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Christopher B DuRoss

As an earthquake geologist, I investigate geologic evidence of active faulting, with an emphasis on normal-faulting regions of the Western U.S. My research is focused on field-based mapping and paleoseismic trenching investigations, Quaternary geochronology and geomorphology, syntheses of complex paleoseismic datasets, the characterization of active faults for probabilistic seismic-hazard analysis, and post-earthquake investigations to collect ephemeral field data. The goal of this research is to quantify seismic hazard in the U.S. and reduce earthquake risk.

Primary research interests:

  • Paleoseismology and earthquake geology
  • Quaternary geochronology and Bayesian modeling
  • Tectonic geomorphology and geologic mapping
  • Remote sensing and image-based (structure-from-motion) modeling
  • Earthquake probability and hazard modeling

 

Areas of active research: 

  • Teton fault (Wyoming): Developing new paleoseismic (fault-trench) data to refine estimates of earthquake timing, displacement, rupture length, and magnitude.
    Wasatch fault zone (Utah): Synthesizing existing paleoseismic data to develop objective contstraints on prehistoric earthquake rupture length.
  • Lost River fault zone (Idaho): Comparing prehistoric and historic (M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake) rupture timing, displacement, and geometry.
  • 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence (California): Evaluating along-strike displacement profile for the M7.1 rupture.

   

Publications

DuRoss, C. B., M. S. Zellman, G. D. Thackray, R. W. Briggs, R. D. Gold, and S. A. Mahan (2020). Holocene Paleoseismology of the Steamboat Mountain Site: Evidence for Full‐Length Rupture of the Teton Fault, Wyoming, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120200212

DuRoss, C. B., R. D. Gold, T. E. Dawson, K. M. Scharer, K. J. Kendrick, S. O. Akciz, S. J. Angster, J. Bachhuber, S. Bacon, S. E. K. Bennett, et al. (2020). Surface Displacement Distributions for the July 2019 Ridgecrest, California, Earthquake Ruptures, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 110(4), 1400–1418, https://doi.org/10.1785/0120200058.

DuRoss, C. B., R. D. Gold, T. E. Dawson, K. M. Scharer, K. J. Kendrick, S. O. Akciz, S. J. Angster, J. Bachhuber, S. Bacon, S. E. K. Bennett, et al., 2020, Surface Displacement Observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P986ILE2.

Valentini, A., DuRoss, C.B., Field, E.H., Gold, R.D., Briggs, R.W., Visini, F., and  Pace, B., 2019, Relaxing segmentation on the Wasatch fault zone: Impact on seismic hazard: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. https://doi.org

Professional Experience

  • 2014 – present         Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado             

    2004 – 2014             Senior Geologist, Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, Utah     

Science and Products

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map of Alaska area with 2020-2021 earthquakes, showing circles for earthquake locations

External Grants - Overview

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides support for research that will assist in achieving the goals of the Earthquake Hazards Program. The goal is to mitigate earthquake losses that can occur in many parts of the nation by providing earth science data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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External Grants - Overview

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides support for research that will assist in achieving the goals of the Earthquake Hazards Program. The goal is to mitigate earthquake losses that can occur in many parts of the nation by providing earth science data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions.
Learn More
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New Madrid seismic zone

Geologic Cracks Record Earthquakes on the Reelfoot Fault in Central U.S.

Release Date: APRIL 25, 2019 New high-resolution lidar data reveals cracks produced from strong shaking in past earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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Geologic Cracks Record Earthquakes on the Reelfoot Fault in Central U.S.

Release Date: APRIL 25, 2019 New high-resolution lidar data reveals cracks produced from strong shaking in past earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone.
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View to the northeast from central Alpine, Utah of the northern Provo segment of the Wasatch fault zone.

New Methods for Dating and Sequencing Ancient Earthquakes Along the Wasatch Fault Zone

Release Date: OCTOBER 12, 2018 Complex geologic sites, like those between the fault segments along the Wasatch fault zone in Utah, make the dating and ordering past earthquakes a difficult task. Two new methods were used to make this task easier and to get better results.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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New Methods for Dating and Sequencing Ancient Earthquakes Along the Wasatch Fault Zone

Release Date: OCTOBER 12, 2018 Complex geologic sites, like those between the fault segments along the Wasatch fault zone in Utah, make the dating and ordering past earthquakes a difficult task. Two new methods were used to make this task easier and to get better results.
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Trona Wildrose Road in the Panamint Valley, California, along the section of the seismic reflection survey, looking west.

Untangling Faults at Depth – What Lies Beneath Panamint Valley, California?

