Earthquake Hazards Program

The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program is pleased to announce that Bill Barnhart has been selected as the Earthquake Hazards Program Office Assistant Coordinator.

Reduced activity for the swarm of earthquakes beneath the Salton Sea that began on August 10, 2020.
Last update: 08/14/2020 12pm Pacific

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck near Sparta, North Carolina August 9, 2020 at 8:07 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Seismic instruments indicate the earthquake originated at a depth of about 2.3 miles. The USGS currently estimates there is a low likelihood of casualties or damage from this earthquake.

Study of New Offshore Fault Mapping Related to the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake:  In 2019, for the first time ever, scientists comprehensively mapped a previously overlooked offshore section of the San Andreas Fault system which may provide insight on how the fault could rupture in the future.

In a win-win situation for both seismologists and space physicists, a cheap magnetometer at a seismic station can result in better seismic data for earthquakes and also more geomagnetic data in real time for monitoring space weather.

Read the new Science for Everyone article: Auroras...

Earthquakes can be unsettling.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck offshore Oaxaca, Mexico, on June 23, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. ET. Seismic instruments indicate the earthquake originated at a depth of 16 miles (26 km).  

One USGS scientist has sorted through the challenges, the claims, and the data to determine what the possibilities and limitations really are for EEW, and the results may surprise you.

Read the new Science for Everyone article: The Blind Zone of Earthquake Early Warning

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck near Tonopah, Nevada, near the California-Nevada border and about 120 miles southeast of Carson City, early this morning on May 15, 2020, at 4:03 am local time (11:03:27 UTC).

On May 10, Gavin Hayes takes on the role of Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards within the USGS Natural Hazards Mission Area.  The Senior Science Advisor serves as the coordinator for the Earthquake Hazards, Global Seismographic Network, and Geomagnetism Programs and provides oversight and guidance across the full breadth of USGS geohazard-related activities.

On May 2, 2020, a  magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck about 4 miles offshore of Tallaboa, Puerto Rico, at a depth of about 5-6 miles (9 kilometers). This story will be updated if/when more information becomes available.