Challenges and Advances in Stable Continental Region Paleoseismology
Completed
By Earthquake Hazards Program
June 30, 2026
Thursday and Friday, September 17-18, 2026
8:30 am – 5:00 pm CDT
A Hybrid Event at The University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology
Join your colleagues near the location of one of the most significant earthquakes to have occurred in central and eastern North America to learn about historic and prehistoric earthquakes and the latest in paleoseismic techniques.
Please consider attending in person or virtually in Memphis, Tennessee on September 17 and 18, 2026, for a workshop entitled Challenges and Advances in Stable Continental Region Paleoseismology. The first day will consist of a series of invited and contributed presentations and discussion followed on the second day by a field trip through the Upper Mississippi Embayment.
Questions may be directed to Jessica Thompson Jobe (jjobe@usgs.gov) and Oliver Boyd (olboyd@usgs.gov).
And please consider presenting a "Lightning Talk"!
Day 1: Presentations and Discussion
Thursday, September 17
| Start Time | Session | Presenter(s) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00–8:50am | Welcome & Overview | Oliver Boyd, Jessie Thompson Jobe (USGS) | 2029 USGS National Seismic Hazard Model update timeline and goals |
| 9:00am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Folarin Kolawole (Columbia University) | Late Quaternary surface-rupturing earthquakes in the Ramapo Seismic Zone, New Jersey |
| 9:20am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Ron Counts (University of Mississippi) | Earthquakes without faults and faults without earthquakes–Investigating Quaternary paleoseismicity from the Wabash Valley to the White House |
| 9:40am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Arthur Merschat (USGS) | Field investigations into the structural setting of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 Sparta, NC earthquake–Evidence for the reactivation of a Quaternary or older fault |
| 10:00am | Break | — | 10 min break |
| 10:10am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Paula Figueiredo (University de Lisboa) | Quaternary deformation in Southwest Portugal–The quest for active tectonics and seismogenic structures |
| 10:30am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Tamarah King (Geoscience Australia) | What Australia’s paleoseismic record reveals about stable continental region faults |
| 10:50am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | John Holbrook (Texas Christian University) | Tectonics, faulting, and earthquakes in the U.S. midcontinent, the testimony of big rivers |
| 11:10am | Open Discussion | Various | 20 min discussion |
| 11:30–1pm | Lunch | — | Offsite lunch |
| 1:00pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Tom Pratt (USGS) | Precarious rocks and ground motion intensities in the eastern U.S. |
| 1:20pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Mark Carter (USGS) | Older Holocene (and one historical) paleoliquefaction features in the central Virginia seismic zone extend the seismic record and expand magnitude ranges for CVSZ earthquakes |
| 1:40pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Jessica Rodysill (USGS) | Constraining past earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone using lacustrine paleoseismology |
| 2:00pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Katrin Monecke (Wellesley College) | Paleoseismic investigations of organic-rich lake sediments in New England–A multiproxy approach |
| 2:20pm | Break | — | 10 min break |
| 2:30pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Jessie Thompson Jobe (USGS) | Timescales of surface rupture preservation in the landscape |
| 2:50pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Ayomiposi Henry Falade, Christodoulos Kyriakopoulos (CERI*) | Can sackungen features provide constraints on past rupture characteristics? Insights from dynamic rupture modeling |
| 3:10pm | Open Discussion | Various | 20 min discussion, followed by 10 min break |
| 3:40–5pm | Lightning Talks & Discussion | Various | 3 min talks and discussion on new research and directions |
*Center for Earthquake Research and Information, University of Memphis
Day 2: Field Trip
Friday, September 18
Participants will meet at 8 am at the FedEx Institute of Technology on the University of Memphis Campus. We will receive a brief outline of the trip and leave at 8:30 am to the Reelfoot Lake area and return to the University of Memphis by 3 pm. We will be transported by bus to Reelfoot Lake.
During the field trip, we will visit the Reelfoot scarp and Reelfoot Lake, with an optional stop to look at secondary features that may record ground-shaking and past earthquakes if time allows. Lunch will be at a restaurant near Reelfoot Lake. Please bring your own lunch or money to pay for lunch.
More information on the field trip will be shared the week of Sept 14.
Accommodations* (in order of distance to the conference location, 3–5 miles):
- Double Tree, 5069 Sanderlin Ave—Free parking
- Marriott Memphis East, 5795 Poplar Ave—\$12 parking.
- Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd—\$12 parking.
- Staybridge Suites Memphis-Poplar Ave East, 1070 Ridge Lake Blvd—Free parking and breakfast.
- Hampton Inn Memphis East, 962 S Shady Grove Rd—Free parking and breakfast.
*Please note that other options in this area are available.
