Eric M Thompson
Eric Thompson is a research geophysicist with the USGS in Golden. He joined the USGS in 2015 where he participates in research, development, and operations of many earthquake hazard products, including near-real-time earthquake hazard products.
Professional Experience
5/2015-Present: Research Geophysicist, USGS, Golden, Colorado.
4/2013-4/2015: Adjunct Professor, Geological Sciences, San Diego State University.
1/2014-3/2015: Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles.
9/2010-9/2013: Research Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University.
3/2009-8/2010: Postdoctoral Researcher/Lecturer, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University.
Education and Certifications
2009 Ph.D., Tufts University, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
2002 B.S., University of California at Santa Cruz, Earth Science.
Honors and Awards
2022: Superior Service Award for activities in the planning and development of ground motion processing software named gmprocess.
2019: FEMA Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding contributions in support of national level earthquake exercise.
2018: Western States Seismic Policy Council (WSSPC) Award for Excellence Use of Technology for developing the ShakeMap Scenario Suite.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 25
Point-source to finite-fault distance conversions Point-source to finite-fault distance conversions
Produce approximated finite fault distances and variance corrections given point source information, e.g., Repi (epcentral distance) to Rrup (rupture distance).
Filter Total Items: 96
Spatially continuous models of aleatory variability in seismic site response for southern California Spatially continuous models of aleatory variability in seismic site response for southern California
We develop an empirical, spatially continuous model for the single-station within-event (ϕSS) component of earthquake ground motion variability in the Los Angeles area. ϕSS represents event-to-event variability in site response or remaining variability due to path effects not captured by ground motion models. Site-specific values of ϕSS at permanent seismic network stations were...
Authors
Grace Alexandra Parker, Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Eric M. Thompson
Earthquake scenario selection for portfolio holders in CEUS: A case study with Oklahoma DOT Earthquake scenario selection for portfolio holders in CEUS: A case study with Oklahoma DOT
Portfolio managers of spatially distributed assets in the central and eastern United States (CEUS) and other low- to moderate seismic hazard regions require scenario-based seismic risk assessment for the purpose of emergency management and planning. Uncertainties regarding the long-term seismicity of the region, unknown faults, and limited historical records complicate the selection of...
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, L. L. Rotche, Kuo-wan Lin, Eric M. Thompson, David Lallemant, W. Peters, David J. Wald
Sediment thickness and ground motion site amplification along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Sediment thickness and ground motion site amplification along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains
Past and present research on earthquake ground motions along the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and Mississippi Embayment show significant period-dependent site response that is not presently accounted for in ground motion models. These deviations are strongly correlated with the thickness of Mesozoic and younger syn- and post-rift sediments. With the recent incorporation of deep basin...
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, David Henry Churchwell, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Thomas L. Pratt, Martin C. Chapman, Sanaz Rezaeian
Improving the Development Pipelines for USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Real-Time and Scenario Products Improving the Development Pipelines for USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Real-Time and Scenario Products
The real-time and scenario products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, such as the ComCat catalog, Did You Feel It?, ShakeMap, ShakeCast, and PAGER, are highly visible and used by a wide variety of stakeholders. We propose two significant enhancements to the development pipelines for the Earthquake Hazards Program real-time and scenario products that have...
Authors
Brad T. Aagaard, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, Mike Hearne, Lisa Sue Schleicher
Partitioning ground motion uncertainty when conditioned on station data Partitioning ground motion uncertainty when conditioned on station data
Rapid estimation of earthquake ground shaking and proper accounting of associated uncertainties in such estimates when conditioned on strong‐motion station data or macroseismic intensity observations are crucial for downstream applications such as ground failure and loss estimation. The U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap system is called upon to fulfill this objective in light of increased...
Authors
Davis T. Engler, Charles Worden, Eric M. Thompson, Kishor S. Jaiswal
Ground failure triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake Ground failure triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake
The 7 January 2020 M 6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake, the mainshock of an extended earthquake sequence, triggered significant ground failure. In this study, we detail the ground failure that occurred based largely on a postearthquake field reconnaissance campaign that we conducted. We documented more than 300 landslides, mainly rock falls that were concentrated in areas where peak ground...
Authors
Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Desiree Bayouth Garcia, Edwin Irizarry Brugman, K. Stephen Hughes, Robert G. Schmitt
Non-USGS Publications**
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G., Tanaka, Y. and Kayen, R.E., 2012. A taxonomy of site response complexity. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 41, pp.32-43.
Boore, D.M. and Thompson, E.M., 2012. Empirical improvements for estimating earthquake response spectra with random‐vibration theory. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 102(2), pp.761-772.
Kaklamanos, J., Bradley, B.A., Thompson, E.M. and Baise, L.G., 2013. Critical parameters affecting bias and variability in site‐response analyses using KiK‐net downhole array data. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 103(3), pp.1733-1749.
Kaklamanos, J., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M. and Dorfmann, L., 2015. Comparison of 1D linear, equivalent-linear, and nonlinear site response models at six KiK-net validation sites. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 69, pp.207-219.
Moss, R.E., Thompson, E.M., Kieffer, D.S., Tiwari, B., Hashash, Y.M., Acharya, I., Adhikari, B.R., Asimaki, D., Clahan, K.B., Collins, B.D. and Dahal, S., 2015. Geotechnical effects of the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks. Seismological Research Letters, 86(6), pp.1514-1523.
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2007. A global index earthquake approach to probabilistic assessment of extremes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 112(B6).
Zhu, J., Daley, D., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M., Wald, D.J. and Knudsen, K.L., 2015. A geospatial liquefaction model for rapid response and loss estimation. Earthquake Spectra, 31(3), pp.1813-1837.
