Faults, Earthquake Geology, and Special Earthquake Studies

Scientists are studying faults and their behaviors in various regions of the U.S. and in other parts of the world. Specific areas of study in the U.S. are divided into these regions: Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Calfornia, the Intermountain West, and Central and Eastern U.S.

USGS scientists conduct research and provide scientific response to damaging earthquakes in active tectonic regions of the United States and around the world.

Studying Earthquake Hazards and Rifting Processes in the Imperial and Coachella Valleys

Repeated earthquakes shape the Earth over the millennia and fault zones often have unique and diagnostic landforms caused by the faulting process. In order to measure the rate at which the Earth’s crust deforms between, during and after earthquakes, precise measurements need to be made along active faults zones.

USGS scientists study active fault zones by mapping faults, excavating trenches, studying landforms offset by earthquakes, and measuring past and current motion of active faults using alignment arrays, global positioning systems (GPS), and airborne, terrestrial and mobile laser scanning technology. By excavating trenches across active faults, USGS geologists and collaborators are unraveling the...