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Earthquakes

Ground shaking caused by the sudden release of accumulated strain by an abrupt shift of rock along a fracture in the earth or by volcanic or magmatic activity, or other sudden stress changes in the earth.

Subtopics:
Earthquake occurrences (42 items)

Earthquake hazards (49 items)

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Results 1 - 88 of 92 listed by similarity [list alphabetically]

Earthquake Hazards Program [More info]: Information on earthquake activity, earthquake science, and earthquake hazard reduction with links to news reports, products and services, educational resources for teachers, glossary, and current U.S. earthquake activity map.
Earthquakes: Frequently Asked Questions [More info]: Answers to a wide variety of questions (FAQs) about earthquakes, such as dictionary of terms, earthquake activity and probabilities, common myths, faults, plate tectonics, and earthquake measurement techniques.
Earthquake information by topic [More info]: Information on earthquakes by topic including faults, tsunami, seismic waves, and plate tectonics.
Earthquake notification services [More info]: Sign up for USGS real-time earthquake notification services.
Earthquake preparedness information [More info]: Links to web sites, publications, and fact sheets on earthquake preparedness.
Earthquake search [More info]: Search interface allowing searches of earthquake databases by various parameters including date, depth, intensity, area, and magnitude and download data in a variety of formats.
Earthquake hazard maps [More info]: National seismic hazards maps, global seismic hazards map, predictive intensity maps, shaking hazards maps and probabilities for California, and a variety of fact sheets on earthquakes.
Earthquake: Did you feel it? Report it here. [More info]: Place to provide information about ground shaking associated with significant earthquakes. A questionnaire to let us know what you felt following an earthquake in the United States or in other countries.
Earthquakes for kids [More info]: Links to various earthquake projects, facts, science fair ideas, earthquake science, becoming an earthquake scientist, image glossary, earthquake facts, and puzzles and games for children.
Earthquake glossary [More info]: Dictionary of terms associated with earthquakes with simple definitions and photographs especially suited for students.
Earthquake "Top 10" Lists & Maps [More info]: Lists of largest earthquakes in the world and in the United States, earthquake facts and statistics, deaths from earthquakes, earthquakes by magnitude, and significant earthquakes.
Historical earthquakes: lists and statistics [More info]: Lists and maps of historic earthquakes by geographic area, magnitude, destructiveness, and other characteristics.
ShakeMap [More info]: ShakeMap sites provide near-real-time maps of ground motion and shaking intensity following significant earthquakes.
Fault and fold database of the United States [More info]: Online database of faults and associated folds in the United States that are believed to be sources of significant earthquakes during the last 1.6 million years.
Earthquake and fault data for Google Earth [More info]: Downloadable data for earthquakes and faults for use with the Google Earth software
Real-time seismogram displays [More info]: Description of seismograms and how they are produced by drum recorders and electronic instruments with real-time seismograms for Northern California and Long Valley, California and representative seismograms for types of earthquake activity.
This dynamic planet: World map of volcanoes, earthquakes, impact craters, and plate tectonics [More info]: Online world map with booklet (PDF format) giving an account of plate tectonics, volcanology, earthquake activity, and impact craters.
This dynamic Earth: the story of plate tectonics [More info]: Online booklet giving an introduction to the concept of plate tectonics and complements the information on the map This Dynamic Planet published in 1994 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Smithsonian Institution.
Earthquakes [More info]: Online booklet on earthquake history, earthquake occurrences, measuring earthquakes, causes, relationship of volcanoes and earthquakes and earthquake prediction.
Earthquake Geology and Paleoseismology [More info]: Geological effects of earthquakes on the crust and landscape, with studies of prehistoric earthquake activity using geological evidence.
Earthquake hazard in the New Madrid seismic zone remains a concern [More info]: GPS measurements made since 1996 seem to show this earthquake-prone area slowing down. Is it time to relax? Scientists who studied these data in detail say no, and this fact sheet explains why.
Earthquake Hazards 101 [More info]: Provides links to explanatory materials for the layperson, including information on concepts behind earthquake maps, the use of probability, what the maps mean, how they are made, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Earthquake Hazards Program - Central and Eastern U.S. [More info]: Information on earthquakes in central and eastern United States with links to earthquake monitoring, published products, recent earthquake information, discussion group, and current projects.
