People in Sacramento navigate K Street in rowboats during the California flood of 1861-62, which historians say obliterated up to 25 percent of the assessed property value in the state. Photograph by Charles L. Weed.

While popular culture often portrays California as sunny, California residents are familiar with the rains that often batter their state in winter and spring. Measured in total rainfall over a three-day period, these West Coast storms are as big and as frequent as any in the United States, according to USGS research hydrologist Mike Dettinger, who studies the giant atmospheric rivers of water vapor flowing from west to east over the Pacific Ocean that trigger the biggest West Coast storms.

Because West and East coast storms have different characteristics and causes, they are difficult to compare using existing metrics, such as the Safir-Simpson scale used to classify hurricanes. Dettinger is co-leading the development of a simple classification system with Marty Ralph of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help scientists and public officials compare East and West Coast storms, and to provide accurate and easily grasped warnings to West Coast residents when a big storm is headed their way.

Dettinger, a research hydrologist with the USGS National Research Program, studies the giant atmospheric rivers — found in the lowest 2 kilometers above Earth’s surface and stretching 400km wide on average, each carrying the equivalent of 10 to 20 Mississippi Rivers of water in the form of vapor — that are responsible for the biggest West Coast storms. When these atmospheric rivers encounter high mountains such as California’s Sierra Nevada, they are forced upward, cooling as they go, and their vapor condenses and falls as rain or snow. Precipitation from atmospheric rivers is double-edged for Californians, says Dettinger: It can manifest in destructive storms, but it also provides much of California’s water supply.

To quantify West Coast storms, Dettinger and Ralph propose a simple ranking called R-Cats, or Rainfall Categories. An “R-Cat-1” storm brings between 200 and 300 millimeters (approximately 8-12 inches) of rain in a three-day period. The scale rises in 100mm intervals to an R-Cat-4 storm, which unleashes more than 500mm (just under 20 inches) of rain in a three-day period. The R-Cat system is meant to be simple enough to facilitate communication in public and technical arenas. As a communication and research tool, it is meant to provide a clear, objective perspective on the severity of precipitation in West Coast storms, and potentially of storms elsewhere.

R-Cats is just part of USGS’ ongoing work to inform the public and management officials about the potential of extreme storms. In 2011, USGS and partners unveiled the ARkStorm Scenario, a hypothetical storm similar in magnitude to the intense West Coast winter storms of 1861 and 1862 that destroyed up to a quarter of California’s taxable property and rendered the state’s 480-kilometer- (300-mile) long Central Valley impassible. Today, the economic loss from such an event would total billions. To help emergency managers, universities, businesses, public agencies and others in planning for such natural disasters, ARkStorm (for “Atmospheric River 1,000 Storm”) modeled a storm that the West Coast might expect, on average, once every 500 to 1,000 years.

One implication recognized by ARkStorm’s creators was the need to develop consistent and easily understandable terms to communicate the risk and magnitude of West Coast storms to the public. Dettinger and Ralph, who were part of the more than 120 scientists on the ARkStorm team, and co-led the development of the meteorological part of the scenario, see the R-Cats system as a response to that need.

The Russian River at Guerneville, Calif., on Jan. 20, 2010, in the midst of a series of storms. Photograph by Stumptown Brewery.

The idea for a scaling system came to Dettinger and Ralph as part of their collaboration exploring the causes and impacts of extreme precipitation on the U.S. West Coast.  They were bad, locals asserted, but how bad were they in comparison, for example, to storms in Texas? They compared 30 years of daily precipitation reports from more then 5,800 weather stations across the United States and grouped them into R-Cat levels.  They found that nearly all the R-Cat-3 and -4 events occurred in California, Texas or the Southeastern states. Seventeen storms west of the 115^th parallel during the 30-year reporting period were R-Cat-2 or higher – that is, they dropped more than 300mm (11.81 inches) of rain in three days – and all were associated with atmospheric rivers. Further, only in California did any stations report multiple R-Cat-3 or -4 episodes during those 30 years.

“Three-day precipitation extremes associated with landfalling ARs on the U.S. West Coast are heavier than extreme storms anywhere else in the country outside the southeast United States (including those related to landfalling tropical storms and hurricanes). Also, they yield comparable precipitation totals with the southeastern storms, and occur station-by station just as frequently as the extreme precipitation episodes elsewhere,” Dettinger and Ralph concluded in their paper in a recent Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society that explains the R-Cats system.

