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: 24
A Global Hybrid Vs30 Map with a Topographic-Slope-Based Default and Regional Map Insets A Global Hybrid Vs30 Map with a Topographic-Slope-Based Default and Regional Map Insets
Time-averaged shear wave velocity over the upper 30 meters of the earth's surface (Vs30) is a key parameter for estimating ground motion amplification as both a predictive and diagnostic tool for earthquake hazards. A first-order approximation of Vs30 is commonly obtained via a topographic slope-based or terrain proxy due to the widely available nature of digital elevation models...
Ground motions from the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence Ground motions from the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence
This project involves the compilation of ground motions, their derived parameters, and metadata for 133 earthquakes in the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence. This dataset includes 22,991 records from 133 events from 4 July 2019 to 18 October 2019 with a magnitude range from 3.6 to 7.1.
Database of ground motions from tectonic and volcanic events, Hawaii, 2018 Database of ground motions from tectonic and volcanic events, Hawaii, 2018
This study involves a collection of peak ground motions from the 2018 M6.9 earthquake near Leilani Estates, Hawaii and the seismicity associated with the Kilauea Volcano eruption and summit collapse events. This study was intended to provide instrumental ground motion observations to evaluate ground motion models for use in the USGS Hawaii seismic hazard model. Significant variations in...
Database of ground motions from in-slab earthquakes near Anchorage, Alaska, 2008-2019 Database of ground motions from in-slab earthquakes near Anchorage, Alaska, 2008-2019
The dataset contains earthquake ground motions from intermediate-depth (in-slab) earthquakes occurring within 350 km of Anchorage, Alaska 2008-2019. Ground motions are processed as described in the accompanying journal article for rotation-independent horizontal-component ground-shaking at oscillator periods between 0.1 and 10 s.
USGS automated ground motion processing software USGS automated ground motion processing software
The goal of this project is to update, restructure, and consolidate existing USGS ground-motion processing software to incorporate recent advances from researchers at the USGS, PEER, and others. It will standardize tools for multiple USGS ground-motion products and enable scientists within the USGS and the external community to develop and expand ground-motion datasets used in many...
ShakeMap v4 Software ShakeMap v4 Software
ShakeMap v4 Software and Documentation
groundfailure groundfailure
This software is for calculating earthquake-induced ground failure hazard (i.e., landslide and liquefaction). These models are intended for regional or global scale applications, and are intended to be distributed in near-real-time, triggered by the Shakemaps.
A database of instrumentally recorded ground motion intensity measurements from induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas A database of instrumentally recorded ground motion intensity measurements from induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas
The database contains uniformly processed ground motion intensity measurements (peak horizontal ground motions and 5-percent-damped pseudospectral accelerations for oscillator periods 0.110 s). The earthquake event set includes more than 3,800 M≥3 earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas from January 2009 to December 2016. Ground motion time series were collected out to 500 km. We also...
An Open Repository of Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories An Open Repository of Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories
Earthquake-triggered ground-failure, such as landsliding and liquefaction, can contribute significantly to losses, but our current ability to accurately include them in earthquake hazard analyses is limited. The development of robust and transportable models requires access to numerous inventories of ground failure triggered by earthquakes that span a broad range of terrains, shaking
Shakemap earthquake scenario: Building Seismic Safety Council 2014 Event Set (BSSC2014) Shakemap earthquake scenario: Building Seismic Safety Council 2014 Event Set (BSSC2014)
This is a catalog of earthquake scenarios, represented as ShakeMaps. A ShakeMap is a USGS product that facilitates communication of earthquake effects by portraying a map of the severity of shaking. Maps of shaking severity are provided in terms of macroseismic intensity, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and spectral accelerations (at 0.3, 1.0 and 3 sec oscillator periods)...
Liquefaction observations from ten earthquakes in the US, Japan, China, and Taiwan Liquefaction observations from ten earthquakes in the US, Japan, China, and Taiwan
These data include observations of liquefaction from ten earthquakes. The data are provided as a feature collection in a GeoJSON file format. Individual features are either points or polygons. Each feature has a single attribute called "earthquake" which gives the name and year of the earthquake associated with the liquefaction feature.
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: 91
The 2023 US 50-State National Seismic Hazard Model: Overview and implications The 2023 US 50-State National Seismic Hazard Model: Overview and implications
The US National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) was updated in 2023 for all 50 states using new science on seismicity, fault ruptures, ground motions, and probabilistic techniques to produce a standard of practice for public policy and other engineering applications (defined for return periods greater than ∼475 or less than ∼10,000 years). Changes in 2023 time-independent seismic hazard...
