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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

Old Postcards, New Science: Historical Photos Document 92 Years of Coastal Change

Old Postcards, New Science: Historical Photos Document 92 Years of Coastal Change

A 700-year rupture sequence of great eastern Aleutian earthquakes from tsunami evidence and modeling

A 700-year rupture sequence of great eastern Aleutian earthquakes from tsunami evidence and modeling

The Threat of Coastal Flooding from Cascadia Earthquake-Driven Land Subsidence

The Threat of Coastal Flooding from Cascadia Earthquake-Driven Land Subsidence

Publications

Geomorphological evidence of near-surface ice at candidate landing sites in northern Amazonis Planitia, Mars

This work presents geomorphological analyses of an area at the boundary between Arcadia Planitia and northern Amazonis Planitia, situated in the northern mid-latitudes of Mars. Recent studies have indicated the presence of substantial volumes of near-surface excess ice in Arcadia Planitia, making this region a promising candidate for future human and robotic exploration. This study...
Authors
Erica Luzzi, Jennifer L. Heldmann, Kaj E. Williams, Giacomo Nodjoumi, Ariel Deutsch, Alexander Sehlke

Introduction to the special section on improving measurements of earthquake source parameters

Earthquake source parameters such as magnitude, seismic moment, source dimension, stress drop, and radiated energy are fundamental to understanding earthquake physics, and are also key ingredients in earthquake ground‐motion modeling, rupture simulation, and statistical seismology. However, the uncertainties in these parameters estimated from the radiated seismic wavefield are large due...
Authors
Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Rachel E. Abercrombie, Adrien Oth, Takahiko Uchide

Utility of a swath laser rangefinder for characterizing mass movement flow depth and landslide initiation

Mass movements such as debris flows and landslides are some of the deadliest and most destructive natural hazards occurring mostly in alpine and volcanic settings. With ever-growing populations located downslope from known debris flow channels, early warning systems can help prevent loss of life. Geophysical and technological advances have improved monitoring and detection capabilities...
Authors
Maciej Obryk, Emily Christina Bedinger, Alexandra M. Iezzi, Emily H Bryant, Kate E. Allstadt, David L. George, Benjamin B. Mirus

Science

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Poplar Cove, Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina Landslide Monitoring Site

Recent Monitoring Data
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Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network: Advanced tools for fuel monitoring and assessment of wildfire risk

The USGS Southwest Biological Science Center is coordinating the Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network to prepare fire and natural resource managers for rapidly changing fire landscapes by conducting research and building science-management partnerships. The network develops advanced tools and technologies to assess fuel loads and the effectiveness of fuel treatments, understand wildfire...
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Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network: Advanced tools for fuel monitoring and assessment of wildfire risk

The USGS Southwest Biological Science Center is coordinating the Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network to prepare fire and natural resource managers for rapidly changing fire landscapes by conducting research and building science-management partnerships. The network develops advanced tools and technologies to assess fuel loads and the effectiveness of fuel treatments, understand wildfire...
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Grfin Tools – Methods and software for modeling landslide runout and debris-flow growth and inundation

Grfin Tools is a set of software tools that allows users to quickly estimate potential runout from landslides, and (or) inundation from debris flows or lahars, within a DEM. Grfin (pronounced "griffin") is an acronym of  Growth +  flow +  inundation, and the tools within this package apply simple, well-tested, empirical models of runout. This suite of tools can be used individually or in...
link

Grfin Tools – Methods and software for modeling landslide runout and debris-flow growth and inundation

Grfin Tools is a set of software tools that allows users to quickly estimate potential runout from landslides, and (or) inundation from debris flows or lahars, within a DEM. Grfin (pronounced "griffin") is an acronym of  Growth +  flow +  inundation, and the tools within this package apply simple, well-tested, empirical models of runout. This suite of tools can be used individually or in...
Learn More
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