The USGS National crustal model for seismic hazard studies: 2019 update

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Crustal Model (NCM) is being developed to assist in the modeling of seismic hazards across the conterminous United States, specifically by improving estimates of site response. The NCM is composed of geophysical profiles, extending from the Earth’s surface into the upper mantle, constructed from 5 primary elements: 1) depth to bedrock and basement; 2) 3D geologic framework; 3) petrologic and mineral physics database; 4) 3D temperature model; and 5) calibration of a porosity and attenuation model. Parameters needed to estimate site response for existing ground motion models (GMMs), including the time-averaged velocity in the upper 30 meters (VS30) and the depths to 1.0 and 2.5 km/s shear-wave velocity (Z1.0 and Z2.5), can be extracted from the NCM. As GMMs develop, other metrics could also be extracted or derived from the NCM such as fundamental frequency, a fully frequency-dependent site response function, or 3D geophysical volumes for wavefield simulations. Application of the NCM may also benefit other aspects of seismic hazard analysis including better accounting for path-dependent attenuation and geometric spreading and more accurate estimation of earthquake source properties such as hypocentral location and stress drop.