Authors
Mark D. Petersen, Allison Shumway, Peter M. Powers, Edward H. Field, Morgan P. Moschetti, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Kevin R. Milner, Sanaz Rezaeian, Arthur D. Frankel, Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael, Jason M. Altekruse, Sean Kamran Ahdi, Kyle Withers, Charles Mueller, Yuehua Zeng, Robert E. Chase, Leah M. Salditch, Nico Luco, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Julie A. Herrick, Demi Leafar Girot, Brad T. Aagaard, Adrian Bender, Michael L. Blanpied, Richard W. Briggs, Oliver S. Boyd, Brandon Clayton, Christopher DuRoss, Eileen L. Evans, Peter J. Haeussler, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Kirstie Lafon Haynie, Elizabeth H. Hearn, Kaj M. Johnson, Zachary Alan Kortum, N. Simon Kwong, Andrew James Makdisi, Henry Mason, Daniel McNamara, Devin McPhillips, P. Okubo, Morgan T. Page, Frederick Pollitz, Justin Rubinstein, Bruce E. Shaw, Zheng-Kang Shen, Brian Shiro, James Andrew Smith, William J. Stephenson, Eric M. Thompson, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Erin A. Wirth, Robert C. Witter
Sediment thickness map of United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Strata, and their influence on earthquake ground motions Sediment thickness map of United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Strata, and their influence on earthquake ground motions
With the recent successful accounting of basin depth ground-motion adjustments in seismic hazard analyses for select areas of the western United States, we move toward implementing similar adjustments in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains by constructing a sediment thickness model and evaluating multiple relevant site amplification models for central and eastern United States seismic...
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, David Churchwell, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Martin C. Chapman, Okan Ilhan, Thomas L. Pratt, Sean Kamran Ahdi, Sanaz Rezaeian
Ground‐motion variability from kinematic rupture models and the implications for nonergodic probabilistic seismic hazard analysis Ground‐motion variability from kinematic rupture models and the implications for nonergodic probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
The variability of earthquake ground motions has a strong control on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), particularly for the low frequencies of exceedance used for critical facilities. We use a crossed mixed‐effects model to partition the variance components from simulated ground motions of Mw 7 earthquakes on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone. Total...
Authors
Grace Alexandra Parker, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson
Modern products for a vintage event: An update on the 1933 Long Beach, California, earthquake Modern products for a vintage event: An update on the 1933 Long Beach, California, earthquake
When a notable earthquake occurs in the United States, a range of familiar real‐ and near‐real‐time products are produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), and made available via the ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. For historical and early instrumental earthquakes, similar results and products are developed depending on data availability...
Authors
Susan E. Hough, J. Luke Blair, Sonia Ellison, Robert Graves, Scott Haefner, Eric M. Thompson, Nicholas van der Elst, Morgan T. Page, David J. Wald
Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and subsequent Mw 7.5 Elbistan earthquakes generated strong ground shaking that resulted in catastrophic human and economic loss across south‐central Türkiye and northwest Syria. The rapid characterization of the earthquakes, including their location, size, fault geometries, and slip kinematics, is critical to estimate the impact of significant seismic...
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, Tuncay Taymaz, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Seda Yolsal-Cevikbilen, William D. Barnhart, Tahir Serkan Irmak, David J. Wald, Taylan Ocalan, William L. Yeck, Berkan Ozkan, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, David R. Shelly, Eric M. Thompson, Christopher DuRoss, Paul S. Earle, Richard W. Briggs, Harley M. Benz, Ceyhun Erman, Ali Hasan Dogan, Cemali Altuntas
High-pass corner frequency selection for implementation in the USGS automated ground motion processing tool High-pass corner frequency selection for implementation in the USGS automated ground motion processing tool
Earthquake ground motion processing for next-generation attenuation (NGA) projects required human inspection to select high-pass corner frequencies (fcHP), which is time-intensive and subjective. With growth in the number of recordings per event and interest in enhancing repeatability, we sought to develop automated procedures for fcHP selection. These procedures consider signal-to-noise...
Authors
María E. Ramos-Sepulveda, Grace Alexandra Parker, Eric M. Thompson, Scott J. Brandenberg, Meibai Li, Okan Ilhan, Youssef Hashash, Ellen Rathje, Jonathan P. Stewart
Applying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines Applying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines
We present a new consequence-driven framework for earthquake scenario selection. For emergency managers, utility operators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, a scenario-based seismic risk assessment is often necessary for the purpose of emergency management and planning. In developing a scientifically defensible scenario, stakeholders can simulate a realistic event in order to pre...
