Publications

This report consolidates and synthesizes information on Quaternary faulting, folding, and volcanism in Utah and characterizes recent tectonic activity throughout the state. The primary purpose is to provide a comprehensive reference on faultspecific seismic sources and surface rupture to facilitate the evaluation of earthquake hazards in Utah. Two 1:500,000-scale maps show Quaternary tectonic feat

Near-vertical and wide-angle seismic reflection data provide evidence for the presence of a magma body at the base of the crust beneath Buena Vista Valley in northwestern Nevada. The seismic response of this hypothesized magma body is characterized by high-amplitude, near-vertical P wave reflections and a comparably strong P-to-S converted phase. The magma body, referred to here as the Buena Vista

A 40‐km aperture trilateration network centered on the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake epicenter has been surveyed in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, and 1987. The deformation inferred from those surveys is described roughly by a uniaxial, 0.266 ± 0.014 μstrain/yr, N15°E ± 1°extension that is uniform in both time and space. That extension is orthogonal to the strike (N78°W ± 5°) of the 1959 ruptur

Deformation of a 50 × 60 km trilateration network that spans the epicenter of the 1992 Landers earthquake(Ms = 7.5) was measured by seven surveys over the 19 years preceding the earthquake. Three moderate earthquakes (1979 Homestead Valley, Ms = 5.6; 1986 North Palm Springs, Ms = 6.0; and 1992 Joshua Tree, Ms = 6.1) occurred within the network during those 19 years. Here we use geodetic and seismi

No abstract available.

The general correlation of Salt Lake Valley sites located on soft, saturated unconsolidated silty and clayey deposits (that is, deposits with low S-wave velocity) with high seismic amplification at the ground surface motivated our investigation of the relationship between the P- and S-wave seismic velocity (Vp and Vs) of these units and their corresponding observed site response. We found that low

The Parkfield earthquake prediction is generally stated as a 95% probability that the next moderate earthquake there should occur before January 1993. That time limit is based on a two-sided 95% confidence interval. Because at the time of the prediction (1985) it was already clear that the earthquake had not occurred prior to 1985, a one-sided 95% confidence interval would have been more appropria

Severe earthquakes of the last decade in Mexico, Armenia, and the United States have reemphasized the importance of local geologic site conditions in estimating damage and consequent losses. Recent advances in geographic information system (GIS) technology have created new opportunities for maintaining and integrating extensive spatial databases for applications in seismic hazard analysis. Ground

Professional Paper 1553 describes how people and organizations responded to the earthquake and how the earthquake impacted people and society. The investigations evaluate the tools available to the research community to measure the nature, extent, and causes of damage and losses. They describe human behavior during and immediately after the earthquake and how citizens participated in emergency res

Professional Paper 1550 seeks to understand the M6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake itself. It examines how the fault that generated the earthquake ruptured, searches for and evaluates precursors that may have indicated an earthquake was coming, reviews forecasts of the earthquake, and describes the geology of the earthquake area and the crustal forces that affect this geology. Some significant findings w

This report describes the instrumentation and evolution of the U.S. Geological Survey’s regional seismograph network in southern Alaska, provides phase and hypocenter data for seismic events from October 1971 through May 1989, reviews the location methods used, and discusses the completeness of the catalog and the accuracy of the computed hypocenters. Included are arrival time data for explosions

Major earthquakes provide seismologists and engineers an opportunity to examine the performance of the Earth and the man-made structures in response to the forces of the quake. So, too, do they provide social scientists an opportunity to delve into human responses evoked by the ground shaking and its physical consequences. The findings from such research can serve to guide the development and appl