Eric Thompson is a research geophysicist with the USGS in Golden. He joined the USGS in 2015 where he participates in research, development, and operations of many earthquake hazard products, including near-real-time earthquake hazard products.
Professional Experience
5/2015-Present: Research Geophysicist, USGS, Golden, Colorado.
4/2013-4/2015: Adjunct Professor, Geological Sciences, San Diego State University.
1/2014-3/2015: Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles.
9/2010-9/2013: Research Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University.
3/2009-8/2010: Postdoctoral Researcher/Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University.
Education and Certifications
2009 Ph.D., Tufts University, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
2002 B.S., University of California at Santa Cruz, Earth Science.
Honors and Awards
2022: Superior Service Award for activities in the planning and development of ground motion processing software named gmprocess.
2019: FEMA Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding contributions in support of national level earthquake exercise.
2018: Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC) Award for Excellence Use of Technology for developing the ShakeMap Scenario Suite.
Science and Products
External Grants - Overview
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides support for research that will assist in achieving the goals of the Earthquake Hazards Program. The goal is to mitigate earthquake losses that can occur in many parts of the nation by providing earth science data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions.
An Interactive Web-based Application for Earthquake-triggered Ground Failure Inventories
Inventories of landslides and liquefaction triggered by major earthquakes are key research tools that can be used to develop and test hazard models. To eliminate redundant effort, we created a centralized and interactive repository of ground failure inventories that currently hosts 32 inventories generated by USGS and non-USGS authors and designed a pipeline for adding more as they become availabl
An Updated Vs30 Map for California with Geologic and Topographic Constraints
This data release provides a map of the time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the upper 30 m (Vs30) for California using the method described by Thompson and others (2014). There are two adjustments to the algorithm described by Thompson and others (2014), which is built on the geology-based Vs30 map by Wills and Clahan (2006). In this data release, we use the Wills and others (2015) updated geolog
Database of horizontal component Fourier amplitude spectra of acceleration ground motions from Pacific Northwest earthquakes
This dataset includes quadratic mean Fourier amplitude spectra (FAS) of acceleration ground motions from crustal and intraslab earthquakes in the US Pacific Northwest with magnitudes 3.5-6.8 and hypocentral depths 0-62 km. The dataset consists of 8,028 records from 96 different earthquakes between 1999 and 2020. These data were used to study site response and basin amplification in the Pacific Nor
Inventory of liquefaction features triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake
This dataset consists of an inventory of the locations of liquefaction-related phenomena triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake. The inventory is primarily based on field observations collected during post-earthquake reconnaissance conducted by the USGS and partners (Allstadt and others, 2020, Interactive Dashboard). Some additional locations were added based on reconnaissance
Ground motion Fourier and response spectra from Utah earthquakes, 2010--2020
Records from strong motion stations were downloaded from FDSN and CESMD data centers with a search radius of approximately 220 km from Salt Lake City. Waveforms were processed to deconvolve instrument response and for baseline corrections. Signal was separated from noise using an automated P-wave picker. The signal was then windowed to include the mean plus two standard deviations of the signal. A
Inventory of landslides triggered by the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquake sequence
Here we present an inventory of remotely and field-observed landslides triggered by 2019-2020 Puerto Rico earthquake sequence. The inventory was mapped using pre- and post-event satellite imagery (PR_landslide_inventory_imagery.csv), an extensive collection of field observations (https://doi.org/10.5066/P96QNFMB) and using pre-earthquake lidar as guidance for mapping polygons with more precise loc
A Global Hybrid Vs30 Map with a Topographic-Slope-Based Default and Regional Map Insets
Time-averaged shear wave velocity over the upper 30 meters of the earth's surface (Vs30) is a key parameter for estimating ground motion amplification as both a predictive and diagnostic tool for earthquake hazards. A first-order approximation of Vs30 is commonly obtained via a topographic slope-based or terrain proxy due to the widely available nature of digital elevation models. However, better-
Ground motions from the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence
This project involves the compilation of ground motions, their derived parameters, and metadata for 133 earthquakes in the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence. This dataset includes 22,991 records from 133 events from 4 July 2019 to 18 October 2019 with a magnitude range from 3.6 to 7.1.