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, David Lallemant
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
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: 24
A Global Hybrid Vs30 Map with a Topographic-Slope-Based Default and Regional Map Insets A Global Hybrid Vs30 Map with a Topographic-Slope-Based Default and Regional Map Insets
Time-averaged shear wave velocity over the upper 30 meters of the earth's surface (Vs30) is a key parameter for estimating ground motion amplification as both a predictive and diagnostic tool for earthquake hazards. A first-order approximation of Vs30 is commonly obtained via a topographic slope-based or terrain proxy due to the widely available nature of digital elevation models...
Ground motions from the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence Ground motions from the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence
This project involves the compilation of ground motions, their derived parameters, and metadata for 133 earthquakes in the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence. This dataset includes 22,991 records from 133 events from 4 July 2019 to 18 October 2019 with a magnitude range from 3.6 to 7.1.
Database of ground motions from tectonic and volcanic events, Hawaii, 2018 Database of ground motions from tectonic and volcanic events, Hawaii, 2018
This study involves a collection of peak ground motions from the 2018 M6.9 earthquake near Leilani Estates, Hawaii and the seismicity associated with the Kilauea Volcano eruption and summit collapse events. This study was intended to provide instrumental ground motion observations to evaluate ground motion models for use in the USGS Hawaii seismic hazard model. Significant variations in...
Database of ground motions from in-slab earthquakes near Anchorage, Alaska, 2008-2019 Database of ground motions from in-slab earthquakes near Anchorage, Alaska, 2008-2019
The dataset contains earthquake ground motions from intermediate-depth (in-slab) earthquakes occurring within 350 km of Anchorage, Alaska 2008-2019. Ground motions are processed as described in the accompanying journal article for rotation-independent horizontal-component ground-shaking at oscillator periods between 0.1 and 10 s.
USGS automated ground motion processing software USGS automated ground motion processing software
The goal of this project is to update, restructure, and consolidate existing USGS ground-motion processing software to incorporate recent advances from researchers at the USGS, PEER, and others. It will standardize tools for multiple USGS ground-motion products and enable scientists within the USGS and the external community to develop and expand ground-motion datasets used in many...
ShakeMap v4 Software ShakeMap v4 Software
ShakeMap v4 Software and Documentation
groundfailure groundfailure
This software is for calculating earthquake-induced ground failure hazard (i.e., landslide and liquefaction). These models are intended for regional or global scale applications, and are intended to be distributed in near-real-time, triggered by the Shakemaps.
A database of instrumentally recorded ground motion intensity measurements from induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas A database of instrumentally recorded ground motion intensity measurements from induced earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas
The database contains uniformly processed ground motion intensity measurements (peak horizontal ground motions and 5-percent-damped pseudospectral accelerations for oscillator periods 0.110 s). The earthquake event set includes more than 3,800 M≥3 earthquakes in Oklahoma and Kansas from January 2009 to December 2016. Ground motion time series were collected out to 500 km. We also...
An Open Repository of Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories An Open Repository of Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories
Earthquake-triggered ground-failure, such as landsliding and liquefaction, can contribute significantly to losses, but our current ability to accurately include them in earthquake hazard analyses is limited. The development of robust and transportable models requires access to numerous inventories of ground failure triggered by earthquakes that span a broad range of terrains, shaking
Shakemap earthquake scenario: Building Seismic Safety Council 2014 Event Set (BSSC2014) Shakemap earthquake scenario: Building Seismic Safety Council 2014 Event Set (BSSC2014)
This is a catalog of earthquake scenarios, represented as ShakeMaps. A ShakeMap is a USGS product that facilitates communication of earthquake effects by portraying a map of the severity of shaking. Maps of shaking severity are provided in terms of macroseismic intensity, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and spectral accelerations (at 0.3, 1.0 and 3 sec oscillator periods)...
Liquefaction observations from ten earthquakes in the US, Japan, China, and Taiwan Liquefaction observations from ten earthquakes in the US, Japan, China, and Taiwan
These data include observations of liquefaction from ten earthquakes. The data are provided as a feature collection in a GeoJSON file format. Individual features are either points or polygons. Each feature has a single attribute called "earthquake" which gives the name and year of the earthquake associated with the liquefaction feature.
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: 91
The 2023 US 50-State National Seismic Hazard Model: Overview and implications The 2023 US 50-State National Seismic Hazard Model: Overview and implications
The US National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) was updated in 2023 for all 50 states using new science on seismicity, fault ruptures, ground motions, and probabilistic techniques to produce a standard of practice for public policy and other engineering applications (defined for return periods greater than ∼475 or less than ∼10,000 years). Changes in 2023 time-independent seismic hazard...
