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Natural Hazards Mission Area

Every year in the United States, natural hazards threaten lives and livelihoods and result in billions of dollars in damage. We work with many partners to monitor, assess, and conduct targeted research on a wide range of natural hazards so that policymakers and the public have the understanding they need to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience.

News

Modeling Flood-Mitigation Strategies in San Francisco Bay

Modeling Flood-Mitigation Strategies in San Francisco Bay

Meet the Autonomous MAPping CATaraft, or Autonomous MAPCAT

Meet the Autonomous MAPping CATaraft, or Autonomous MAPCAT

Sediment contaminants in Puget Sound: Implications for ecosystem health and remediation

Sediment contaminants in Puget Sound: Implications for ecosystem health and remediation

Publications

ShakeAlert®—Communication, education, outreach and technical engagement strategic vision ShakeAlert®—Communication, education, outreach and technical engagement strategic vision

Executive Summary In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began directly supporting ShakeAlert® research and in 2012 the ShakeAlert demonstration system began testing (Given and others, 2018). The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) system is a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the three West Coast States (Washington, Oregon, and California) served by the...
Authors
Robert deGroot, Sara K. McBride, Margaret Vinci, Gabriel Lotto, Megan Anderson, Danielle Sumy, Brian Terbush

Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7 Three-dimensional seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone with shallow soils and topography, version 1.7

The U.S. Geological Survey’s seismic velocity model for the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides P- and S-wave velocity (VP and VS, respectively) information from 40.2° to 50.0° N. latitude and −129.0° to −121.0° W. longitude, and is used to support a variety of research topics, including three-dimensional (3D) earthquake simulations and seismic hazard assessment in the Pacific Northwest...
Authors
Erin Wirth, Alex Grant, Ian Stone, William Stephenson, Arthur Frankel

Earthquake probabilities and hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest Earthquake probabilities and hazards in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

Earthquakes and their cascading consequences pose a significant threat to the people, environment, infrastructure, and economy of the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is susceptible to three types of earthquakes: deep (intraslab) earthquakes, subduction zone (megathrust) earthquakes, and shallow crustal earthquakes. For each of these earthquake types, earth scientists can...
Authors
Erin Wirth, Arthur Frankel, Brian Sherrod, Alex Grant, Audrey Dunham, Ian Stone, Julia Grossman

Science

Alaska Science Center’s Commitment to “Gold Standard Science” for Data Products

The mission of the Alaska Science Center is to provide objective and timely data, information, and research findings about the earth and its flora and fauna to Federal, State, and local resource managers and the public to support sound decisions regarding natural resources, natural hazards, and ecosystems in Alaska and circumpolar regions. We are committed to ensuring all Federally funded data...
Alaska Science Center’s Commitment to “Gold Standard Science” for Data Products

Alaska Science Center’s Commitment to “Gold Standard Science” for Data Products

The mission of the Alaska Science Center is to provide objective and timely data, information, and research findings about the earth and its flora and fauna to Federal, State, and local resource managers and the public to support sound decisions regarding natural resources, natural hazards, and ecosystems in Alaska and circumpolar regions. We are committed to ensuring all Federally funded data...
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A New App to Report Flash Floods and Debris Flows in Grand Canyon

A new community science tool helps scientists gather valuable information on hazardous events such as floods, debris flows, and landslides that occur in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. Visitors to Grand Canyon can help improve our understanding of the impacts these events have which helps to improve future warnings.
A New App to Report Flash Floods and Debris Flows in Grand Canyon

A New App to Report Flash Floods and Debris Flows in Grand Canyon

A new community science tool helps scientists gather valuable information on hazardous events such as floods, debris flows, and landslides that occur in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. Visitors to Grand Canyon can help improve our understanding of the impacts these events have which helps to improve future warnings.
Learn More

2025 Tracy Arm Landslide-Generated Tsunami

A landslide above the toe of the South Sawyer Glacier failed into the waters of Tracy Arm, south of Juneau, Alaska, producing a tsunami on Sunday, August 10th, 2025, at 05:26 AKDT / 13:26 UTC. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. This page may be updated as more information about the event is obtained. Steep, mountainous landslide areas are inherently unstable and will continue to change...
2025 Tracy Arm Landslide-Generated Tsunami

2025 Tracy Arm Landslide-Generated Tsunami

A landslide above the toe of the South Sawyer Glacier failed into the waters of Tracy Arm, south of Juneau, Alaska, producing a tsunami on Sunday, August 10th, 2025, at 05:26 AKDT / 13:26 UTC. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. This page may be updated as more information about the event is obtained. Steep, mountainous landslide areas are inherently unstable and will continue to change...
Learn More
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