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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

September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month

Is California going to "lose" a threatening volcano?

Is California going to "lose" a threatening volcano?

In SF Bay, even an exceptionally wet year can’t supply enough sediment to keep pace with rising seas, new study finds

In SF Bay, even an exceptionally wet year can’t supply enough sediment to keep pace with rising seas, new study finds

Publications

Estimating aftershock risk for entry into earthquake-damaged buildings Estimating aftershock risk for entry into earthquake-damaged buildings

We present a simple method to estimate the risk of experiencing strong shaking from aftershocks during entry into earthquake-damaged buildings. We compute wait times until the probability of strong ground shaking from aftershocks reaches a predefined risk threshold; for example, a 0.4 percent probability of experiencing Modified Mercalli Intensity 7 or greater shaking during the planned...
Authors
Jeanne L. Hardebeck, Alan J. Poulos

CRESCENT earthquake dynamic rupture, earthquake cycle, and tsunami code verification platform CRESCENT earthquake dynamic rupture, earthquake cycle, and tsunami code verification platform

Physics-based simulations are critical for understanding natural hazards. The increasing complexity of numerical codes requires benchmark exercises to verify that different computational methods yield consistent results when solving the same governing equations. Here, we present an open-access web platform designed for the verification of earthquake dynamic rupture, seismic cycle, and...
Authors
Loic Bachelot, Fabian Kutschera, Michael Barall, Brittany Erickson, Eric Dunham, Alice-Agnes Gabriel, Ruth A. Harris, Shuo Ma, Amanda M. Thomas, Wenqiang Zhang

Corundum discovered by SuperCam and the Perseverance rover at Jezero crater, Mars Corundum discovered by SuperCam and the Perseverance rover at Jezero crater, Mars

Mars is primarily composed of mafic mineral assemblages and their alteration products, but small, scattered rocks strewn across the landscape offer clues to greater petrological diversity. While traversing the Jezero crater rim, the Perseverance rover encountered several plagioclase-rich light-toned float rocks. SuperCam identified the distinctive signature of corundum (α-Al2O3) in these...
Authors
A.M. Ollila, O. Beyssac, A. Fau, O. Forni, E. Clave, P.S.A. Beck, C. C. Bedford, V. Payre, E. Dehouck, S.A. Connell, J.A. Manrique, P. Pilleri, O. Gasnault, G.M. Martinez, A. Udry, S. Bernard, P. Gasda, T. Acosta-Maeda, R.B. Anderson, Travis S.J. Gabriel, F. Calef, J.F. Bell, J. N. Maki, S. Schroder, C. Quantin-Nataf, J.R. Johnson, B. Chide, K. Rammelkamp, F. Poulet, C. Royer, M. Rock, N.L. Lanza, S.K. Sharma, G. Lopez-Ryeys, T. Fouchet, J. Comellas, A. Zastrow, E. Coutis, R.C. Wiens, A. Cousin, S. Maurice, S. M. Clegg, P. Bernardi, T. Nelson

Science

2026 Nepal Debris Avalanche and Flash Flood

On Wednesday morning (local time), 26 August 2026, a catastrophic debris flow and flood was likely triggered by rapid slope failure involving a glacier in Lāṅṭāṇ National Park, Nepal, near the border with China. This debris flow and flooding travelled nearly 100 km and impacted populated areas downstream along the Lende Kholā and Trishuli̇̄ Kholā rivers, including the Rasuwāgaḍhi̇̄ border post...
2026 Nepal Debris Avalanche and Flash Flood

2026 Nepal Debris Avalanche and Flash Flood

On Wednesday morning (local time), 26 August 2026, a catastrophic debris flow and flood was likely triggered by rapid slope failure involving a glacier in Lāṅṭāṇ National Park, Nepal, near the border with China. This debris flow and flooding travelled nearly 100 km and impacted populated areas downstream along the Lende Kholā and Trishuli̇̄ Kholā rivers, including the Rasuwāgaḍhi̇̄ border post...
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Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
Learn More

2026 Venezuela Sequence Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Hazards

On Wednesday, June 24th, 2026, a pair of earthquakes of Magnitude 7.2 and Magnitude 7.5 occurred in northern Venezuela, west of Caracas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Ground Failure product estimated that landslides triggered by this earthquake would likely be significant in number and/or spatial extent. This landslide event page serves to communicate timely science information to our partners...
2026 Venezuela Sequence Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Hazards

2026 Venezuela Sequence Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Hazards

On Wednesday, June 24th, 2026, a pair of earthquakes of Magnitude 7.2 and Magnitude 7.5 occurred in northern Venezuela, west of Caracas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Ground Failure product estimated that landslides triggered by this earthquake would likely be significant in number and/or spatial extent. This landslide event page serves to communicate timely science information to our partners...
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