Earthquake Hazards Program
News
From Volcanoes to Vineyards - New Geologic Map Reveals Portland's Deep History
A new digital geologic map of the greater Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area of Oregon and Washington being released today will support emergency response, conservation, agriculture and recreation.
Earthquake Forecast for the Westmorland Swarm beginning Sept. 30, 2020
A swarm of earthquakes southeast of the Salton Sea, in the Brawley seismic zone, began on Sept. 30, 2020.
Forecast last updated October 7, 2020 at 8:00am PDT.
National Preparedness Month 2020: Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Natural hazards have the potential to impact a majority of Americans every year. USGS science provides part of the foundation for emergency preparedness whenever and wherever disaster strikes.
Bill Barnhart Selected as the Earthquake Hazards Program Office Assistant Coordinator
The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program is pleased to announce that Bill Barnhart has been selected as the Earthquake Hazards Program Office Assistant Coordinator.
Salton Sea Earthquake Activity Returns to Normal Levels
Reduced activity for the swarm of earthquakes beneath the Salton Sea that began on August 10, 2020.
Last update: 08/14/2020 12pm Pacific
Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake Near Sparta, North Carolina
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.
A Research Retrospective: Offshore Fault Mapping of the San Andreas
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.
Auroras and Earthquakes: Strange Companions
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...
June 23, 2020 Oaxaca, Mexico Earthquake
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).
The Blind Zone of Earthquake Early Warning
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
M6.5 Monte Cristo Range Earthquake
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).