USGS provides briefing to Navy about Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence

Kate Scharer (USGS) provides CO CAPT Paul Dale (Navy) with the field mapping team’s initial product, showing the surface fault rupture at NAWSCL as well as the temporarily deployed seismic and GPS sensors that were rapidly deployed. Contributions of field data from within the base were from CGS & USGS, and from outside the base were from Univ. of Nevada, Reno, EERI, SCEC, the GEER team, and many others. On this occasion, also, Dr. Scharer rotated into position as lead USGS point-of-contact for all USGS field operations within NAWSCL, taking over for the early rapid response strike team that had been led after the M 6.4 foreshock by Janis Hernandez (CGS) and by Dr. Ken Hudnut (USGS), who performed ground-based reconnaissance with Kelly Blake (Navy) and then aerial reconnaissance to map the surface rupture on the SW-NE fault associated with the M 6.4 foreshock. Hernandez and Hudnut then briefed the CO and Navy EOC staff as well as the Mayor of Ridgecrest and City EOC staff all prior to the M 7.1 mainshock.