Database of ground motions from tectonic and volcanic events, Hawaii, 2018
This study involves a collection of peak ground motions from the 2018 M6.9 earthquake near Leilani Estates, Hawaii and the seismicity associated with the Kilauea Volcano eruption and summit collapse events. This study was intended to provide instrumental ground motion observations to evaluate ground motion models for use in the USGS Hawaii seismic hazard model. Significant variations in ground mot
Database of ground motions from in-slab earthquakes near Anchorage, Alaska, 2008-2019
The dataset contains earthquake ground motions from intermediate-depth (in-slab) earthquakes occurring within 350 km of Anchorage, Alaska 2008-2019. Ground motions are processed as described in the accompanying journal article for rotation-independent horizontal-component ground-shaking at oscillator periods between 0.1 and 10 s.
An Open Repository of Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories
Earthquake-triggered ground-failure, such as landsliding and liquefaction, can contribute significantly to losses, but our current ability to accurately include them in earthquake hazard analyses is limited. The development of robust and transportable models requires access to numerous inventories of ground failure triggered by earthquakes that span a broad range of terrains, shaking characteristi
Shakemap earthquake scenario: Building Seismic Safety Council 2014 Event Set (BSSC2014)
This is a catalog of earthquake scenarios, represented as ShakeMaps. A ShakeMap is a USGS product that facilitates communication of earthquake effects by portraying a map of the severity of shaking. Maps of shaking severity are provided in terms of macroseismic intensity, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and spectral accelerations (at 0.3, 1.0 and 3 sec oscillator periods).
Filter Total Items: 71
Ground‐motion variability from kinematic rupture models and the implications for nonergodic probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
The variability of earthquake ground motions has a strong control on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), particularly for the low frequencies of exceedance used for critical facilities. We use a crossed mixed‐effects model to partition the variance components from simulated ground motions of Mw 7 earthquakes on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone. Total variability of si
Authors
Grace Alexandra Parker, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson
Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and subsequent Mw 7.5 Elbistan earthquakes generated strong ground shaking that resulted in catastrophic human and economic loss across south‐central Türkiye and northwest Syria. The rapid characterization of the earthquakes, including their location, size, fault geometries, and slip kinematics, is critical to estimate the impact of significant seismic events.
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, Tuncay Taymaz, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Seda Yolsal-Çevikbilen, William D. Barnhart, Tahir Serkan Irmak, David J. Wald, Taylan Öcalan, William L. Yeck, Berkan Özkan, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, David R. Shelly, Eric M. Thompson, Christopher DuRoss, Paul S. Earle, Richard W. Briggs, Harley M. Benz, Ceyhun Erman, Ali Hasan Doğan, Cemali Altuntaş
High-pass corner frequency selection for implementation in the USGS automated ground motion processing tool
Earthquake ground motion processing for next-generation attenuation (NGA) projects required human inspection to select high-pass corner frequencies (fcHP), which is time-intensive and subjective. With growth in the number of recordings per event and interest in enhancing repeatability, we sought to develop automated procedures for fcHP selection. These procedures consider signal-to-noise ratio (SN
Authors
María E. Ramos-Sepulveda, Grace Alexandra Parker, Eric M. Thompson, Scott J. Brandenberg, Meibai Li, Okan Ilhan, Youssef M.A. Hashash, Ellen M. Rathje, Jonathan P. Stewart
Applying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines
We present a new consequence-driven framework for earthquake scenario selection. For emergency managers, utility operators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, a scenario-based seismic risk assessment is often necessary for the purpose of emergency management and planning. In developing a scientifically defensible scenario, stakeholders can simulate a realistic event in order to pre-identify vu
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, David Lallemant
Spatially continuous models of aleatory variability in seismic site response for southern California
We develop an empirical, spatially continuous model for the single-station within-event (ϕSS) component of earthquake ground motion variability in the Los Angeles area. ϕSS represents event-to-event variability in site response or remaining variability due to path effects not captured by ground motion models. Site-specific values of ϕSS at permanent seismic network stations were estimated during o
Authors
Grace Alexandra Parker, Annemarie S. Baltay, Eric M. Thompson