Thompson, E.M., Hewlett, J.B., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2011. The Gumbel hypothesis test for left censored observations using regional earthquake records as an example. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 11(1), pp.115-126.
Baise, L.G., Lenz, J.A. and Thompson, E.M., 2008. Discussion of “Mapping liquefaction potential considering spatial correlations of CPT measurements” by Chia-Nan Liu and Chien-Hsun Chen. Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 134(2), pp.262-263.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 25
Point-source to finite-fault distance conversions Point-source to finite-fault distance conversions
Produce approximated finite fault distances and variance corrections given point source information, e.g., Repi (epcentral distance) to Rrup (rupture distance).
Filter Total Items: 96
Spatially continuous models of aleatory variability in seismic site response for southern California Spatially continuous models of aleatory variability in seismic site response for southern California
We develop an empirical, spatially continuous model for the single-station within-event (ϕSS) component of earthquake ground motion variability in the Los Angeles area. ϕSS represents event-to-event variability in site response or remaining variability due to path effects not captured by ground motion models. Site-specific values of ϕSS at permanent seismic network stations were...
Authors
Grace Alexandra Parker, Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Eric M. Thompson
Earthquake scenario selection for portfolio holders in CEUS: A case study with Oklahoma DOT Earthquake scenario selection for portfolio holders in CEUS: A case study with Oklahoma DOT
Portfolio managers of spatially distributed assets in the central and eastern United States (CEUS) and other low- to moderate seismic hazard regions require scenario-based seismic risk assessment for the purpose of emergency management and planning. Uncertainties regarding the long-term seismicity of the region, unknown faults, and limited historical records complicate the selection of...
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, L. L. Rotche, Kuo-wan Lin, Eric M. Thompson, David Lallemant, W. Peters, David J. Wald
Sediment thickness and ground motion site amplification along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Sediment thickness and ground motion site amplification along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains
Past and present research on earthquake ground motions along the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains and Mississippi Embayment show significant period-dependent site response that is not presently accounted for in ground motion models. These deviations are strongly correlated with the thickness of Mesozoic and younger syn- and post-rift sediments. With the recent incorporation of deep basin...
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, David Henry Churchwell, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Thomas L. Pratt, Martin C. Chapman, Sanaz Rezaeian
Improving the Development Pipelines for USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Real-Time and Scenario Products Improving the Development Pipelines for USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Real-Time and Scenario Products
The real-time and scenario products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program, such as the ComCat catalog, Did You Feel It?, ShakeMap, ShakeCast, and PAGER, are highly visible and used by a wide variety of stakeholders. We propose two significant enhancements to the development pipelines for the Earthquake Hazards Program real-time and scenario products that have...
Authors
Brad T. Aagaard, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, Mike Hearne, Lisa Sue Schleicher
Partitioning ground motion uncertainty when conditioned on station data Partitioning ground motion uncertainty when conditioned on station data
Rapid estimation of earthquake ground shaking and proper accounting of associated uncertainties in such estimates when conditioned on strong‐motion station data or macroseismic intensity observations are crucial for downstream applications such as ground failure and loss estimation. The U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap system is called upon to fulfill this objective in light of increased...
Authors
Davis T. Engler, Charles Worden, Eric M. Thompson, Kishor S. Jaiswal
Ground failure triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake Ground failure triggered by the 7 January 2020 M6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake
The 7 January 2020 M 6.4 Puerto Rico earthquake, the mainshock of an extended earthquake sequence, triggered significant ground failure. In this study, we detail the ground failure that occurred based largely on a postearthquake field reconnaissance campaign that we conducted. We documented more than 300 landslides, mainly rock falls that were concentrated in areas where peak ground...
Authors
Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Desiree Bayouth Garcia, Edwin Irizarry Brugman, K. Stephen Hughes, Robert G. Schmitt
Non-USGS Publications**
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G., Tanaka, Y. and Kayen, R.E., 2012. A taxonomy of site response complexity. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 41, pp.32-43.
Boore, D.M. and Thompson, E.M., 2012. Empirical improvements for estimating earthquake response spectra with random‐vibration theory. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 102(2), pp.761-772.
Kaklamanos, J., Bradley, B.A., Thompson, E.M. and Baise, L.G., 2013. Critical parameters affecting bias and variability in site‐response analyses using KiK‐net downhole array data. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 103(3), pp.1733-1749.
Kaklamanos, J., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M. and Dorfmann, L., 2015. Comparison of 1D linear, equivalent-linear, and nonlinear site response models at six KiK-net validation sites. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 69, pp.207-219.
Moss, R.E., Thompson, E.M., Kieffer, D.S., Tiwari, B., Hashash, Y.M., Acharya, I., Adhikari, B.R., Asimaki, D., Clahan, K.B., Collins, B.D. and Dahal, S., 2015. Geotechnical effects of the 2015 magnitude 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake and aftershocks. Seismological Research Letters, 86(6), pp.1514-1523.
Thompson, E.M., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2007. A global index earthquake approach to probabilistic assessment of extremes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 112(B6).
Zhu, J., Daley, D., Baise, L.G., Thompson, E.M., Wald, D.J. and Knudsen, K.L., 2015. A geospatial liquefaction model for rapid response and loss estimation. Earthquake Spectra, 31(3), pp.1813-1837.
Thompson, E.M., Hewlett, J.B., Baise, L.G. and Vogel, R.M., 2011. The Gumbel hypothesis test for left censored observations using regional earthquake records as an example. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 11(1), pp.115-126.
Baise, L.G., Lenz, J.A. and Thompson, E.M., 2008. Discussion of “Mapping liquefaction potential considering spatial correlations of CPT measurements” by Chia-Nan Liu and Chien-Hsun Chen. Journal of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 134(2), pp.262-263.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.