Earthquake Hazards Program external research support [More info]: Abstracts, program announcements and descriptions of projects funded by the external research program.
Earthquake hazards software for download [More info]: Numerous downloadable software packages for carrying out analyses, modeling, and ancillary calculations in earthquake research and monitoring.
Earthquake Products & Publications [More info]: Long list of online fact sheets, publications, and maps relevant to earthquake studies.
Earthquake science explained--a series of ten short articles for students, teachers, and families [More info]: Collects a series of short articles on earthquake science and related topics for students, teachers, and parents originally published as weekly features in The San Francisco Chronicle.
Earthquakes and tsunamis in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands [More info]: Fact sheet on hazards from earthquakes and tsunamis in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to be downloaded as a PDF file or viewed as an Adobe Acrobat Reader file.
Earthquakes in Hawaii -- an underappreciated but serious hazard [More info]: Shows where earthquakes occur here, the type of damage that has occurred, and the information that USGS provides to help people anticipate and understand this hazard.
Earthquakes in the central United States, 1699-2010 [More info]: Poster includes GIS data for earthquake locations in this seismically active area.
Earthquakes pose a serious hazard in Afghanistan [More info]: Structural features in eastern Afghanistan accompany seismicity data showing this area is subject to considerable risk of earthquakes.
A Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake in the Tacoma Fault Zone-A Plausible Scenario for the Southern Puget Sound Region, Washington [More info]: Scientific description of the likely effects of a significant earthquake on this densely populated area.
Central California /San Francisco Bay Earthquake Hazards Project [More info]: Information on earthquakes in central California and the San Francisco region with links to four types of field studies, deep seismic investigations, geotechnical investigations, shallow seismic imaging, and airborne geophysical surveys.
Facing the great disaster: How the men and women of the U.S. Geological Survey responded to the 1906 "San Francisco Earthquake" [More info]: After the powerful earthquake of April 18, 1906, staff of the U.S. Geological Survey stationed in Sacramento and Berkeley brought help to the residents of devastated San Francisco, documented the effects of the quake, and investigated its causes.
Field reconnaissance report of landslides triggered by the January 12, 2010, Haiti earthquake [More info]: Preliminary aerial helicopter reconnaissance of areas affected by landslides and ground inspections at some accessible landslide sites.
Forecasting California's earthquakes - What can we expect in the next 30 years? [More info]: Shows how we know severe earthquakes will occur and where.
General Earthquake Observation System (GEOS) [More info]: Earthquake and aftershock data collected by the USGS General Earthquake Observation System project in Menlo Park, California.
Glacier effects of the M7.9 Denali fault earthquake of November 3, 2002 [More info]: Description and photos documenting offsets and 260 km rupture in the Denali glacier in central Alaska after the November 3, 2002 earthquake, the 9th largest earthquake in the United States in the last 200 years.
Ground-shaking hazard from earthquakes [More info]: Postcard available for downloading and printing.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) earthquakes: HVO seismic network [More info]: Description of the seismic monitoring of the active Hawaiian volcanoes with information on the network, instrumentation, and recording stations with links to related information.
Helping safeguard Veterans Affairs' hospital buildings by advanced earthquake monitoring [More info]: We put seismic monitoring instruments into 20 VA hospital buildings, connected with computers that analyze their data to determine rapidly the structural health of the buildings in the event of earthquakes.
Latest earthquakes in the USA - Past 7 days [More info]: Real-time earthquake maps of the conterminous U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico displaying magnitude and location of earthquake activity in the past hour, past day, and past week.
Latest worldwide earthquakes [More info]: Near real-time list of earthquakes recently occurring anywhere in the world.
Maps of recent earthquake activity in California-Nevada [More info]: Near-real-time maps of location, ground motion, and shaking intensity of earthquakes in California and Nevada for the past hour, past day, and past week and links to other earthquake information.
National Earthquake Information Center [More info]: Information on world earthquake activity with links to facts and lists on large earthquakes, earthquake e-mail notification, hazards and preparedness, educational links, news and highlights and other seismic information.
Natural Hazards - Earthquakes [More info]: News and related information focusing on the importance of earthquake hazards in the United States.
PAGER--Rapid assessment of an earthquake's impact [More info]: An automated system for rapidly estimating the shaking distribution, number of people and settlements exposed to severe shaking, and range of possible fatalities and economic losses. A color-coded alert suggests levels of appropriate response.