Sediment thickness and ground motion site amplification along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains
Past and present research on earthquake ground motions along the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and Mississippi Embayment show significant period-dependent site response that is not presently accounted for in ground motion models. These deviations are strongly correlated with the thickness of Mesozoic and younger syn- and post-rift sediments. With the recent incorporation of deep basin depth mea
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, David Henry Churchwell, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Thomas L. Pratt, Martin C. Chapman, Sanaz Rezaeian
Improving the Development Pipelines for USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Real-Time and Scenario Products
The real-time and scenario products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, such as the ComCat catalog, Did You Feel It?, ShakeMap, ShakeCast, and PAGER, are highly visible and used by a wide variety of stakeholders. We propose two significant enhancements to the development pipelines for the Earthquake Hazards Program real-time and scenario products that have far-reaching
Authors
Brad T. Aagaard, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, Mike Hearne, Lisa Sue Schleicher
Partitioning ground motion uncertainty when conditioned on station data
Rapid estimation of earthquake ground shaking and proper accounting of associated uncertainties in such estimates when conditioned on strong‐motion station data or macroseismic intensity observations are crucial for downstream applications such as ground failure and loss estimation. The U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap system is called upon to fulfill this objective in light of increased near‐real‐
Authors
Davis T. Engler, Charles Worden, Eric M. Thompson, Kishor Jaiswal
Ground failure triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake
The 7 January 2020 M 6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake, the mainshock of an extended earthquake sequence, triggered significant ground failure. In this study, we detail the ground failure that occurred based largely on a postearthquake field reconnaissance campaign that we conducted. We documented more than 300 landslides, mainly rock falls that were concentrated in areas where peak ground acceleration (
Authors
Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Desireé Bayouth García, Edwin Irizarry Brugman, K. Stephen Hughes, Robert G. Schmitt
Automated detection of clipping in broadband earthquake records
Because the amount of available ground‐motion data has increased over the last decades, the need for automated processing algorithms has also increased. One difficulty with automated processing is to screen clipped records. Clipping occurs when the ground‐motion amplitude exceeds the dynamic range of the linear response of the instrument. Clipped records in which the amplitude exceeds the dynamic
Authors
James Kael Kleckner, Kyle Withers, Eric M. Thompson, J.M. Rekoske, Emily Wolin, Morgan P. Moschetti
The impact of 3D finite‐fault information on ground‐motion forecasting for earthquake early warning
We identify aspects of finite‐source parameterization that strongly affect the accuracy of estimated ground motion for earthquake early warning (EEW). EEW systems aim to alert users to impending shaking before it reaches them. The U.S. West Coast EEW system, ShakeAlert, currently uses two algorithms based on seismic data to characterize the earthquake’s location, magnitude, and origin time, treati
Authors
Jessica R. Murray, Eric M. Thompson, Annemarie S. Baltay, Sarah E. Minson
Basin and site effects in the U.S. Pacific Northwest estimated from small‐magnitude earthquakes
Earthquake hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) are increased by the presence of deep sedimentary basins that amplify and prolong ground shaking. To better understand basin and site effects on ground motions, we compile a database of recordings from crustal and intraslab earthquakes. We process 8028 records with magnitudes from 3.5 to 6.8 and hypocentral depths up to 62 km to compute Fourie
Authors
John Rekoske, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson
Non-USGS Publications**
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G., Tanaka, Y. and Kayen, R.E., 2012. A taxonomy of site response complexity. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 41, pp.32-43.
Boore, D.M. and Thompson, E.M., 2012. Empirical improvements for estimating earthquake response spectra with random‐vibration theory. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 102(2), pp.761-772.
Kaklamanos, J., Bradley, B.A., Thompson, E.M. and Baise, L.G., 2013. Critical parameters affecting bias and variability in site‐response analyses using KiK‐net downhole array data. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 103(3), pp.1733-1749.
Kaklamanos, J., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M. and Dorfmann, L., 2015. Comparison of 1D linear, equivalent-linear, and nonlinear site response models at six KiK-net validation sites. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 69, pp.207-219.
