurface unnamed and unmapped left-lateral strike-slip fault. Coulomb failure stress change calculations usi
Authors
Daniel E. McNamara, Gavin P. Hayes, Harley M. Benz, Robert Williams, Nicole D McMahon, R.C. Aster, Austin F. Holland, T Sickbert, Robert B. Herrmann, Richard W. Briggs, Gregory M. Smoczyk, Eric Bergman, Paul S. Earle