Today, atmospheric rivers are tracked from space using passive microwave sensors onboard polar orbiting satellites. In 2010, Dettinger said, forecasters were well prepared for the storms because of their improved understanding of the role of atmospheric rivers. Current research adds to the mix ground-based sensing of water vapor and soil moisture, among other factors, with the goal of giving federal, state and local forecasters and water managers a much more precise understanding of the West Coast’s water situation and the potential for floods.

“Knowing about the role of atmospheric rivers has already made a difference,” Dettinger said. “Not so long ago, it was the rare storm you’d hear about a week ahead of time. Now it’s not uncommon for weather forecasters to see storms forming near Japan a week ahead of time. In large part, that’s because they now know a little better what to look for: atmospheric rivers.”

“We’re not trying to replace older methods, just to add on our simple R-Cats categories, which offer a simple way of comparing the size of storms from place to place,” Dettinger said. Our goal was specifically to ask, How big are the biggest historical storms at places all over the country’ in ways that were simple and logical and that still allowed us to compare the absolute sizes of those largest storms. In doing so, as much a surprise to us as to everyone else we’ve ever shown this to, we found that California’s biggest storms are absolutely as big as the storms made by landfalling hurricanes in the American southeast. This is an amazing finding that had been lost in the return-interval and percentile reporting that has been the norm.”

Map of the December 14, 2012 earthquake off Avalon, California.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the west coast of California on December 14, 2012 at 10:36:02 UTC.

Visit the USGS event page on this earthquake.

For an estimate of the earthquake’s impact, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website.

For information about tsunami watches, warning or advisories, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tsunami website.

Read additional earthquake information for California.

If you felt this earthquake, report your experience on the “USGS Did You Feel It?” website for this event.

Learn more about the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Bednar but everyone calls me Kati. I am currently a Student Trainee Hydrologist with the California Water Science Center (CAWSC) in Sacramento. I am also a full-time geology and geography student at California State University of Sacramento, and a part-time student at American River College within their G.I.S. certificate program. It may seem like a lot, but I enjoy keeping busy and learning new things.

How did you start working for the USGS?

I first heard about the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) with the USGS during my sophomore year of high school from my chemistry teacher. She knew how interested and excited I was about science and highly recommended that I look into the position and apply. Before I knew it, I was being offered the position and started my student employment with the USGS while finishing up high school.

Once I graduated, I immediately knew I wanted to continue to pursue a career with the USGS and declared my major as geology. Over the next few years, because of my student employment and involvement in geology, I was also exposed to the fields of geography and G.I.S., and converted into the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). That played a huge role with my decision to also pursue an additional degree and certificate to contribute to the skills I use every day at work when trying to locate field sites and querying their corresponding data.

What is a day in your life like?

Right now I work in Data Management where I mainly establish new sites and also work with historical data and other unique data sets that require special attention. For example, I have looked at descriptions of sites that were recorded as far back as the 1900s and used G.I.S. data to locate them. That process helps us to pinpoint and monitor exact sites overtime. I also help people enter their censored data into the National Water Information System (NWIS), making sure their metadata is not only correct, but that it also fully describes their dataset and matches exactly in both places.

During spring, summer, and winter breaks from school, I try and get out in the field as much as possible with any group that needs an extra set of hands. So far, I have had the opportunity to work with projects studying groundwater, surface water, soils, gases, and some biological samples that have allowed me to gain a wide range of experience by completing tasks above my level. In the near future, I hope to transition into a position that has more responsibility, as a technician or hydrologist, and to be in charge of my own field runs.

What is your most memorable experience with the USGS so far?

I have had so many memorable experiences working with the USGS that this is a hard decision to make. If I had to choose just one, I would have to say I will never forget the summer of 2010 when I had the opportunity to collect groundwater samples for water level measurements and water quality analysis. The field crew and I were collecting samples along the west coast all the way up from Sacramento to Crescent City and back. Never have I seen as much of California as I did that summer collecting samples. There is nothing more exciting than being pushed out of the “usual” and into an unfamiliar place that is filled with natural beauty, talking to people I would never have met, and doing the job I continue to love that always has had some unexpected twist waiting for me to solve.

