What is the USGS doing to mitigate and respond to earthquake hazards?
The U.S. Geological Survey performs the following functions related to earthquake hazard mitigation:
- Receives, analyzes, maintains, and distributes data on earthquake activity worldwide. Satellites link our National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado to a network of seismograph stations. These stations, located throughout the world, are maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey, State geological surveys, universities, research institutions, and foreign governments.
- Provides rapid notification of earthquake events to civil defense and government officials in the affected area, and to the public through the news media.
- Produces regional assessments of earthquake hazards in conjunction with State and local governments. This information is used by: local planners and building officials in setting appropriate building and retrofitting standards in an area government and civil defense officials in planning for disaster recovery professionals conducting detailed site assessments researchers engaged in basic and applied research.
- Engages in basic research to learn more about the nature of earthquake activity.
- Provides education on earthquake hazards and safety to the public by publishing and distributing literature, and through a variety of other outreach efforts.
Related Content
How do I get earthquake hazard maps for locations outside of the U.S.?
How are engineers working to make roads and buildings safer?
Can the National Seismic Hazard Maps be used as an earthquake forecast tool for the near future?
What is the probability that an earthquake is a foreshock to a larger earthquake?
What is the difference between earthquake early warning, earthquake forecasts, earthquake probabilities, and earthquake prediction?
What is the probability that an earthquake will occur in the Los Angeles Area? In the San Francisco Bay area?
How do I decide whether or not to get earthquake insurance?
How do earthquakes affect buildings?
What is the likelihood of a large earthquake at location X? Is it safe to go to X since they've been having a lot of earthquakes lately?
How will my house hold up in an earthquake? Can the USGS send someone out to evaluate my property?
What are the earthquake hazards/risks where I live?
What is seismic hazard? What is a seismic hazard map? How are they made? How are they used? Why are there different maps, and which one should I use?
USGS provides update for the National Seismic Hazard Model
USGS experts recently released a study that incorporates the latest earthquake science findings into an update of the National Seismic Hazard Model for the “lower-48” United States. Read the full report here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/8755293019878199
East vs West Coast Earthquakes
Why was an earthquake in Virginia felt at more than twice the distance than a similar-sized earthquake in California? The answer is one that many people may not realize. Earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains can cause noticeable ground shaking at much farther distances than comparably-sized earthquakes in the West.
New Audiences, New Products for the National Seismic Hazard Maps
New Audiences, New Products for the National Seismic Hazard Maps
A 100-year-long History of Earthquakes and Seismic Monitoring in Hawaii
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s 1912–2012 Centennial—100 Years of Tracking Eruptions and Earthquakes
HAWAI‘I ISLAND, Hawaii —The history of earthquakes and seismic monitoring in Hawai‘i during the past century will be the topic of a presentation at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo on Thursday, January 26, at 7:00 p.m.
Earthquake Hazard Maps Show How the Nation Shakes with Quakes
Friday's magnitude-5.2 earthquake in southern Illinois is a reminder that earthquakes are a national hazard.
Protecting the Public From Earthquake Hazards - Advanced National Seismic System Comes to Memphis
October marks a new milestone in the installation of modern seismic stations in seismically active urban areas across the country. These cities include Memphis, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Anchorage, and Reno.
New USGS Map Will Improve Earthquake Hazards Assessment in the Bay Area
A new geologic map of surficial deposits in the nine-county San Francisco Bay region that can be used to evaluate earthquake hazards has been released in digital form by the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.
PubTalk 9/2018 - Hayward Earthquake
Title: The 150th Anniversary of the Damaging 1868 Hayward Earthquake: Why It Matters and How We Can Prepare for Its Repeat
- The Hayward Fault in the heart of the Bay Area is one of the most urbanized faults in the US.
- Studies of the fault reveal that it has produced 12 large earthquakes in the past 2000 years spaced 100-220 years apart.
- There
PubTalk 1/2018 — ShakeAlert: Path to West Coast EQ Early Warning
Title: ShakeAlert: The Path to West Coast Earthquake Early Warning ... how a few seconds can save lives and property
- The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system will begin limited operations this year.
- Alerts could save lives and properties but several challenges remain.
- With millions at risk, why isn't full public alerting happening yet?
Earthquake Road Damage
Photographs showing examples of types of damage to lifelines and infrastructure expected to occur along the Hayward Fault in the San Francisco Bay region, California, in an earthquake like the magnitude-7 mainshock modeled in the HayWired Scenario.
USGS Forecast for Ground Shaking Intensity from Earthquakes in 2017
USGS map displaying intensity of potential ground shaking from natural and human-induced earthquakes. There is a small chance (one percent) that ground shaking intensity will occur at this level or higher. There is a greater chance (99 percent) that ground shaking will be lower than what is displayed in these maps.
PubTalk 8/2014 — Ground Shaking in '89 Loma Prieta Quake: 25 yrs later
by Brad Aagaard, USGS Research Geophysicist
- What factors controlled the variability in ground shaking in the earthquake?
- Will the ground shaking in future earthquakes display similar patterns?
- Hear about the advances made in recording ground shaking over the past 25 years.
- Learn how USGS uses this information
Earthquake-damaged building
Building damanged by the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Installing Antenna and Solar Panel for Seismic Station
With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory recently upgraded its seismic monitoring network. Here, HVO staff, assisted by an HVO volunteer, installs the solar panel and antenna for one of the upgraded seismic stations on Kīlauea.
Northridge, CA Earthquake Damage
Collection of USGS still images taken after the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake highlighting the damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Northridge, CA Earthquake Damage
Collection of USGS still images taken after the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake highlighting the damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Marina District, San Francisco, after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
Ground view of collapsed building and burned area at Beach and Divisadero Streets, Marina District, San Francisco, following the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. At 5:04:15 p.m. (PDT), the magnitude 6.9 (moment magnitude; surface-wave magnitude, 7.1) earthquake severely shook the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions. The epicenter was located at 37.04° N.
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