Authors
Mark D. Petersen, Allison Shumway, Peter M. Powers, Edward H. Field, Morgan P. Moschetti, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Kevin R. Milner, Sanaz Rezaeian, Arthur D. Frankel, Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael, Jason M. Altekruse, Sean Kamran Ahdi, Kyle Withers, Charles Mueller, Yuehua Zeng, Robert E. Chase, Leah M. Salditch, Nico Luco, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Julie A. Herrick, Demi Leafar Girot, Brad T. Aagaard, Adrian Bender, Michael L. Blanpied, Richard W. Briggs, Oliver S. Boyd, Brandon Clayton, Christopher DuRoss, Eileen L. Evans, Peter J. Haeussler, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Kirstie Lafon Haynie, Elizabeth H. Hearn, Kaj M. Johnson, Zachary Alan Kortum, N. Simon Kwong, Andrew James Makdisi, Henry Mason, Daniel McNamara, Devin McPhillips, P. Okubo, Morgan T. Page, Frederick Pollitz, Justin Rubinstein, Bruce E. Shaw, Zheng-Kang Shen, Brian Shiro, James Andrew Smith, William J. Stephenson, Eric M. Thompson, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Erin A. Wirth, Robert C. Witter
Sediment thickness map of United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Strata, and their influence on earthquake ground motions Sediment thickness map of United States Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Strata, and their influence on earthquake ground motions
With the recent successful accounting of basin depth ground-motion adjustments in seismic hazard analyses for select areas of the western United States, we move toward implementing similar adjustments in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains by constructing a sediment thickness model and evaluating multiple relevant site amplification models for central and eastern United States seismic...
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, David Churchwell, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson, Martin C. Chapman, Okan Ilhan, Thomas L. Pratt, Sean Kamran Ahdi, Sanaz Rezaeian
Ground‐motion variability from kinematic rupture models and the implications for nonergodic probabilistic seismic hazard analysis Ground‐motion variability from kinematic rupture models and the implications for nonergodic probabilistic seismic hazard analysis
The variability of earthquake ground motions has a strong control on probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), particularly for the low frequencies of exceedance used for critical facilities. We use a crossed mixed‐effects model to partition the variance components from simulated ground motions of Mw 7 earthquakes on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone. Total...
Authors
Grace Alexandra Parker, Morgan P. Moschetti, Eric M. Thompson
Modern products for a vintage event: An update on the 1933 Long Beach, California, earthquake Modern products for a vintage event: An update on the 1933 Long Beach, California, earthquake
When a notable earthquake occurs in the United States, a range of familiar real‐ and near‐real‐time products are produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), and made available via the ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. For historical and early instrumental earthquakes, similar results and products are developed depending on data availability...
Authors
Susan E. Hough, J. Luke Blair, Sonia Ellison, Robert Graves, Scott Haefner, Eric M. Thompson, Nicholas van der Elst, Morgan T. Page, David J. Wald
Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and subsequent Mw 7.5 Elbistan earthquakes generated strong ground shaking that resulted in catastrophic human and economic loss across south‐central Türkiye and northwest Syria. The rapid characterization of the earthquakes, including their location, size, fault geometries, and slip kinematics, is critical to estimate the impact of significant seismic...
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, Tuncay Taymaz, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Seda Yolsal-Cevikbilen, William D. Barnhart, Tahir Serkan Irmak, David J. Wald, Taylan Ocalan, William L. Yeck, Berkan Ozkan, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, David R. Shelly, Eric M. Thompson, Christopher DuRoss, Paul S. Earle, Richard W. Briggs, Harley M. Benz, Ceyhun Erman, Ali Hasan Dogan, Cemali Altuntas
High-pass corner frequency selection for implementation in the USGS automated ground motion processing tool High-pass corner frequency selection for implementation in the USGS automated ground motion processing tool
Earthquake ground motion processing for next-generation attenuation (NGA) projects required human inspection to select high-pass corner frequencies (fcHP), which is time-intensive and subjective. With growth in the number of recordings per event and interest in enhancing repeatability, we sought to develop automated procedures for fcHP selection. These procedures consider signal-to-noise...
Authors
María E. Ramos-Sepulveda, Grace Alexandra Parker, Eric M. Thompson, Scott J. Brandenberg, Meibai Li, Okan Ilhan, Youssef Hashash, Ellen Rathje, Jonathan P. Stewart
Applying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines Applying consequence-driven scenario selection to lifelines
We present a new consequence-driven framework for earthquake scenario selection. For emergency managers, utility operators, policy makers, and other stakeholders, a scenario-based seismic risk assessment is often necessary for the purpose of emergency management and planning. In developing a scientifically defensible scenario, stakeholders can simulate a realistic event in order to pre...
Authors
Yolanda C Lin, David J. Wald, Eric M. Thompson, David Lallemant
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
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.
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