What do you see as the most valuable part of your work?

The most valuable part of my work has been having the opportunity to gain experience in all areas by collecting, processing, and analyzing samples to establish them in our database. In my opinion, everyone should have at least one opportunity to see how each step is performed so that they too can have a general understanding of how what they do affects the bigger picture.

What are your future plans?

While finishing up with my degrees, I plan to continue working with the USGS and get out in the field as much as possible traveling throughout California and wherever else the USGS takes me. With the USGS I hope to fully gain an understanding of the hydrological issues that we are going to face in the near future, particularly those dealing with climate change and water availability.

Why is the USGS a good place for students to work?

I would have to say that the USGS is a great place to work because they taught me many life values that any teenager could benefit from. I am most thankful to have such amazing coworkers who have not only taught me essential work related skills but have also shared valuable life experiences that have inspired me to be the person I am today. They have been supportive of not only my career related goals, but also have been understanding of my personal goals and have put my education first. Many of my coworkers are now even close friends with whom I can see myself remaining in contact many years down the road.

If you would like to know more about me or what I do, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kbednar@usgs.gov and introduce yourself. I love meeting new people and sharing stories.

Elwha River in Olympic National Park in Northwest Washington. Courtesy: John McMillan, NOAA

A new analysis of streams in the western United States has found that despite a general increase in air temperatures over the past several decades, western streams are not necessarily warming at the same rate. Several factors may influence the discrepancy, including snowmelt, interaction with groundwater, water flow and discharge rates, solar radiation, wind, and humidity. But even after factoring out those elements, the scientists detected cooler-than-expected maximum, mean, and minimum stream temperatures. Looking at streams individually, they found that some seemed to be getting warmer, some cooler, and others showed little change at all.

Results of the research, which was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service, and Oregon State University, are published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

Cold, clean water is one of the most important ecosystem services in the western United States. Many species of economically and culturally important salmon, trout, and other species depend on these cold waters to thrive and survive, so naturally, the potential loss of cold water in the face of climate change is a concern.

These findings show that changes in stream temperatures will not simply parallel changes in warming air temperatures, as commonly assumed or

Cutthroat trout in the Middle Fork Salmon River, Idaho. Courtesy: Steve Jacobs

projected. They point to the likely importance of local factors, such as land form, land cover, and geology, in influencing climate sensitivity of stream temperatures. A second key finding is that the vast majority of streamgages in the region either lack long-term data or are too strongly influenced by local human activities to provide a clear evaluation of climate effects.

For this study, researchers used long-term records from USGS and U.S. Forest Service gaging stations. Of the more than 600 stations evaluated from California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Alaska, less than 20 were suitable for analyzing climate effects. This set included streams with minimal human influences and sufficiently long-term records of temperatures for an evaluation of trends.

Rogue River Canyon in southwestern Oregon. Courtesy, Ruth Jacobs, USGS

These results highlight the fact that stream temperature is one of the most important, yet least understood aspects of climate change. The researchers caution that the findings do not mean that climate change will not affect stream temperature, which is a fundamental driver of ecosystem processes in streams. However, the relationship between air temperatures and stream temperatures may be more complex than previously realized and require additional monitoring.

The paper, The paradox of cooling streams in a warming world: regional climate trends do not parallel variable local trends in stream temperature in the Pacific continental United States, was authored by Ivan Arismendi, Oregon State University; Sherri Johnson, U.S. Forest Service; Jason Dunham, USGS; Roy Haggerty, Oregon State University; and David Hockman-Wert, USGS.

Additional Links:

Reconstructing Thermal Regimes in Streams from Sclerochronology of Freshwater Mussels (link to a paper, a USGS podcast, and an Oregon Field Guide television episode about the research)

http://fresc.usgs.gov/research/StudyDetail.asp?Study_ID=558

Climate Impact on Streamflows, Thermal Regimes, and the Changing Distribution of Trout in the Great Basin

http://fresc.usgs.gov/research/StudyDetail.asp?Study_ID=734

USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Aquatic Ecology Laboratory

http://fresc.usgs.gov/AquaticEcologyLaboratory/

NetQuakes strong-motion instruments enable seismologists to collect extensive data in urban areas where installing traditional seismographs is not practical. This instrument (in blue, to the right of the upended chairs) takes up very little space in a San Francisco Bay Area resident's garage. It is the size of a car battery, runs on a home wifi network and captures data on an ordinary 2GB flash drive.

