Videos

Ozette Lake is located above the locked portion of the northern Cascadia megathrust and is relatively isolated from other active faults.

Ozette Lake is located above the locked portion of the northern Cascadia megathrust and is relatively isolated from other active faults.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.9, was the strongest to hit the San Francisco Bay Area since the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Although it provided extensive data on ground shaking, the available observations don’t fully capture all the quake's important features. 

This ShakeMovie depicts a computer-generated simulation of the July 4, 2019 M6.4 Ridgecrest, CA earthquake, and is based on a mathematical model of the earthquake faulting process and 3D wave propagation.

This ShakeMovie depicts a computer-generated simulation of the July 5, 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest, CA earthquake, and is based on a mathematical model of the earthquake faulting process and 3D wave propagation.

This ShakeMovie depicts a computer-generated simulation of the July 5, 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest, CA earthquake, and is based on a mathematical model of the earthquake faulting process and 3D wave propagation.

Dr. Annemarie Baltay talks about the October 25th, 2022 M5.1 earthquake in Seven Trees, California.

Reflections on the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence one year after from a few USGS employees. Employees discuss when they first heard about the magnitude 6.4 and notable professional experiences that happened afterwards.
 

Retrospective interview with USGS Geophysicist Susan Hough about the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway (known as the Cypress Structure) in Oakland, CA, during the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and how the first responders reacted to the event.
 

Retrospective interview with USGS Geophysicist Susan Hough about her early earthquake work during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The interview covers how the Cypress Structure collapse in Oakland, CA, served as a site response study for seismic research.
 

Each year the State of California promotes a ShakeOut event where local citizens practice earthquake response and preparedness. This video shows footage from the 2019 Great California ShakeOut, which was hosted at Biola University in La Mirenda, CA. Video includes footage of the initial ShakeAlert announcement that blared across campus.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it. These are their stories.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it. These are their stories.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it.

On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 pm a magnitude M6.9 earthquake struck near Loma Prieta, California. It was a tragic reminder of the destructive power of earthquakes. However, it was also a watershed moment in seismic research. 30 years later, we revisit the earthquake through the eyes of the scientists who experienced it. And studied it. These are their stories.

Retired seismologist David Oppenheimer reflects on the first prototype earthquake early warning system used during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Scientists deployed an analog system to notify first responders of impending earthquake activity as they worked on rescue efforts at the Cypress Viaduct collapse in Oakland, CA.
 

This video presents an animation of computer-simulated ground motions that might occur for a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rupturing the Rose Canyon fault in southern California. The scenario earthquake ruptures a 65-km-long section of the Rose Canyon fault that lies just offshore of San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico.

US Navy Captain Paul Dale discusses the collaborative efforts between the USGS and Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake after the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence. 
 

This is b-roll footage of a ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system seismic station. These seismic stations and sensors are deployed around California and are used to monitor earthquake activity.