Publications
Educational Publications
Educational Publications
Selected publications about earthquakes In plain language.
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A method and example of seismically imaging near‐surface fault zones in geologically complex areas using Vp, Vs, and their ratios
The determination of near‐surface (vadose zone and slightly below) fault locations and geometries is important because assessment of ground rupture, strong shaking, geologic slip rates, and rupture histories occurs at shallow depths. However, seismic imaging of fault zones at shallow depths can be difficult due to near‐surface complexities, such as weathering, groundwater saturation, massive (nonl
Authors
Rufus D. Catchings, Michael J. Rymer, Mark R. Goldman, Robert R. Sickler, Coyn J. Criley
The 17 May 2012 M4.8 earthquake near Timpson, East Texas: An event possibly triggered by fluid injection
This study summarizes our investigation of the 17 May 2012 MW-RMT4.8 earthquake near Timpson, Texas, the largest earthquake recorded historically in eastern Texas. To identify preshocks and aftershocks of the 17 May event we examined the arrivals recorded at Nacogdoches (NATX) 30 km from the 17 May epicenter, at nearby USArray Transportable Array stations, and at eight temporary stations deployed
Authors
Cliff Frohlich, William L. Ellsworth, Wesley Brown, Michael Brunt, James Luetgert, Tim G. MacDonald, Steven Walters
Laboratory constraints on models of earthquake recurrence
In this study, rock friction ‘stick-slip’ experiments are used to develop constraints on models of earthquake recurrence. Constant-rate loading of bare rock surfaces in high quality experiments produces stick-slip recurrence that is periodic at least to second order. When the loading rate is varied, recurrence is approximately inversely proportional to loading rate. These laboratory events initiat
Authors
Nicholas M. Beeler, Terry Tullis, Jenni Junger, Brian D. Kilgore, David L. Goldsby
Stress-based aftershock forecasts made within 24h post mainshock: Expected north San Francisco Bay area seismicity changes after the 2014 M=6.0 West Napa earthquake
We calculate stress changes resulting from the M = 6.0 West Napa earthquake on north San Francisco Bay area faults. The earthquake ruptured within a series of long faults that pose significant hazard to the Bay area, and we are thus concerned with potential increases in the probability of a large earthquake through stress transfer. We conduct this exercise as a prospective test because the skill o
Authors
Thomas E. Parsons, Margaret Segou, Volkan Sevilgen, Kevin Milner, Edward H. Field, Shinji Toda, Ross S. Stein
Elders recall an earlier tsunami on Indian Ocean shores
Ten years on, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 still looms large in efforts to reduce coastal risk. The disaster has spurred worldwide advances in tsunami detection and warning, tsunami-risk assessment, and tsunami awareness [Satake, 2014].
Nearly a lifetime has passed since the northwestern Indian Ocean last produced a devastating tsunami. Documentation of this tsunami, in November 1
Authors
Din Mohammad Kakar, Ghazala Naeem, Abdullah Usman, Haider Hasan, Hira Lohdi, Seshachalam Srinivasalu, Vanessa Andrade, C.P. Rajendran, Abdolmajid Naderi Beni, Mohammad Ali Hamzeh, Goesta Hoffmann, Noora Al Balushi, Nora Gale, Ardito Kodijat, Hermann M. Fritz, Brian F. Atwater
Late quaternary paleoseismology of the west valley fault zone: Insights from the Baileys Lake trench site
No abstract available.
Authors
Michael D. Hylland, Christopher B. DuRoss, Greg N. McDonald, Susan S. Olig, Charles G. Oviatt, Shannon Mahan, Anthony J. Crone, Stephen F. Personius
Geodetic constraints on the 2014 M 6.0 South Napa earthquake
On 24 August 2014, the M 6.0 South Napa earthquake shook much of the San Francisco Bay area, leading to significant damage in the Napa Valley. The earthquake occurred in the vicinity of the West Napa fault (122.313° W, 38.22° N, 11.3 km), a mapped structure located between the Rodger’s Creek and Green Valley faults, with nearly pure right‐lateral strike‐slip motion (strike 157°, dip 77°, rake –169
Authors
William D. Barnhart, Jessica R. Murray, S H Yun, Jerry L. Svarc, SV Samsonov, EJ Fielding, Benjamin A. Brooks, Pietro Milillo
Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2013 East African Rift
The East African Rift system (EARS) is a 3,000-km-long Cenozoic age continental rift extending from the Afar triple junction, between the horn of Africa and the Middle East, to western Mozambique. Sectors of active extension occur from the Indian Ocean, west to Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the only rift system in the world that is active on a continent-wide scale,
Authors
Gavin P. Hayes, Eric S. Jones, Timothy J. Stadler, William D. Barnhart, Daniel E. McNamara, Harley M. Benz, Kevin P. Furlong, Antonio Villaseñor
A continuous record of intereruption velocity change at Mount St. Helens from coda wave interferometry
In September 2004, Mount St. Helens volcano erupted after nearly 18 years of quiescence. However, it is unclear from the limited geophysical observations when or if the magma chamber replenished following the 1980–1986 eruptions in the years before the 2004–2008 extrusive eruption. We use coda wave interferometry with repeating earthquakes to measure small changes in the velocity structure of Moun
Authors
Alicia J. Hotovec-Ellis, Joan S. Gomberg, John Vidale, Ken C. Creager
Development of a globally applicable model for near real-time prediction of seismically induced landslides
Substantial effort has been invested to understand where seismically induced landslides may occur in the future, as they are a costly and frequently fatal threat in mountainous regions. The goal of this work is to develop a statistical model for estimating the spatial distribution of landslides in near real-time around the globe for use in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Prompt
Authors
M. Anna Nowicki, David J. Wald, Michael W. Hamburger, Mike Hearne, Eric M. Thompson
A VS30 map for California with geologic and topographic constraints
For many earthquake engineering applications, site response is estimated through empirical correlations with the time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity to 30 m depth (VS30). These applications therefore depend on the availability of either site‐specific VS30 measurements or VS30 maps at local, regional, and global scales. Because VS30 measurements are sparse, a proxy frequently is needed to estimate VS
Authors
Eric Thompson, David J. Wald, Charles Worden
Key recovery factors for the August 24, 2014, South Napa Earthquake
Through discussions between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) following the South Napa earthquake, it was determined that several key decision points would be faced by FEMA for which additional information should be sought and provided by USGS and its partners. This report addresses the four tasks that were agreed to. These tasks are (1) assessmen
Authors
Kenneth W. Hudnut, Thomas M. Brocher, Carol S. Prentice, John Boatwright, Benjamin A. Brooks, Brad T. Aagaard, J. Luke Blair, Jon Peter B. Fletcher, Jemile Erdem, Charles W. Wicks, Jessica R. Murray, Fred F. Pollitz, John O. Langbein, Jerry L. Svarc, David P. Schwartz, Daniel J. Ponti, Suzanne Hecker, Stephen B. DeLong, Carla M. Rosa, Brenda Jones, Rynn M. Lamb, Anne M. Rosinski, Timothy P. McCrink, Timothy E. Dawson, Gordon G. Seitz, Craig Glennie, Darren Hauser, Todd Ericksen, Dan Mardock, Don F. Hoirup, Jonathan D. Bray, Ron S. Rubin