Moss, R.E., Thompson, E.M., Kieffer, D.S., Tiwari, B., Hashash, Y.M., Acharya, I., Adhikari, B.R., Asimaki, D., Clahan, K.B., Collins, B.D. and Dahal, S., 2015. Geotechnical effects of the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks. Seismological Research Letters, 86(6), pp.1514-1523.
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2007. A global index earthquake approach to probabilistic assessment of extremes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 112(B6).
Zhu, J., Daley, D., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M., Wald, D.J. and Knudsen, K.L., 2015. A geospatial liquefaction model for rapid response and loss estimation. Earthquake Spectra, 31(3), pp.1813-1837.
Thompson, E.M., Hewlett, J.B., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2011. The Gumbel hypothesis test for left censored observations using regional earthquake records as an example. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 11(1), pp.115-126.
Baise, L.G., Lenz, J.A. and Thompson, E.M., 2008. Discussion of “Mapping liquefaction potential considering spatial correlations of CPT measurements” by Chia-Nan Liu and Chien-Hsun Chen. Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 134(2), pp.262-263.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
gfail_lifelines
gfail_lifelines is a package for estimating lifeline impacts caused by earthquake-triggered ground failure. It currently contains one module, gfroads, that combines the USGS earthquake-triggered landslide model (the Nowicki Jessee et al. 2017 model) estimates of areal coverage with Open Street Map roads to estimate the probability of a given road segment being affected.
USGS automated ground motion processing software
The goal of this project is to update, restructure, and consolidate existing USGS ground-motion processing software to incorporate recent advances from researchers at the USGS, PEER, and others. It will standardize tools for multiple USGS ground-motion products and enable scientists within the USGS and the external community to develop and expand ground-motion datasets used in many different appli
PS2FF
Produce approximated finite fault distances and variance corrections given point source information, for example, Repi (epcentral distance) to Rjb (Joyner-Boore distance) or Rrup (closest distance to rupture).
ShakeMap v4 Software
ShakeMap v4 Software and Documentation
groundfailure
This software is for calculating earthquake-induced ground failure hazard (i.e., landslide and liquefaction). These models are intended for regional or global scale applications, and are intended to be distributed in near-real-time, triggered by the Shakemaps.
Point-source to finite-fault distance conversions
Produce approximated finite fault distances and variance corrections given point source information, e.g., Repi (epcentral distance) to Rrup (rupture distance).
Science and Products
- Science
External Grants - Overview
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides support for research that will assist in achieving the goals of the Earthquake Hazards Program. The goal is to mitigate earthquake losses that can occur in many parts of the nation by providing earth science data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions.An Interactive Web-based Application for Earthquake-triggered Ground Failure Inventories
Inventories of landslides and liquefaction triggered by major earthquakes are key research tools that can be used to develop and test hazard models. To eliminate redundant effort, we created a centralized and interactive repository of ground failure inventories that currently hosts 32 inventories generated by USGS and non-USGS authors and designed a pipeline for adding more as they become availabl - Data
An Updated Vs30 Map for California with Geologic and Topographic Constraints
This data release provides a map of the time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the upper 30 m (Vs30) for California using the method described by Thompson and others (2014). There are two adjustments to the algorithm described by Thompson and others (2014), which is built on the geology-based Vs30 map by Wills and Clahan (2006). In this data release, we use the Wills and others (2015) updated geologDatabase of horizontal component Fourier amplitude spectra of acceleration ground motions from Pacific Northwest earthquakes
This dataset includes quadratic mean Fourier amplitude spectra (FAS) of acceleration ground motions from crustal and intraslab earthquakes in the US Pacific Northwest with magnitudes 3.5-6.8 and hypocentral depths 0-62 km. The dataset consists of 8,028 records from 96 different earthquakes between 1999 and 2020. These data were used to study site response and basin amplification in the Pacific NorInventory of liquefaction features triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake
