Katherine (Kate) Scharer
Dr. Scharer holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and a B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Washington.
Prior to coming to the USGS, she was a professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Dr. Scharer studies the timing and size of pre-historic earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault and other active faults in southern California, Alaska, and the Dominican Republic. She also investigates the deformation produced by tectonic motion through a combination of field mapping, lidar analysis, and Quaternary geochronologic methods.
Science and Products
Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (western US) (ver. 2.0, February 2022) Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (western US) (ver. 2.0, February 2022)
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of two related databases: 1) A fault sections database ('NSHM23_FSD_v2'), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, and 2) An earthquake geology site information database ('NSHM23_EQGeoDB_v2'), which contains fault slip-rate constraints at points. These databases were prepared in anticipation of...
Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023, version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023, version 1.0
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of two related databases: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, and 2) An earthquake geology site information database ("NSHM2023_EQGeoDB_v1"), which contains fault slip-rate constraints at points. These databases were prepared in...
Surface Displacement Observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence Surface Displacement Observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence
Surface rupture associated with the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence includes the dominantly left-lateral and northeast-striking M6.4 rupture and dominantly right-lateral and northwest-striking M7.1 rupture. This data release includes surface-displacement observations of these ruptures made by teams of federal, state, academic, and private sector geologists between July...
Filter Total Items: 47
Observation-constrained multicycle dynamic models of the southern San Andreas and the northern San Jacinto Faults: Addressing complexity in paleoearthquake extent and recurrence with realistic 2D fault geometry Observation-constrained multicycle dynamic models of the southern San Andreas and the northern San Jacinto Faults: Addressing complexity in paleoearthquake extent and recurrence with realistic 2D fault geometry
Understanding mechanical conditions that lead to complexity in earthquakes is important to seismic hazard analysis. In this study, we simulate physics-based multicycle dynamic models of the San Andreas fault (Carrizo through San Bernardino sections) and the San Jacinto fault (Claremont and Clark strands). We focus on a complex fault geometry based on the Southern California Earthquake...
Authors
Dunyu Liu, Benchuan Duan, Katherine M. Scharer, Doug Yule
STEPS: Slip time earthquake path simulations applied to the San Andreas and Toe Jam Hill Faults to redefine geologic slip rate uncertainty STEPS: Slip time earthquake path simulations applied to the San Andreas and Toe Jam Hill Faults to redefine geologic slip rate uncertainty
Geologic slip rates are a time-averaged measurement of fault displacement calculated over hundreds to million-year time scales and are a primary input for probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, which forecast expected ground shaking in future earthquakes. Despite their utility for seismic hazard calculations, longer-term geologic slip rates represent a time-averaged measure of the tempo...
Authors
Alexandra Elise Hatem, Ryan D. Gold, Richard W. Briggs, Katherine M. Scharer, Ned Field
SSA task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion: Toward a changing, inclusive future in earthquake science SSA task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion: Toward a changing, inclusive future in earthquake science
In the United States, a wide variety of studies show that the geoscience community does not reflect the broader societal makeup (e.g., Velasco and Jaurrieta de Velasco, 2010; Dutt, 2020; Howley, 2020). In fact, only about 10% of all Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Ph.D. degrees are awarded to people of color, although they represent more than a third of the...
Authors
Aaron A. Velasco, Kasey Aderhold, Richard Alfaro-Diaz, Wesley Brown, Mike Brudzinski, Margaret Fraiser, Monique M. Holt, Jim Mori, Gabriela Noriega, Katherine M. Scharer, Denise Templeton, Fabia Terra, Sherilyn Williams-Stroud
Late Holocene slip rate of the Mojave section of the San Andreas Fault near Palmdale, California Late Holocene slip rate of the Mojave section of the San Andreas Fault near Palmdale, California
The geologic slip rate on the Mojave section of the San Andreas fault is poorly constrained, despite its importance for understanding earthquake hazard, apparent discrepancies between geologic and geodetic slip rates along this fault section, and long‐term fault interactions in southern California. Here, we use surficial geologic mapping, excavations, and radiocarbon and luminescence...
Authors
Elaine Young, Eric Cowgill, Katherine M. Scharer, Emery Anderson-Merritt, Amanda Keen-Zebert, Ray J. Weldon
Holocene depositional history inferred from single-grain luminescence ages in southern California, North America Holocene depositional history inferred from single-grain luminescence ages in southern California, North America
Significant sediment flux and deposition in a sedimentary system are influenced by climate changes, tectonics, lithology, and the sedimentary system's internal dynamics. Identifying the timing of depositional periods from stratigraphic records is a first step to critically evaluate the controls of sediment flux and deposition. Here, we show that ages of single-grain K-feldspar...
Authors
Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, Nathan D. Brown, Edward J. Rhodes, Katherine M. Scharer, Devin McPhillips, Sally F. McGill, Bryan A. Castillo
Prehistoric earthquakes on the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault, North Palm Springs, California Prehistoric earthquakes on the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault, North Palm Springs, California
We studied a paleoseismic trench excavated in 2017 across the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault and herein provide the first detailed record of ground-breaking earthquakes on this important fault in Southern California. The trench exposed an ~40-m-wide fault zone cutting through alluvial sand, gravel, silt, and clay deposits. We evaluated the paleoseismic record using a new metric...