Release Date: APRIL 30, 2018 The eastern edge of Panamint Valley,CA has two types of faults that can be seen in the near-surface geology. 150 geophones and a seismic source will help reveal the subsurface picture.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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Untangling Faults at Depth – What Lies Beneath Panamint Valley, California?

Release Date: APRIL 30, 2018 The eastern edge of Panamint Valley,CA has two types of faults that can be seen in the near-surface geology. 150 geophones and a seismic source will help reveal the subsurface picture.
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The Wasatch fault is located in central Utah and southeast Idaho, along the eastern edge of the Basin and Range Province.

How Big and How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?

Release Date: FEBRUARY 1, 2015 Paleoseismology along the Wasatch Fault in Utah is helping to estimate the shaking risk to nearby towns.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program
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How Big and How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?

Release Date: FEBRUARY 1, 2015 Paleoseismology along the Wasatch Fault in Utah is helping to estimate the shaking risk to nearby towns.
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Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (western US) (ver. 2.0, February 2022)

This Data Release contains preliminary versions of two related databases: 1) A fault sections database ('NSHM23_FSD_v2'), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, and 2) An earthquake geology site information database ('NSHM23_EQGeoDB_v2'), which contains fault slip-rate constraints at points. These databases were prepared in anticipation of updates to the N
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Coseismic surface displacement and fault zone width measurements in the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes from WorldView optical image correlation

(1) Lateral displacement measurements made based on optical image correlation results from WorldView satellite images along with (2) local and regional rupture width measurements for the 2019 Mw6.4 and Mw7.1 Ridgecrest earthquakes, CA. These datasets are associated with the publication: Gold, R. D., DuRoss, C. B., & Barnhart, W. D., 2021, Coseismic surface displacement in the 2019 Ridgec
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Earthquake geology inputs for the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023, version 1.0

This Data Release contains preliminary versions of two related databases: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, and 2) An earthquake geology site information database ("NSHM2023_EQGeoDB_v1"), which contains fault slip-rate constraints at points. These databases
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Seismic reflection imaging of the low-angle Panamint normal fault system, eastern California, 2018

A fundamental question in seismic hazard analysis is whether <30?-dipping low-angle normal faults (LANFs) slip seismogenically. In comparison to more steeply dipping (45-60?) normal faults, LANFs have the potential to produce stronger shaking because of their increased possible rupture area in the seismogenic crust. While LANFs have been documented globally, examples of seismogenically
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Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Surface Displacement Observations of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California Earthquake Sequence

Surface rupture associated with the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence includes the dominantly left-lateral and northeast-striking M6.4 rupture and dominantly right-lateral and northwest-striking M7.1 rupture. This data release includes surface-displacement observations of these ruptures made by teams of federal, state, academic, and private sector geologists between July and November
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Earthquake Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Pre-existing features associated with active faulting in the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence

This dataset is composed of linear active tectonic and other relevant features (scarps, deflected drainages, and lineaments and contrasts in topography, vegetation, and ground color) mapped based on high-resolution topography, aerial/satellite imagery, and field observations. The mapping covers the area surrounding the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake surface ruptures. Point locations of fie
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Earthquake Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Digital Surface Models for the northern 16 km of the 1983 Borah Peak earthquake rupture, northern Lost River fault zone (Idaho, USA)

We present high-resolution (10-cm pixel) digital surface models (DSMs) generated for the northern 16 km of the surface rupture associated with the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake. These DSMs were generated using Agisoft Photoscan (and Metashape) image-based modeling software and low-altitude aerial photographs acquired from unmanned aircraft systems and a tethered balloon. DSM files consist of G
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Stratigraphic and structural relations in trench exposures and geomorphology at the Big Burn, Lily Lake, and Lester Ranch sites, Bear River Fault Zone, Utah and Wyoming

This report provides trench photomosaics, logs and related site information, age data, and earthquake event evidence from three paleoseismic trench sites on the Bear River Fault Zone. Our motivation for studying the Bear River Fault Zone—a nascent normal fault in the Rocky Mountains east of the Basin and Range physiographic province—is twofold: (1) the intriguing conclusion from previous work that
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center
Filter Total Items: 31

How similar was the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake rupture to its surface-faulting predecessors along the northern Lost River fault zone (Idaho, USA)?