Protecting your family from earthquakes - The seven steps to earthquake safety (in English and Spanish) [More info]: Everyone in your family, children and adults, can learn how to prepare for an earthquake. Read this book, then take advantage of the American Red Cross Earthquake Preparedness training courses offered in your community.
Protecting your family from earthquakes - The seven steps to earthquake safety (in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean) [More info]: Everyone in your family, children and adults, can learn how to prepare for an earthquake. Read this book, then take advantage of the American Red Cross Earthquake Preparedness training courses offered in your community.
Putting down roots in earthquake country - Your handbook for earthquakes in the central United States [More info]: If you live near one of the seismic zones in the central United States, this handbook explains why you should be concerned with earthquakes, what you can expect during a quake, and what you need to do beforehand to be safe and reduce property damage.
Putting down roots in earthquake country: Your handbook for the San Francisco Bay region [More info]: If you live or work in the San Francisco Bay region, this handbook explains why you should be concerned with earthquakes, what you can expect during and after a quake, and what you need to do beforehand to be safe and reduce property damage.
Recent earthquakes in Hawaii [More info]: Interactive maps of earthquakes of last 2 hours, last 2 days, and last 2 weeks in Hawaii.
Report on the 2010 Chilean earthquake and tsunami response [More info]: With high property damage, loss of life and fire damage were relatively low. Why? The legal system encourages builders to follow code, the electrical grid was shut down early, and emergency response management was very effective.
Severity of an earthquake [More info]: Description of intensity and magnitude as indicators of the size of an earthquake and the levels of severity measured on the Richter Magnitude Scale and the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.
St. Louis Area Earthquake Hazards Mapping Project [More info]: Overview of USGS research focused on earthquake hazards of this specific area.
The great 1906 earthquake, 100 years later [More info]: Annotated list of resources about the great earthquake of 1906, which caused significant devastation in and around San Francisco, California, compiled for the 100th anniversary of the disaster.
The Hayward fault - Is it due for a repeat of the powerful 1868 earthquake? [More info]: Preparing for earthquakes along this important fault requires studying the history of its movement and its geology, as well as understanding how society has built the area around it.
The Parkfield Experiment - capturing what happens in an earthquake [More info]: Fact sheet describing plans for a San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) by drilling into the fault to install instruments for long-term monitoring near the location of the magnitude 6 Parkfield earthquakes.
The story of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory -- A remarkable first 100 years of tracking eruptions and earthquakes [More info]: History of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), established in 1912, including an overview of Hawaiian volcanic processes and USGS monitoring techniques.
Tsunamis & earthquakes [More info]: Homepage for tsunami research with links to information and images on basics, tsunamis in the Pacific Northwest, the 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami, research on specific tsunamis, and animations in various formats.
Understanding earthquake hazards in urban areas - Evansville Area Earthquake Hazards Mapping Project [More info]: Evansville, Indiana, is near the Wabash Valley and New Madrid seismic zones and has experienced minor damage from earthquakes in the past 200 years. This fact sheet describes three types of USGS earthquake hazard maps for Evansville and surrounding areas.
United States National Strong-Motion Project (earthquakes) [More info]: National Strong-Motion Program home page with links to program news, recent events, and datasets of digitized accelerograms downloadable as PC (*.zip) and Unix (*.tar.z) files, data processing, stations, research, publications, and personnel.
Geologic hazards team [More info]: An organizational unit within USGS that studies earthquakes, landslides, and geomagnetism. Contact information and descriptions of current research projects.
Natural hazards [More info]: Research and monitoring to provide the Nation with a clear understanding of natural hazards and their potential threats to society, and assists with developing smart, cost-effective strategies for achieving preparedness and resilience.
Natural Hazards - A National Threat [More info]: Describes the role USGS plays in reducing losses from natural disasters, itemizing specific information we develop and maintain to help mitigate or avoid these problems.
Natural Hazards Gateway [More info]: News and related information about the importance of seven major types of natural hazards in the United States: earthquakes, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, landslides, volcanoes, and tsunamis.
Natural Hazards Support System [More info]: Shows where current natural hazard events are occurring within the US or worldwide, with information about the geographic extent of the hazard, the US agency engaged to work on it, and how long the hazard is expected be active.