Obtaining timely earthquake information has become easier with interactive earthquake maps and NetQuakes, a citizen-science program that helps scientists to understand ground shaking caused by earthquakes.

Newly updated website provides robust, real-time earthquake information

Whether an earthquake is minor or major, earthquake.usgs.gov visitors will see an interactive earthquake map that regularly updates, can be individually tailored, and provides saved settings for future map visits.

“For all citizens of ‘Earthquake Country,’ whether they reside in our Nation’s Capital or near a major global tectonic plate boundary, the new USGS earthquake site supplies increased functionality to provide more real-time information tailored to the viewer’s specific needs,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “When the ground shakes and time is of the essence, our goal is to ensure that the most timely information is at the fingertips of those who need to know.”

From the website, you can access Latest Earthquakes to:

• zoom into and pan the world map.
• select different basemaps, as well as overlays such as plate boundaries, faults, and earthquake hazards.
• display earthquakes on the map by time window, magnitude, depth, and maximum recorded intensity.
• see a list below the map updates for the current map view and settings.
• download earthquake lists into other map interfaces such as Google Earth (KML format) and Excel (CSV).

The event page, when an earthquake is selected, has also been upgraded and provides interactive features and more information, including downloadable data files in various formats for each earthquake product, such as ShakeMap and Did You Feel It? This new event-centric view allows you to see all the information associated with each earthquake without having to jump around the website to view each related product.

A future product in development will use the same user interface to present a seamless view of recorded world-wide earthquakes current and historical. It is anticipated that this product will be released in beta format later this year.

How do we gather earthquake data?

This device, about the size of a large shoebox, records strong ground motions and sends the measurements to the U.S. Geological Survey over the Internet. The data collected is available to assist with emergency response following an earthquake.

Seismic networks detect more than 87,000 earthquakes in the United States each year, although most of these quakes are too small to be felt by people. ShakeMaps, produced by the USGS and its university and State partners, give timely and detailed information on the shaking generated by quakes larger than magnitude (M) 3.5, which are often felt, are of interest to scientists, and are occasionally damaging. While the current monitoring system delivers earthquake information rapidly and reliably, seismologists are concerned that it will not fully record the damaging earthquakes that scientists have forecasted will occur. USGS scientists, however, have developed a cost-effective solution.

What is NetQuakes?

NetQuakes is a “citizen-science” program, developed in Menlo Park, Calif., by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program , that offers the public the opportunity to help seismologists record earthquakes by hosting portable, low-maintenance sensors in private homes, public buildings, schools, and churches — and not just in the earthquake zones of California, but wherever seismic activity is a concern in the Nation. Hundreds of volunteers now host NetQuakes instruments, which transmit seismic data via Wi-Fi networks and the Internet to the USGS.

The NetQuakes project began in 2009 and was born of observations that came out of the September 2004 M6.0 earthquake near Parkfield, Calif.

“We learned from the Parkfield earthquake that intensity of ground motion amplitudes vary far more than we had believed,” said USGS geophysicist Jim Luetgert. “We had thought that sensors placed miles apart would give a good representation of the variations in shaking. But the Parkfield earthquake showed that a much closer spacing is needed to adequately map that variability.”

It’s complicated and expensive to place traditional seismographs in the urban areas that have sprung up in many seismically active areas. Traditional seismographic stations often require:

• additional construction, such as a poured concrete foundation,
• vandal-proof enclosures,
• costly equipment that takes up the same space as a refrigerator, and
• costs about $50 to transmit seismic data per station per month.

The NetQuakes instrument, in contrast, comes in an aluminum box the size and shape of a car battery. The instrument is attached to a metal baseplate that is bolted onto a foundation or floor. Rather than using GPS to keep accurate time as many traditional seismographs do, NetQuakes uses the network time protocol used by personal computers, which queries established Internet servers.