Thursday and Friday, September 17-18, 2026
8:30 am – 5:00 pm CDT
A Hybrid Event at The University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology
Join your colleagues near the location of one of the most significant earthquakes to have occurred in central and eastern North America to learn about historic and prehistoric earthquakes and the latest in paleoseismic techniques.
Please consider attending in person or virtually in Memphis, Tennessee on September 17 and 18, 2026, for a workshop entitled Challenges and Advances in Stable Continental Region Paleoseismology. The first day will consist of a series of invited and contributed presentations and discussion followed on the second day by a field trip through the Upper Mississippi Embayment.
Questions may be directed to Jessica Thompson Jobe (jjobe@usgs.gov) and Oliver Boyd (olboyd@usgs.gov).
And please consider presenting a "Lightning Talk"!
Day 1: Presentations and Discussion
Thursday, September 17
| Start Time | Session | Presenter(s) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00–8:50am | Welcome & Overview | Oliver Boyd, Jessie Thompson Jobe (USGS) | 2029 USGS National Seismic Hazard Model update timeline and goals |
| 9:00am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Folarin Kolawole (Columbia University) | Late Quaternary surface-rupturing earthquakes in the Ramapo Seismic Zone, New Jersey |
| 9:20am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Ron Counts (University of Mississippi) | Earthquakes without faults and faults without earthquakes–Investigating Quaternary paleoseismicity from the Wabash Valley to the White House |
| 9:40am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Arthur Merschat (USGS) | Field investigations into the structural setting of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 Sparta, NC earthquake–Evidence for the reactivation of a Quaternary or older fault |
| 10:00am | Break | — | 10 min break |
| 10:10am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Paula Figueiredo (University de Lisboa) | Quaternary deformation in Southwest Portugal–The quest for active tectonics and seismogenic structures |
| 10:30am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | Tamarah King (Geoscience Australia) | What Australia’s paleoseismic record reveals about stable continental region faults |
| 10:50am | Paleoseismology & Structural Geology Approaches | John Holbrook (Texas Christian University) | Tectonics, faulting, and earthquakes in the U.S. midcontinent, the testimony of big rivers |
| 11:10am | Open Discussion | Various | 20 min discussion |
| 11:30–1pm | Lunch | — | Offsite lunch |
| 1:00pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Tom Pratt (USGS) | Precarious rocks and ground motion intensities in the eastern U.S. |
| 1:20pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Mark Carter (USGS) | Older Holocene (and one historical) paleoliquefaction features in the central Virginia seismic zone extend the seismic record and expand magnitude ranges for CVSZ earthquakes |
| 1:40pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Jessica Rodysill (USGS) | Constraining past earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone using lacustrine paleoseismology |
| 2:00pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Katrin Monecke (Wellesley College) | Paleoseismic investigations of organic-rich lake sediments in New England–A multiproxy approach |
| 2:20pm | Break | — | 10 min break |
| 2:30pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Jessie Thompson Jobe (USGS) | Timescales of surface rupture preservation in the landscape |
| 2:50pm | Secondary Records & Modeling | Ayomiposi Henry Falade, Christodoulos Kyriakopoulos (CERI*) | Can sackungen features provide constraints on past rupture characteristics? Insights from dynamic rupture modeling |
| 3:10pm | Open Discussion | Various | 20 min discussion, followed by 10 min break |
| 3:40–5pm | Lightning Talks & Discussion | Various | 3 min talks and discussion on new research and directions |
*Center for Earthquake Research and Information, University of Memphis
Day 2: Field Trip
Friday, September 18
Participants will meet at 8 am at the FedEx Institute of Technology on the University of Memphis Campus. We will receive a brief outline of the trip and leave at 8:30 am to the Reelfoot Lake area and return to the University of Memphis by 3 pm. We will be transported by bus to Reelfoot Lake.
During the field trip, we will visit the Reelfoot scarp and Reelfoot Lake, with an optional stop to look at secondary features that may record ground-shaking and past earthquakes if time allows. Lunch will be at a restaurant near Reelfoot Lake. Please bring your own lunch or money to pay for lunch.
More information on the field trip will be shared the week of Sept 14.
Accommodations* (in order of distance to the conference location, 3–5 miles):
- Double Tree, 5069 Sanderlin Ave—Free parking
- Marriott Memphis East, 5795 Poplar Ave—\$12 parking.
- Hilton Memphis, 939 Ridge Lake Blvd—\$12 parking.
- Staybridge Suites Memphis-Poplar Ave East, 1070 Ridge Lake Blvd—Free parking and breakfast.
- Hampton Inn Memphis East, 962 S Shady Grove Rd—Free parking and breakfast.
*Please note that other options in this area are available.