Authors
Bryan A. Castillo, Sally F. McGill, Katherine M. Scharer, Doug Yule, Devin McPhillips, James McNeil, Sourav Saha, Nathan D. Brown, Seulgi Moon
Science and Products
Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (western US) (ver. 2.0, February 2022) Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (western US) (ver. 2.0, February 2022)
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of two related databases: 1) A fault sections database ('NSHM23_FSD_v2'), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, and 2) An earthquake geology site information database ('NSHM23_EQGeoDB_v2'), which contains fault slip-rate constraints at points. These databases were prepared in anticipation of...
Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023, version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023, version 1.0
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of two related databases: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, and 2) An earthquake geology site information database ("NSHM2023_EQGeoDB_v1"), which contains fault slip-rate constraints at points. These databases were prepared in...
Surface Displacement Observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence Surface Displacement Observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence
Surface rupture associated with the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence includes the dominantly left-lateral and northeast-striking M6.4 rupture and dominantly right-lateral and northwest-striking M7.1 rupture. This data release includes surface-displacement observations of these ruptures made by teams of federal, state, academic, and private sector geologists between July...
Filter Total Items: 47
Observation-constrained multicycle dynamic models of the southern San Andreas and the northern San Jacinto Faults: Addressing complexity in paleoearthquake extent and recurrence with realistic 2D fault geometry Observation-constrained multicycle dynamic models of the southern San Andreas and the northern San Jacinto Faults: Addressing complexity in paleoearthquake extent and recurrence with realistic 2D fault geometry
Understanding mechanical conditions that lead to complexity in earthquakes is important to seismic hazard analysis. In this study, we simulate physics-based multicycle dynamic models of the San Andreas fault (Carrizo through San Bernardino sections) and the San Jacinto fault (Claremont and Clark strands). We focus on a complex fault geometry based on the Southern California Earthquake...
Authors
Dunyu Liu, Benchuan Duan, Katherine M. Scharer, Doug Yule
STEPS: Slip time earthquake path simulations applied to the San Andreas and Toe Jam Hill Faults to redefine geologic slip rate uncertainty STEPS: Slip time earthquake path simulations applied to the San Andreas and Toe Jam Hill Faults to redefine geologic slip rate uncertainty
Geologic slip rates are a time-averaged measurement of fault displacement calculated over hundreds to million-year time scales and are a primary input for probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, which forecast expected ground shaking in future earthquakes. Despite their utility for seismic hazard calculations, longer-term geologic slip rates represent a time-averaged measure of the tempo...
Authors
Alexandra Elise Hatem, Ryan D. Gold, Richard W. Briggs, Katherine M. Scharer, Ned Field
SSA task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion: Toward a changing, inclusive future in earthquake science SSA task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion: Toward a changing, inclusive future in earthquake science
In the United States, a wide variety of studies show that the geoscience community does not reflect the broader societal makeup (e.g., Velasco and Jaurrieta de Velasco, 2010; Dutt, 2020; Howley, 2020). In fact, only about 10% of all Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Ph.D. degrees are awarded to people of color, although they represent more than a third of the...
Authors
Aaron A. Velasco, Kasey Aderhold, Richard Alfaro-Diaz, Wesley Brown, Mike Brudzinski, Margaret Fraiser, Monique M. Holt, Jim Mori, Gabriela Noriega, Katherine M. Scharer, Denise Templeton, Fabia Terra, Sherilyn Williams-Stroud
Late Holocene slip rate of the Mojave section of the San Andreas Fault near Palmdale, California Late Holocene slip rate of the Mojave section of the San Andreas Fault near Palmdale, California
The geologic slip rate on the Mojave section of the San Andreas fault is poorly constrained, despite its importance for understanding earthquake hazard, apparent discrepancies between geologic and geodetic slip rates along this fault section, and long‐term fault interactions in southern California. Here, we use surficial geologic mapping, excavations, and radiocarbon and luminescence...
Authors
Elaine Young, Eric Cowgill, Katherine M. Scharer, Emery Anderson-Merritt, Amanda Keen-Zebert, Ray J. Weldon
Holocene depositional history inferred from single-grain luminescence ages in southern California, North America Holocene depositional history inferred from single-grain luminescence ages in southern California, North America
Significant sediment flux and deposition in a sedimentary system are influenced by climate changes, tectonics, lithology, and the sedimentary system's internal dynamics. Identifying the timing of depositional periods from stratigraphic records is a first step to critically evaluate the controls of sediment flux and deposition. Here, we show that ages of single-grain K-feldspar...
Authors
Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, Nathan D. Brown, Edward J. Rhodes, Katherine M. Scharer, Devin McPhillips, Sally F. McGill, Bryan A. Castillo
Prehistoric earthquakes on the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault, North Palm Springs, California Prehistoric earthquakes on the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault, North Palm Springs, California
We studied a paleoseismic trench excavated in 2017 across the Banning strand of the San Andreas fault and herein provide the first detailed record of ground-breaking earthquakes on this important fault in Southern California. The trench exposed an ~40-m-wide fault zone cutting through alluvial sand, gravel, silt, and clay deposits. We evaluated the paleoseismic record using a new metric...
Authors
Bryan A. Castillo, Sally F. McGill, Katherine M. Scharer, Doug Yule, Devin McPhillips, James McNeil, Sourav Saha, Nathan D. Brown, Seulgi Moon