This dataset consists of an inventory of the locations of liquefaction-related phenomena triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake. The inventory is primarily based on field observations collected during post-earthquake reconnaissance conducted by the USGS and partners (Allstadt and others, 2020, Interactive Dashboard). Some additional locations were added based on reconnaissanceGround motion Fourier and response spectra from Utah earthquakes, 2010--2020
Records from strong motion stations were downloaded from FDSN and CESMD data centers with a search radius of approximately 220 km from Salt Lake City. Waveforms were processed to deconvolve instrument response and for baseline corrections. Signal was separated from noise using an automated P-wave picker. The signal was then windowed to include the mean plus two standard deviations of the signal. AInventory of landslides triggered by the 2020 Puerto Rico earthquake sequence
Here we present an inventory of remotely and field-observed landslides triggered by 2019-2020 Puerto Rico earthquake sequence. The inventory was mapped using pre- and post-event satellite imagery (PR_landslide_inventory_imagery.csv), an extensive collection of field observations (https://doi.org/10.5066/P96QNFMB) and using pre-earthquake lidar as guidance for mapping polygons with more precise locA Global Hybrid Vs30 Map with a Topographic-Slope-Based Default and Regional Map Insets
Time-averaged shear wave velocity over the upper 30 meters of the earth's surface (Vs30) is a key parameter for estimating ground motion amplification as both a predictive and diagnostic tool for earthquake hazards. A first-order approximation of Vs30 is commonly obtained via a topographic slope-based or terrain proxy due to the widely available nature of digital elevation models. However, better-Ground motions from the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence
This project involves the compilation of ground motions, their derived parameters, and metadata for 133 earthquakes in the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence. This dataset includes 22,991 records from 133 events from 4 July 2019 to 18 October 2019 with a magnitude range from 3.6 to 7.1.Database of ground motions from tectonic and volcanic events, Hawaii, 2018
This study involves a collection of peak ground motions from the 2018 M6.9 earthquake near Leilani Estates, Hawaii and the seismicity associated with the Kilauea Volcano eruption and summit collapse events. This study was intended to provide instrumental ground motion observations to evaluate ground motion models for use in the USGS Hawaii seismic hazard model. Significant variations in ground motDatabase of ground motions from in-slab earthquakes near Anchorage, Alaska, 2008-2019
The dataset contains earthquake ground motions from intermediate-depth (in-slab) earthquakes occurring within 350 km of Anchorage, Alaska 2008-2019. Ground motions are processed as described in the accompanying journal article for rotation-independent horizontal-component ground-shaking at oscillator periods between 0.1 and 10 s.An Open Repository of Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories
Earthquake-triggered ground-failure, such as landsliding and liquefaction, can contribute significantly to losses, but our current ability to accurately include them in earthquake hazard analyses is limited. The development of robust and transportable models requires access to numerous inventories of ground failure triggered by earthquakes that span a broad range of terrains, shaking characteristiShakemap earthquake scenario: Building Seismic Safety Council 2014 Event Set (BSSC2014)
This is a catalog of earthquake scenarios, represented as ShakeMaps. A ShakeMap is a USGS product that facilitates communication of earthquake effects by portraying a map of the severity of shaking. Maps of shaking severity are provided in terms of macroseismic intensity, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and spectral accelerations (at 0.3, 1.0 and 3 sec oscillator periods). - Publications
Filter Total Items: 71
Ground‐motion variability from kinematic rupture models and the implications for nonergodic probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
The variability of earthquake ground motions has a strong control on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), particularly for the low frequencies of exceedance used for critical facilities. We use a crossed mixed‐effects model to partition the variance components from simulated ground motions of Mw 7 earthquakes on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone. Total variability of siAuthorsGrace Alexandra Parker, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. ThompsonRapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and subsequent Mw 7.5 Elbistan earthquakes generated strong ground shaking that resulted in catastrophic human and economic loss across south‐central Türkiye and northwest Syria. The rapid characterization of the earthquakes, including their location, size, fault geometries, and slip kinematics, is critical to estimate the impact of significant seismic events.AuthorsDara Elyse Goldberg, Tuncay Taymaz, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Seda Yolsal-Çevikbilen, William D. Barnhart, Tahir Serkan Irmak, David J. Wald, Taylan Öcalan, William L. Yeck, Berkan Özkan, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, David R. Shelly, Eric M. Thompson, Christopher DuRoss, Paul S. Earle, Richard W. Briggs, Harley M. Benz, Ceyhun Erman, Ali Hasan Doğan, Cemali AltuntaşHigh-pass corner frequency selection for implementation in the USGS automated ground motion processing tool
