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Earthquake Science Center

The Earthquake Science Center has been the flagship research center of the USGS in the western United States for more than 50 years. It is the largest USGS research center in the West and houses extensive laboratories, scientific infrastructure, and research facilities.

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Earthquake Science Center Seminars

USGS logo and EQ Seminar Series

Seminars typically take place at 10:30 AM Wednesdays in the Rambo Auditorium (main USGS Conference Room). The USGS Campus is located at 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA.

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Earthquake Science Center Campus Video

man in front of slideshow presentation

This short, 7-minute video gives an overview of the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park, California. It briefly introduces you to the San Francisco Bay Area, shows the campus and facilities, and includes interviews with scientists.

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Handbooks to Help You Prepare for an Earthquake

Cartoon sketch of house on grassy hill

USGS handbooks that describe the threat posed by earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region and explain how you can prepare for, survive, and recover from these inevitable events.

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News

Even small lakes can tell big earthquake stories in the Yellowstone region

Even small lakes can tell big earthquake stories in the Yellowstone region

USGS Seeks Earthquake Hazards Research Proposals

USGS Seeks Earthquake Hazards Research Proposals

(Some) Assembly Required: How to sign your organization up for the Great ShakeOut

(Some) Assembly Required: How to sign your organization up for the Great ShakeOut

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Publications

Fiber-optic sensing for earthquake hazards research, monitoring and early warning Fiber-optic sensing for earthquake hazards research, monitoring and early warning

The use of fiber‐optic sensing systems in seismology has exploded in the past decade. Despite an ever‐growing library of ground‐breaking studies, questions remain about the potential of fiber‐optic sensing technologies as tools for advancing if not revolutionizing earthquake‐hazards‐related research, monitoring, and early warning systems. A working group convened to explore these topics...
Authors
Jeffrey McGuire, Andrew Barbour, Zack Spica, Verónica Rodríguez Tribaldos, Zhongwen Zhan, Bradley Lipovsky, Robert Mellors, Ettore Biondi, Clara Yoon, Martin Karrenbach, Adam Ringler, James Atterholt, Avinash Nayak, Theresa Marie Sawi, Loic Viens, Eileen Martin, Allen Husker, Paul Bodin, Morgan Moschetti, Qibin Shi, Nathaniel Miller, Prisha Puri
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center

Subduction zone earthquake catalog separation tool: Implementation in the USGS 2025 Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model Subduction zone earthquake catalog separation tool: Implementation in the USGS 2025 Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) periodically releases updates to National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for the United States and its territories leveraging current scientific knowledge and methodologies to guide public policy, building codes, and risk assessments regarding potential ground shaking due to earthquakes that may result in infrastructure damage. In subduction zones, there is...
Authors
Kirstie Haynie, Eric Thompson, Mike Hearne, Gavin P. Hayes, David Shelly, Allison Shumway, Andrea Llenos, Andrew Michael, Peter Powers
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Earthquake magnitude and source parameter estimation with a distributed acoustic sensing dataset in the Gorda subduction zone Earthquake magnitude and source parameter estimation with a distributed acoustic sensing dataset in the Gorda subduction zone

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) systems offer a cost‐effective way to create large‐scale strainmeter arrays for seismological applications using fiber‐optic cables. DAS‐based strain measurements are known to be influenced by various factors, bringing into question their general reliability for accurate earthquake characterization. A 15‐km‐long DAS deployment in northern California was...
Authors
Andrew Barbour, Jeffrey McGuire, Martin Karrenbach, Robert McPherson, Mark Hemphill-Haley, Connie Stewart
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center
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