The instruments communicate occasionally with USGS computers, and telemetry is free to the USGS because hosts allow the instrument to communicate over their household Internet service. A 2GB-flash drive stores two weeks of data in case Internet communications fail in an earthquake. The instruments rely on power from a wall outlet, but contain an easily replaced internal battery to power the instrument for up to 36 hours should electricity fail.

The researchers are not looking to NetQuakes to record low-magnitude earthquakes or for rapid determination of location and magnitude, which is the role of the existing seismographic networks. Rather, they want to record how ground motion varies across a densely spaced array of high-quality sensors — especially during the largest earthquakes, which can produce ground accelerations up to three times the acceleration of gravity (3g).

Economically deploying large numbers of instruments has required some compromises. “Tradeoffs include levels of sensitivity and a few minutes of response-time,” Luetgert said. “The data are available within 10 minutes after the earthquake and are automatically incorporated into ShakeMap updates.”

For the first deployments, organizers sought a few volunteers from engineer and scientist friends near Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley, where the Hayward Fault runs right through California Memorial Stadium. Today there are more than 130 NetQuakes instruments in the San Francisco Bay Area. Instruments have also been distributed to each of the regional networks in the USGS Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS). Luetgert noted that great progress has also been made in the Seattle area, which now has more than 80 NetQuakes instruments hosted by volunteers.

Traditional seismic stations such as this one require a source of power (solar here), a poured concrete foundation and several square feet of space. They are not always practical to install in urban areas, and that's where NetQuakes comes in.

The Portability of NetQuakes Has Advantages

Interest elsewhere has followed earthquake activity. Three years ago a swarm of small earthquakes in central Oklahoma occurred in an area devoid of seismic instruments, so Luetgert sent five instruments to NetQuake volunteers in that area. NetQuakes instruments were also deployed in the epicentral region of the August 2011 M5.8 earthquake near Charlottesville, Va., to locate aftershocks, as well as in the damaged National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Three NetQuakes instruments were deployed near Youngstown, Ohio, to record earthquakes suspected to be induced by fluid injection in a deep well.

NetQuakes data are also being used to help resource managers and public agencies monitor shaking at critical facilities. The East Bay Municipal Utility District is partnering with the USGS to monitor ground motion at its suburban dams and reservoirs near the Hayward Fault in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area.

“Magnitude 6.8 earthquakes rupture the Hayward Fault on average every 140 years, and one may be coming due,” Luetgert noted. “We would like to be ready to record that earthquake with high-quality seismic instrumentation from a dense network to document the effects of the shaking in an urban area. This will enable engineers to better understand why buildings didn’t stand up to the shaking, and ultimately how to build structures that can resist shaking from future quakes. NetQuakes provides a cost-effective way to achieve that goal with the help of the public.”

Related stories:

USGS Menlo Park Evening Public Lecture: Shake Alert!

Join Citizens and scientists tracking the pulse of our planet

Is the recent increase in felt earthquakes in the central U.S. natural or manmade?

Oklahoma struck by series of quakes

5.8 earthquake in Virginia

Earthquake Hazards Program deformation data sites:

Parkfield

San Francisco Bay Area

Southern California

I’m Robert Leeper, a senior Bachelor of Science student majoring in geology at California State University, Fullerton. While attending Cerritos College in 2007, I applied for an internship at the Southern California Earthquake Center. During my internship, I was assigned to work with the USGS Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project, on the Great Southern California “ShakeOut” earthquake scenario. Following my internship, I was offered the opportunity to work for the USGS as a student employee under a Student Temporary Employment Program appointment, and I happily accepted. I am now a member of the USGS’s Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) team. SAFRR will aid in applying natural hazard science to improving the safety, security and economic well-being of the nation.

A Day in the Life

When I am not conducting field research, I am analyzing data recorded in a trench along the San Andreas Fault. I investigate spatial reference points using a computer program in order to identify stratigraphy that has been exposed by the trench. When an earthquake occurs, stratigraphy along the fault can be offset, and measuring the offset helps provide a better understanding of earthquake magnitude. When the stratigraphic layers are dated and those data are combined with earthquake magnitude data from the stratigraphy measurements, the magnitude and frequency of earthquakes on that fault become better understood. I am also working on creating photo-mosaics from a San Andreas Fault trench and preparing them for analysis. In addition, I’m writing a paleotsunami deposit fact sheet — a paleotsunami is a tsunami that occurred before the historical record, or a tsunami for which there is no written record.

