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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

Benthic Invertebrate Response to Estuarine Marsh Restoration at the Nisqually River Delta

Benthic Invertebrate Response to Estuarine Marsh Restoration at the Nisqually River Delta

CVO dismantles Mount St. Helens’ VALT seismic station after 18 years in service.

CVO dismantles Mount St. Helens’ VALT seismic station after 18 years in service.

New Tool Revolutionizes Coastal Shoreline Mapping with Decades of Satellite Data

New Tool Revolutionizes Coastal Shoreline Mapping with Decades of Satellite Data

Publications

Relatively stable pressure effects and time-increasing thermal contraction control Heber geothermal field deformation

Due to geological complexities and observational gaps, it is challenging to identify the governing physical processes of geothermal field deformation including ground subsidence and earthquakes. In the west and east regions of the Heber Geothermal Field (HGF), decade-long subsidence was occurring despite injection of heat-depleted brines, along with transient reversals between uplift and subsidenc
Authors
Guoyan Jiang, Andrew Barbour, Robert John Skoumal, Kathryn Zerbe Materna, Aren Crandall-Bear

Uncertainty in ground-motion-to-intensity conversions significantly affects earthquake early warning alert regions

We examine how the choice of ground‐motion‐to‐intensity conversion equations (GMICEs) in earthquake early warning (EEW) systems affects resulting alert regions. We find that existing GMICEs can underestimate observed shaking at short rupture distances or overestimate the extent of low‐intensity shaking. Updated GMICEs that remove these biases would improve the accuracy of alert regions for the Sha
Authors
Jessie Saunders, Annemarie S. Baltay, Sarah E. Minson, Maren Böse

Fire effects on geomorphic processes

Fire-induced geomorphic changes, such as enhanced erosion and debris-flow activity, are expected to increase with climate change owing to increases in fire activity and rainfall intensification. In this Review, we summarize how landscape attributes, rainfall and burn severity influence post-fire geomorphic responses over a range of temporal and spatial scales. Sub-hourly rainfall intensity and bur
Authors
Luke McGuire, Brian A. Ebel, Francis K. Rengers, Diana Vieira, Petter Nyman

Science

June 28, 2024

Space Weather Events of June 28, 2024 - June 28, 16:00 Eastern time
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June 28, 2024

Space Weather Events of June 28, 2024 - June 28, 16:00 Eastern time
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Landslide Basics

Landslides occur in all 50 states and territories and they affect lives, property, infrastructure, and the environment. Understanding when, where, and how landslides occur can help to reduce the risk of living with these natural hazards.
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Landslide Basics

Landslides occur in all 50 states and territories and they affect lives, property, infrastructure, and the environment. Understanding when, where, and how landslides occur can help to reduce the risk of living with these natural hazards.
Learn More

Post-Fire Hazards Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE): Support for Response, Recovery, and Mitigation

The Post-Fire Hazards Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE) project provides science to characterize climate-amplified, uncharacteristic patterns of wildfire disturbance and post-fire ecosystem recovery and enhance prediction of environmental impacts and post-fire hazards.
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Post-Fire Hazards Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE): Support for Response, Recovery, and Mitigation

The Post-Fire Hazards Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE) project provides science to characterize climate-amplified, uncharacteristic patterns of wildfire disturbance and post-fire ecosystem recovery and enhance prediction of environmental impacts and post-fire hazards.
Learn More