Pacific Northwest geologic mapping and urban hazards [More info]: Overview of the Pacific Northwest Urban Corridor Geologic Mapping Program concerned with geology and urban hazards with links to online geologic maps, current research, publications, and contacts.
Volcano Hazards Program, California Volcano Observatory [More info]: Overview of volcano hazards in California with links to monitoring data including earthquakes and deformations, long-term outlook, volcano hazards in the area, USGS response plan, image gallery, monitoring and topical studies, publications and references.
A volcano rekindled; the renewed eruption of Mount St. Helens, 2004-2006 [More info]
Advanced National Seismic System (seismic network) [More info]: A program of studies with instruments to provide accurate and timely data and information on seismic events, including their effects on buildings and structures, employing modern monitoring methods and technologies.
Advanced National Seismic System: Products and services [More info]: Maps, data, and services provided to help people understand earthquakes that have occurred.
Albuquerque Seismological Lab [More info]: The USGS Seismological Laboratory in Albuquerque installs and maintains a world network of seismograph stations, collects the seismic data, and evaluates seismic instruments. Site includes links to ASL publications, earthquake maps and seismic data.
ANSS - Advanced National Seismic System [More info]: Nationa network of seismic monitoring stations coordinated with a variety of regional organizations and academic institutions.
Earth science photographic archive [More info]: Photographic archive collection from the USGS Photo Library. Photos dated 1868-1992 are of geology, earthquake damage, national parks, pioneer photographers, St. Helens eruption and mining and available at 100, 700 and 1400 dots/inch resolution.
Executive summary, workshop: seismic and tsunami hazard in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands [More info]: Summary of workshop with links to reports that are recommendations for future projects.
FAQs - National Seismic Hazard Maps [More info]: Provides detailed technical information on earthquake hazards in the form of frequently asked questions. Designed for the technical audience, including building and safety planners.
Global Seismographic Network [More info]: Worldwide network of seismic monitoring stations coordinated by a variety of national and international organizations.
Joshua Tree National Park geology: on shaky ground [More info]: Description of earthquake that was felt in Joshua Tree region (1999) and links to earthquake summary, shaded relief map, aerial photos of the rupture zone, shaking intensity maps, damage reports, and seismograph network map.
Major quake likely to strike San Francisco Bay Region between 2003 and 2032 [More info]: Study of the probability of a major earthquake in San Francisco Bay region with colored map and links to relevant publications. Text also available in PDF format and graphic available in Illustrator or Photoshop format.
Mauna Loa current activity [More info]: Current activity of Mauna Loa Volcano with news, GPS data, electronic tiltmeter data, and current seismicity plus links to long term monitoring.
Monitoring data of the Long Valley caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters volcanic chain, California [More info]: Describes the monitoring effort and provides real-time data of the current restless activity of the caldera, including earthquakes, ground deformation, and release of volcanic gas and plus link to volcano monitoring techniques.
Real-time seismic monitoring of instrumented hospital buildings [More info]: Specialized monitoring systems installed in a VA hospital in Memphis, TN will help us to design safer hospitals and other buildings and to prevent loss of life in this and similar earthquake-prone areas.
Satellite map of Port-au-Prince, Haiti - 2010 - infrared [More info]: Post-earthquake map derived from 1:24,000-scale base maps incorporating high- and medium-resolution remotely sensed imagery following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the capital city of Port au Prince, Haiti, on January 12, 2010
Satellite map of Port-au-Prince, Haiti - 2010 - natural color [More info]: Post-earthquake map derived from 1:24,000-scale base maps incorporating high- and medium-resolution remotely sensed imagery following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake near the capital city of Port au Prince, Haiti, on January 12, 2010
The San Andreas Fault [More info]: Online booklet on the San Andreas fault system on the California coastal region with discussion of faults, relationship of faults and earthquakes, magnitude of earthquakes, and earthquake probability.
The U.S. Geological Survey Ocean Bottom Seismometer Facility [More info]: The Ocean Bottom Seismometer facility provides technical support for a variety of scientific investigations ranging from deep crustal structure to gas hydrate and surface sediments.
United States National Seismic Hazard Maps [More info]: Maps indicating areas where earthquakes may cause damage or disrupt human activities, with information about how those maps are compiled.

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