This picture was taken while I was conducting post-storm debris-flow reconnaissance. The fault was covered by vegetation and sediment prior to the storms that hit the area after the Station Fire. To me, the small fault segment and the entire mountain range I was working in symbolized yet another, more well-known geologic hazard that residents of southern California face: earthquakes. While working in the field, I try to decipher and understand as much geology as I can.

I work with a team of scientists on a study that aims to identify a chronology of paleotsunami events along the California coast. At present, we are in the reconnaissance phase of the study, probing the subsurface in salt marshes and estuaries for anomalous and laterally continuous “beach” sand layers that could mean a paleotsunami occurred there. Once we identify sites of interest, we will conduct more in-depth studies and laboratory analyses.  The result of all this is that a better understanding of how often tsunamis have hit the California coast in the past will emerge. And of course, past events are an indication of what could happen in the present and the future. Consequently, the final results of the study will be used by the state of California to better assess its tsunami hazard; this research will also be incorporated by the SAFRR into our next hazard scenario.

Contributing to Science

The largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history, The Station Fire, burned in the mountains north of Los Angeles in late 2009. This wildfire greatly increased the danger of debris flows in subsequent storm seasons. After the fire and through 2011, I contributed to the development of a method that provided data on the timing of post-fire debris flows relative to rainfall.  Debris flows are fast-moving landslides that occur in a wide variety of environments throughout the world. They are particularly dangerous to life and property because they move quickly, destroy objects in their paths, and often strike without warning. After the fire, I installed, maintained and monitored real-time debris flow data-acquisition stations within the fire perimeter. As storms passed over the burned area, I was a point of contact that provided status reports from the field so other USGS personnel could forward the data to emergency management officials. Also, I am proud to say that I am coauthor of a peer-reviewed paper that presents the debris-flow timing data our team collected. The paper has been approved and scheduled for publication soon.

This photo was taken on the morning of February 6, 2010, shortly after the Mullally debris basin was filled to capacity and breached by debris flows. The photo shows a house that was destroyed by debris flows. The water heater and tan wall on top of the car are from the house that is to the left of the field of view (not in the photo). Debris, such as boulders, mud and tree stumps, are shown inside the house, which had a good portion of its walls and windows blown out.

My favorite experience with the USGS so far was responding to the debris-flow events of February 6, 2010; these events occurred in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. I was called to the scene after debris flows breached containment basins and inundated the communities situated below them. When I saw the destruction and unimaginable power of the debris flows, my respect for the diversity and severity of geo-hazards was taken to a new level. Other memorable moments with the USGS include conducting media interviews while in the field conducting emergency debris-flow response during storms. I actively helped piece together and solve real-world geologic-hazard problems alongside professional scientists. Deciphering the complicated processes behind geologic hazards makes our world a safer place.

The Greater Good

I find great satisfaction in knowing that the work I am doing helps humanity understand geologic hazards better, which in turn makes all of our lives safer. I hope to continue working for the USGS once I start graduate school in the spring of 2013. After I complete graduate school, I would like to have a career with the USGS. Working for the USGS has provided me with invaluable field and laboratory research experience.

Every day, I gain an understating of what it takes to manage a successful long-term research project and to see it through to fruition. I would like people to know that the USGS is an organization that conducts research for the betterment of humanity. Whether it is research on groundwater quality or on earthquake early warning systems, the scientists at the USGS are conducting research that benefits us all.    

Robert Leeper being interviewed by the media during a storm. Residents of the affected communities and the media wanted to know how the mountains were holding up and if any debris flows had occurred during the current storm. It turned out that no debris flows were recorded during this particular storm because the intense rainfall did not pass over the burned area as had been forecasted earlier that day.

Small hills NNE of Mt. Shasta are hummockslide 380,000 and 300,000 years ago. This view is from the top of Gregory Mountain, located about 40 km from the summit of the volcano. The prominent cone on the right skyline is Black Butte, a collection of four overlapping lava domes that were erupted about 9,500 years ago.

