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September is National Preparedness Month

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Research Team Forecasted Beach Impacts from Hurricane Idalia

USGS and NOAA partner to continually improve coastal change forecasts

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Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Deploys New Equipment on Kīlauea Summit

New webcam and more

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Alarming Future for California's Coastline

Computer modeling and new research predict significant erosion by 2100

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New USGS-FEMA study highlights economic earthquake risk in the United States

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The Haywired Scenario Exercise Toolkit is here!

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Earthquake in Southern California 90 Years Ago Changed the Way We Build

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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.

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Reducing Risk

Venn Diagram: Hazards and Society

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.

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Subduction Zone Science

Simple illustration of the various parts of a subduction zone where one oceanic plate is thrust beneath another.

The most powerful earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions occur in subduction zones, where two plates collide and one is thrust beneath another.

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Conozca a Legna Torres-García, oceanógrafa investigadora y Jefa Científica por Excelencia

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Meet Legna Torres-Garcia, research oceanographer and all-around Science Boss

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Can oceans store more CO2 to help with climate change?

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Publications

Crustal thickness and the VP/VS ratio within the Arabia Plate from P-wave receiver functions at 154 broadband seismic stations

As part of a joint Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) and United States Geological Survey project, we analyzed P-wave receiver functions from seismic stations covering most of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to map the thickness of the crust across the Arabia Plate. We present an update of crustal-thickness estimates and fill in gaps for the western Arabian Shield and the rifted margin at the Red Sea (the
Authors
Alexander R. Blanchette, Simon L. Klemperer, Walter D. Mooney
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center

Summary of the history and research of the U.S. Geological Survey gas hydrate properties laboratory in Menlo Park, California, active from 1993 to 2022

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Clathrate Hydrate Properties Project, active from 1993 to 2022 in Menlo Park, California, stemmed from an earlier project on the properties of planetary ices supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program. We took a material science approach in both projects, emphasizing chemical purity of samples
Authors
Laura A. Stern, Stephen H. Kirby
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center

Quantifying site effects and their influence on earthquake source parameter estimations using a dense array in Oklahoma

We investigate the effects of site response on source parameter estimates using earthquakes recorded by the LArge-n Seismic Survey in Oklahoma (LASSO). While it is well known that near-surface unconsolidated sediments can cause an apparent breakdown of earthquake self-similarity, the influence of laterally varying site conditions remains unclear. We analyze site conditions across the 1825-station
Authors
Hilary Chang, Rachel E. Abercrombie, Nori Nakata, Colin Pennington, Kilian B. Kemna, Elizabeth S. Cochran, Rebecca M. Harrington
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center
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Science

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San Andreas Fault and its various environments in the Southern California area

Earthquake Processes and Effects - Overview

The high level of earthquake activity and the complexity of the fault systems throughout California area provides a unique natural laboratory for the study of the physics of earthquakes.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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Earthquake Processes and Effects - Overview

The high level of earthquake activity and the complexity of the fault systems throughout California area provides a unique natural laboratory for the study of the physics of earthquakes.
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Image Collage of Landsat, pollinator, and volcanologist

Crustal Characterization

The geophysical structure of the Earth’s crust, from the surface to the Moho, plays a major role in seismic hazard by influencing earthquake source properties and wave propagation from the earthquake to the Earth’s surface. We make field measurements and create models to better characterize the crust and resulting earthquake ground motions.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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Crustal Characterization

The geophysical structure of the Earth’s crust, from the surface to the Moho, plays a major role in seismic hazard by influencing earthquake source properties and wave propagation from the earthquake to the Earth’s surface. We make field measurements and create models to better characterize the crust and resulting earthquake ground motions.
Learn More
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map of Santa Clara Valley with various colors

Northern Santa Clara Valley Liquefaction Hazard Maps

Three different earthquake scenarios are presented to show the estimate of shaking levels for a M7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, a M6.7 on the Hayward Fault, and a M6.9 on the Calaveras Fault.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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Northern Santa Clara Valley Liquefaction Hazard Maps

Three different earthquake scenarios are presented to show the estimate of shaking levels for a M7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, a M6.7 on the Hayward Fault, and a M6.9 on the Calaveras Fault.
Learn More
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