Earthquake ground motion processing for next-generation attenuation (NGA) projects required human inspection to select high-pass corner frequencies (fcHP), which is time-intensive and subjective. With growth in the number of recordings per event and interest in enhancing repeatability, we sought to develop automated procedures for fcHP selection. These procedures consider signal-to-noise ratio (SNAuthorsMaría E. Ramos-Sepulveda, Grace Alexandra Parker, Eric M. Thompson, Scott J. Brandenberg, Meibai Li, Okan Ilhan, Youssef M.A. Hashash, Ellen M. Rathje, Jonathan P. StewartApplying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines
We present a new consequence-driven framework for earthquake scenario selection. For emergency managers, utility operators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, a scenario-based seismic risk assessment is often necessary for the purpose of emergency management and planning. In developing a scientifically defensible scenario, stakeholders can simulate a realistic event in order to pre-identify vuAuthorsYolanda C Lin, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, David LallemantSpatially continuous models of aleatory variability in seismic site response for southern California
We develop an empirical, spatially continuous model for the single-station within-event (ϕSS) component of earthquake ground motion variability in the Los Angeles area. ϕSS represents event-to-event variability in site response or remaining variability due to path effects not captured by ground motion models. Site-specific values of ϕSS at permanent seismic network stations were estimated during oAuthorsGrace Alexandra Parker, Annemarie S. Baltay, Eric M. ThompsonSediment thickness and ground motion site amplification along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains
Past and present research on earthquake ground motions along the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and Mississippi Embayment show significant period-dependent site response that is not presently accounted for in ground motion models. These deviations are strongly correlated with the thickness of Mesozoic and younger syn- and post-rift sediments. With the recent incorporation of deep basin depth meaAuthorsOliver S. Boyd, David Henry Churchwell, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Thomas L. Pratt, Martin C. Chapman, Sanaz RezaeianImproving the Development Pipelines for USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Real-Time and Scenario Products
The real-time and scenario products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, such as the ComCat catalog, Did You Feel It?, ShakeMap, ShakeCast, and PAGER, are highly visible and used by a wide variety of stakeholders. We propose two significant enhancements to the development pipelines for the Earthquake Hazards Program real-time and scenario products that have far-reachingAuthorsBrad T. Aagaard, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, Mike Hearne, Lisa Sue SchleicherPartitioning ground motion uncertainty when conditioned on station data
Rapid estimation of earthquake ground shaking and proper accounting of associated uncertainties in such estimates when conditioned on strong‐motion station data or macroseismic intensity observations are crucial for downstream applications such as ground failure and loss estimation. The U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap system is called upon to fulfill this objective in light of increased near‐real‐AuthorsDavis T. Engler, Charles Worden, Eric M. Thompson, Kishor JaiswalGround failure triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake
The 7 January 2020 M 6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake, the mainshock of an extended earthquake sequence, triggered significant ground failure. In this study, we detail the ground failure that occurred based largely on a postearthquake field reconnaissance campaign that we conducted. We documented more than 300 landslides, mainly rock falls that were concentrated in areas where peak ground acceleration (AuthorsKate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Desireé Bayouth García, Edwin Irizarry Brugman, K. Stephen Hughes, Robert G. SchmittAutomated detection of clipping in broadband earthquake records
Because the amount of available ground‐motion data has increased over the last decades, the need for automated processing algorithms has also increased. One difficulty with automated processing is to screen clipped records. Clipping occurs when the ground‐motion amplitude exceeds the dynamic range of the linear response of the instrument. Clipped records in which the amplitude exceeds the dynamicAuthorsJames Kael Kleckner, Kyle Withers, Eric M. Thompson, J.M. Rekoske, Emily Wolin, Morgan P. MoschettiThe impact of 3D finite‐fault information on ground‐motion forecasting for earthquake early warning