“More than 500 volcanic vents have been identified in the State of California. At least 76 of these vents have erupted, some repeatedly, during the last 10,000 years. …  Sooner or later, volcanoes in California will erupt again, and they could have serious impacts on the health and safety of the State’s citizens as well as on its economy.”   Miller, C. Dan, 1989, Potential Hazards from Future Volcanic Eruptions in California: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1847, 17p.

The U.S. Geological Survey announces the establishment of the USGS California Volcano Observatory, or CalVO, headquartered within existing USGS facilities in Menlo Park, Calif. Establishing CalVO will increase awareness of and resiliency to the volcano threats in California, many of which pose significant threats to the economy and well being of the state and its inhabitants.

“By uniting the research, monitoring, and hazard assessment for all of the volcanoes that pose a threat to the residents of California, CalVO will provide improved hazard information products to the public and decision makers alike,” explained USGS director Marcia McNutt. “This realignment is part of the USGS’s efforts to build the National Volcano Early Warning System, a prioritized modernization of USGS volcano monitoring enabled through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.”

CalVO takes on responsibility for research, monitoring, and assessing hazards for all of the potentially active volcanoes in California and coordinating with local and State emergency managers to prepare for responding to renewed volcanic activity. Previously, the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash was responsible for responding to volcanic unrest at some northern California volcanoes.

CalVO replaces the former Long Valley Observatory, established in 1982 to monitor the restless Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters region of California. The creation of CalVO will improve coordination with federal, state, and local emergency managers during volcanic crises, and create new opportunities for volcanic hazard awareness and preparedness. The realignment of USGS Volcano Observatories will further facilitate collaboration with federal and state partner agencies including the California Emergency Management Agency and the California Geological Survey.

Obsidian Flow, a large circular-shaped lava flow, is part of the Mono-Inyo Chain.

“California has always led the nation in comprehensive planning for potential disasters. Having the USGS take the initiative to enhance their volcanic threat capabilities and, most importantly, improve planning and coordination with California’s emergency managers is welcomed news.  At the end of the day, the public expects us to plan for all hazards, and this is another great example,” said Mike Dayton, Undersecretary of the California Emergency Management Agency.

“California is the most geologically diverse state in the nation. We are known for our earthquakes, landslides and flood hazards. But our nearly forgotten hazard is our volcanoes,” said Dr. John Parrish, the State Geologist of California. “The California Geological Survey welcomes the new CalVO with its expanded scope and organization, and we look forward to its successful operations. The new CalVO will streamline our emergency response operations since CGS has offices at the USGS Menlo Park complex, and CalVO’s authority now encompasses all of California’s volcanic provinces in one center.”

In 2005, the USGS issued an assessment entitled “Volcanic Threat and Monitoring Capabilities in the United States” (USGS OFR 2005-1164). Volcanic threat rankings for U.S. volcanoes were derived from a combination of factors including age of the volcano, potential hazards (the destructive natural phenomena produced by a volcano), exposure (people and property at risk from the hazards), and current level of monitoring (real-time sensors in place to detect volcanic unrest).

The list of potentially threatening volcanoes on CalVO’s watch list includes Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake Volcano, Clear Lake Volcanic Field, and Lassen Volcanic Center in northern California; Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters in east-central California; Salton Buttes, Coso Volcanic Field, and Ubehebe Craters in southern California; and Soda Lakes in central Nevada. CalVO’s watch list is subject to change as new data on past eruptive activity becomes known, as volcanic unrest develops, as monitoring networks are upgraded, and/or as exposure factors change.

Under the Stafford Act, the USGS has the federal responsibility to issue timely and effective warnings of potential volcanic disasters.  In addition to CalVO, the USGS operates four other volcano observatories. The Cascade Volcano Observatory oversees efforts at all potentially active volcanoes in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is responsible for volcanoes in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Alaska Volcano Observatory oversees Alaskan volcanoes and those within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The oldest USGS volcano observatory, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, is responsible for the state of Hawaii and is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year. All USGS volcano observatories share scientific expertise, administrative staff, and equipment.

For more information on the USGS Volcano Hazard Program visit http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/.  See also USGS fact sheets: “The National Volcano Early Warning System (NVEWS)” FS-2006-3142 and “U.S. Geological Survey’s Alert Notification System for Volcanic Activity,” FS-2006-3139.

Visit the new CalVO website.

Check out the news release!

Contact: Wendy K. Stovall