We excavated trenches at two paleoseismic sites bounding a trans-basin bedrock ridge (the Willow Creek Hills) along the northern Lost River fault zone to explore the uniqueness of the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake compared to its prehistoric predecessors. At the Sheep Creek site on the southernmost Warm Springs section, two earthquakes occurred at 9.8−14.0 ka (95% confidence) and 6.5−7.1 ka; e
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Portable optically stimulated luminescence age map of a paleoseismic exposure

The quality and quantity of geochronologic data used to constrain the history of major earthquakes in a region exerts a first-order control on the accuracy of seismic hazard assessments that affect millions of people. However, evaluations of geochronological data are limited by uncertainties related to inherently complex depositional processes that may vary spatially and temporally. To improve con
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Quick and dirty (and accurate) 3-D paleoseismic trench models using coded scale bars

Structure‐from‐motion (SfM) modeling has dramatically increased the speed of generating geometrically accurate orthophoto mosaics of paleoseismic trenches, but some aspects of this technique remain time and labor intensive. Model accuracy relies on control points to establish scale, reduce distortion, and orient 3D models. Traditional SfM methods use total station or Global Navigation Satellite Sy
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Geomorphic expression and slip rate of the Fairweather fault, southeast Alaska, and evidence for predecessors of the 1958 rupture

Active traces of the southern Fairweather fault were revealed by light detection and ranging (lidar) and show evidence for transpressional deformation between North America and the Yakutat block in southeast Alaska. We map the Holocene geomorphic expression of tectonic deformation along the southern 30 km of the Fairweather fault, which ruptured in the 1958 moment magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Digital
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Alaska Science Center

A maximum rupture model for the central and southern Cascadia subduction zone—reassessing ages for coastal evidence of megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis

A new history of great earthquakes (and their tsunamis) for the central and southern Cascadia subduction zone shows more frequent (17 in the past 6700 yr) megathrust ruptures than previous coastal chronologies. The history is based on along-strike correlations of Bayesian age models derived from evaluation of 554 radiocarbon ages that date earthquake evidence at 14 coastal sites. We reconstruct a
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Coseismic surface displacement in the 2019 ridgecrest earthquakes: Comparison of field measurements and optical image correlation results

A fundamental topic in earthquake studies is understanding the extent to which fault rupture at the surface is localized on primary fault strands as opposed to distributed tens to hundreds of meters away from primary ruptures through off‐fault deformation (OFD) via a combination of discrete secondary faulting and bulk deformation. The 2019 Ridgecrest, CA Mw6.4 and Mw7.1 earthquakes provide an oppo
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Holocene paleoseismology of the Steamboat Mountain Site: Evidence for full‐Llngth rupture of the Teton Fault, Wyoming

The 72‐km‐long Teton fault in northwestern Wyoming is an ideal candidate for reconstructing the lateral extent of surface‐rupturing earthquakes and testing models of normal‐fault segmentation. To explore the history of earthquakes on the northern Teton fault, we hand‐excavated two trenches at the Steamboat Mountain site, where the east‐dipping Teton fault has vertically displaced west‐sloping allu
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Seismic reflection imaging of the low-angle Panamint normal fault system, eastern California

Shallowly dipping (
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Seismic analysis of the 2020 Magna, Utah, earthquake sequence: Evidence for a listric Wasatch fault

The 18 March 2020 Mw 5.7 Magna earthquake near Salt Lake City, Utah, offers a rare glimpse into the subsurface geometry of the Wasatch fault system—one of the world's longest active normal faults and a major source of seismic hazard in northern Utah. We analyze the Magna earthquake sequence and resolve oblique-normal slip on a shallow (30–35°) west-dipping fault at ~9- to 12-km depth. Combined wit
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Documentation of Surface Fault Rupture and Ground‐Deformation Features Produced by the 4 and 5 July 2019 Mw 6.4 and Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence

The MwMw 6.4 and MwMw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence occurred on 4 and 5 July 2019 within the eastern California shear zone of southern California. Both events produced extensive surface faulting and ground deformation within Indian Wells Valley and Searles Valley. In the weeks following the earthquakes, more than six dozen scientists from government, academia, and the private sector carefully
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Evidence of previous faulting along the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake ruptures

The July 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence in southeastern California was characterized as surprising because only ~35% of the rupture occurred on previously mapped faults. Employing more detailed inspection of pre-event high-resolution topography and imagery in combination with field observations, we document evidence of active faulting in the landscape along the entire fault system. Scarps, de
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center

Surface displacement distributions for the July 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake ruptures

Surface rupture in the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence occurred along two orthogonal cross faults and includes dominantly left‐lateral and northeast‐striking rupture in the Mw 6.4 foreshock and dominantly right‐lateral and northwest‐striking rupture in the Mw 7.1 mainshock. We present >650 field‐based, surface‐displacement observations for these ruptures and synthesize our results
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
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Extending Rupture History in Grand Tetons National Park (SSA News Release)

"19 November 2019–Hand-dug trenches around Leigh Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming reveal evidence for a previously unknown surface...

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two women making measurements of a rupture in the ground surface
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A woman holds a tape measure across a rupture in the ground
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a woman crouches in the field near newly made sand deposits
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