We identify aspects of finite‐source parameterization that strongly affect the accuracy of estimated ground motion for earthquake early warning (EEW). EEW systems aim to alert users to impending shaking before it reaches them. The U.S. West Coast EEW system, ShakeAlert, currently uses two algorithms based on seismic data to characterize the earthquake’s location, magnitude, and origin time, treatiAuthorsJessica R. Murray, Eric M. Thompson, Annemarie S. Baltay, Sarah E. MinsonBasin and site effects in the U.S. Pacific Northwest estimated from small‐magnitude earthquakes
Earthquake hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) are increased by the presence of deep sedimentary basins that amplify and prolong ground shaking. To better understand basin and site effects on ground motions, we compile a database of recordings from crustal and intraslab earthquakes. We process 8028 records with magnitudes from 3.5 to 6.8 and hypocentral depths up to 62 km to compute FourieAuthorsJohn Rekoske, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. ThompsonNon-USGS Publications**
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G., Tanaka, Y. and Kayen, R.E., 2012. A taxonomy of site response complexity. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 41, pp.32-43.Boore, D.M. and Thompson, E.M., 2012. Empirical improvements for estimating earthquake response spectra with random‐vibration theory. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 102(2), pp.761-772.Kaklamanos, J., Bradley, B.A., Thompson, E.M. and Baise, L.G., 2013. Critical parameters affecting bias and variability in site‐response analyses using KiK‐net downhole array data. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 103(3), pp.1733-1749.Kaklamanos, J., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M. and Dorfmann, L., 2015. Comparison of 1D linear, equivalent-linear, and nonlinear site response models at six KiK-net validation sites. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 69, pp.207-219.Moss, R.E., Thompson, E.M., Kieffer, D.S., Tiwari, B., Hashash, Y.M., Acharya, I., Adhikari, B.R., Asimaki, D., Clahan, K.B., Collins, B.D. and Dahal, S., 2015. Geotechnical effects of the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks. Seismological Research Letters, 86(6), pp.1514-1523.Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2007. A global index earthquake approach to probabilistic assessment of extremes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 112(B6).Zhu, J., Daley, D., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M., Wald, D.J. and Knudsen, K.L., 2015. A geospatial liquefaction model for rapid response and loss estimation. Earthquake Spectra, 31(3), pp.1813-1837.Thompson, E.M., Hewlett, J.B., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2011. The Gumbel hypothesis test for left censored observations using regional earthquake records as an example. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 11(1), pp.115-126.Baise, L.G., Lenz, J.A. and Thompson, E.M., 2008. Discussion of “Mapping liquefaction potential considering spatial correlations of CPT measurements” by Chia-Nan Liu and Chien-Hsun Chen. Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 134(2), pp.262-263.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Software
gfail_lifelines
gfail_lifelines is a package for estimating lifeline impacts caused by earthquake-triggered ground failure. It currently contains one module, gfroads, that combines the USGS earthquake-triggered landslide model (the Nowicki Jessee et al. 2017 model) estimates of areal coverage with Open Street Map roads to estimate the probability of a given road segment being affected.USGS automated ground motion processing software
The goal of this project is to update, restructure, and consolidate existing USGS ground-motion processing software to incorporate recent advances from researchers at the USGS, PEER, and others. It will standardize tools for multiple USGS ground-motion products and enable scientists within the USGS and the external community to develop and expand ground-motion datasets used in many different appliPS2FF
Produce approximated finite fault distances and variance corrections given point source information, for example, Repi (epcentral distance) to Rjb (Joyner-Boore distance) or Rrup (closest distance to rupture).
ShakeMap v4 Software
ShakeMap v4 Software and Documentationgroundfailure
This software is for calculating earthquake-induced ground failure hazard (i.e., landslide and liquefaction). These models are intended for regional or global scale applications, and are intended to be distributed in near-real-time, triggered by the Shakemaps.Point-source to finite-fault distance conversions
Produce approximated finite fault distances and variance corrections given point source information, e.g., Repi (epcentral distance) to Rrup (rupture distance).