Mission Areas
Natural Hazards
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.
Reducing Risk
USGS scientists develop new products to make science available to the public, emergency managers, and decision-makers. These efforts increase public safety and reduce risk and economic losses caused by natural hazards.
Learn MoreSubduction Zone Science
The most powerful earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions occur in subduction zones, where two plates collide and one is thrust beneath another.
Learn MoreNews
Native American Heritage Month: Spotlight on Troy Currence
November is Native American Heritage Month—a time to celebrate Native American heritage and pause in thankful reflection for our diverse community and the countless contributions of Native peoples past and present.
Media Advisory: Busting Myths About One of the Largest Volcanic Systems in the World - Live Online Public Lecture
You are invited to a public lecture on busting the top 10 misconceptions about Yellowstone volcanism.
The Weight of Cities
Those living on or near the coast face natural hazards that will only worsen with climate change: earthquakes and related tsunamis, powerful climate-fueled storms, and relative sea-level rise, to name a few.
Publications
Evidence-based guidelines for protective actions and earthquake early warning systems
Earthquake early warning systems (EEW) are becoming increasingly available or in development throughout the world. With public alerting in Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, and parts of the United States, it is important to provide evidence-based recommendations for protective action so people can protect themselves when they receive an alert. Best-practice...
McBride, Sara K.; Smith, Hollie; Morgoch, Meredith; Sumy, Danielle; Jenkins, Mariah; Peek, Lori; Bostrom, Ann; Baldwin, Dare; Reddy, Beth; de Groot, Robert M.; Becker, Julia; Johnston, David; Wood, Michelle Local variations in broadband sensor installations: Orientations, sensitivities, and noise levels
As seismologists continue to place more stringent demands on data quality, accurately described metadata are becoming increasingly important. In order to better constrain the orientation and sensitivities of seismometers deployed in U.S. Geological Survey networks, the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) has recently begun identifying true...
Ringler, Adam T.; Anthony, Robert E. An evaluation of the timing accuracy of global and regional seismic stations and networks
Clock accuracy is a basic parameter of any seismic station and has become increasingly important for seismology as the community seeks to refine structures and dynamic processes of the Earth. In this study, we measure the arrival time differences of moderate repeating earthquakes with magnitude 5.0–5.9 in the time range of 1991–2017 at the same...
Yang, Ying; Song, Xiaodong; Ringler, Adam T.