Videos

Computer simulation of shaking during the April 14, 2025 M5.2 Julian, CA earthquake. As the waves propagate away from the epicenter they interact with different geologic materials, which can slow down and amplify the shaking.

Dr. William Yeck is a seismologist with the USGS National Earthquake Information Center. He explains the importance of PAGER during the magnitude 7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake.

Ammonia or ammonium? What’s the difference? In water, ammonia (NH₃) and ammonium (NH₄⁺) exist together in an equilibrium that depends on pH and temperature. As the temperature or pH rise, ammonia (NH₃) becomes more abundant. This is important because ammonia is more toxic than ammonium.

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fruca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fruca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.9, was the strongest to hit the San Francisco Bay Area since the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Although it provided extensive data on ground shaking, the available observations don’t fully capture all the quake's important features. 

At the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), our team locates and researches earthquakes to provide information on how to reduce risk from earthquakes.

At the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), our team locates and researches earthquakes to provide information on how to reduce risk from earthquakes.

Ever wonder what it is like to work as a USGS intern? Dive into these intern stories of how students are making science their superpower while studying earthquakes!

This ShakeMovie depicts a computer-generated simulation of the July 4, 2019 M6.4 Ridgecrest, CA earthquake, and is based on a mathematical model of the earthquake faulting process and 3D wave propagation.

This ShakeMovie depicts a computer-generated simulation of the July 5, 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest, CA earthquake, and is based on a mathematical model of the earthquake faulting process and 3D wave propagation.

This ShakeMovie depicts a computer-generated simulation of the July 5, 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest, CA earthquake, and is based on a mathematical model of the earthquake faulting process and 3D wave propagation.

On February 6, around 4:15 a.m. local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck south-central Turkey near the Turkey/Syria border.

My name is Kate Allstadt. I’m a research geophysicist with the U.S.

Retrospective interview with USGS Geophysicist Susan Hough about the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway (known as the Cypress Structure) in Oakland, CA, during the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and how the first responders reacted to the event.
 

Retrospective interview with USGS Geophysicist Susan Hough about her early earthquake work during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The interview covers how the Cypress Structure collapse in Oakland, CA, served as a site response study for seismic research.
 

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it. These are their stories.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it. These are their stories.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it. These are their stories.

Retired seismologist David Oppenheimer reflects on the first prototype earthquake early warning system used during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Scientists deployed an analog system to notify first responders of impending earthquake activity as they worked on rescue efforts at the Cypress Viaduct collapse in Oakland, CA.