Nadine G Reitman, PhD
As an earthquake geologist, I use numerical modeling, field observations, and remote sensing to investigate the earthquake history and behavior of active faults, as well as how earthquake history is recorded in the landscape.
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, USGS, 2020-Present
Geologist, USGS, 2014-2016
Physical Science Technician, Denali National Park, 2010, 2011, 2013
Education and Certifications
PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, 2016-2020
MS, University of Colorado Boulder, 2011-2013
BA, Vassar College, 2006-2010
Science and Products
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.
Filter Total Items: 19
Geochronological data for the Airport East trench site, West Valley fault zone, Salt Lake County, Utah Geochronological data for the Airport East trench site, West Valley fault zone, Salt Lake County, Utah
This data release includes geochronological data for the Airport East trench site (40.795359, -111.950438) on the Taylorsville fault of the West Valley fault zone (WVFZ). The WVFZ comprises intrabasin faults in the hanging wall of the Wasatch fault zone in the northern part of Salt Lake Valley, Utah. Samples for radiocarbon and luminescence dating were collected from two paleoseismic...
Field Observations of Surface Rupture and Fault Displacement in the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Türkiye Earthquake Field Observations of Surface Rupture and Fault Displacement in the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Türkiye Earthquake
Field observations of surface rupture extent and fault displacement are critical to improving our understanding of rupture processes in the 6 February 2023 earthquakes in the Kahramanmaraş region of Türkiye. This data release includes two primary datasets depicting the 2023 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8 Pazarcık, Türkiye earthquake rupture: 1) surface rupture mapping (lines) and 2)...
Surface deformation and slip distribution for the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and Mw 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes from subpixel correlation of optical images Surface deformation and slip distribution for the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and Mw 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes from subpixel correlation of optical images
The data contained in this Data Release depicts surface deformation and surface slip distribution for the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes derived from subpixel correlation of Planet Dove and Sentinel-2 (S2) optical satellite images. The datasets contained in this data release are (1) raster files of surface displacement fields in north-south and east-west...
Remote Surface Rupture Observations for the M7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake Remote Surface Rupture Observations for the M7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake
This data release contains datasets that depict fault rupture and surface displacement from the M7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar, earthquake on March 28, 2025. The earthquake caused ~475 km of right-lateral surface rupture on the Sagaing fault in Myanmar. These data were based on rapid analysis of available satellite data after the earthquake and updated as more information became available. They...
Digital elevation models, orthophotos, and differencing results to analyze the effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery Digital elevation models, orthophotos, and differencing results to analyze the effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery
Synthetic earthquake deformation was imposed on high resolution (~0.5 m/pixel)orthoimagery and digital elevation models (DEMs) for two regions of the Garlock fault in the east and west. This repository contains the input and result rasters for the analysis, further described in Hanagan et al. (2025): "Effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high...
Detailed Mapping of the 1983 Borah Peak Earthquake Surface Rupture (Idaho, USA) Using a High-Resolution Digital Terrain Model Derived from 2019 Lidar Data Detailed Mapping of the 1983 Borah Peak Earthquake Surface Rupture (Idaho, USA) Using a High-Resolution Digital Terrain Model Derived from 2019 Lidar Data
In this work, we refined and expanded the coseismic surface rupture map of the 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake coseismic rupture mapping at a scale of 1:500. While earlier work (DuRoss et al., 2019; Bello et al., 2020, 2021) used structure-from-motion (SfM) methods to construct digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS or drone) imagery, the...
Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
This data release provides input data and landscape evolution modeling results to accompany the manuscript “Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record" (Thompson Jobe and Reitman, 2025). The data release includes two tabular datasets, a text file, and movies of the landscape...
Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs
This data release contains a point cloud and raster image of a digital surface model (DSM) that covers a portion of the Lost River fault in Idaho that ruptured in the 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake. The DSM provides a high-resolution, pre-earthquake record of the landscape from 1966. It is constructed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry software and aerial photographs taken in...
Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults
Summary: This computational notebook is intended to visualize any dataset of offset measurements along a fault, including datasets for single or multiple earthquakes. It is used to plot recent, geomorphic, and synthetic offset measurements for the companion manuscript: Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record by N.G. Reitman, Y. Klinger, R. Briggs...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0
This Data Release contains three related databases for the Central and Eastern United States: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) A fault zone polygon database ("NSHM2023_FaultPolygons_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of distributed fault zones capable of hosting repeated...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of three related geologic input databases for the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) region (62°–70° W and 16°–21° N) of the United States: 1) A fault sections database (“NSHM2025_FaultSections_PRVI_v1’”), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) a fault-zone polygon database ("NSHM2025...
Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography
This data release contains a dataset that depicts fault scarps along the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone located in the San Luis basin of southern Colorado. The Zapata and Blanca sections extend from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to the Blanca Peak massif and are differentiated by a sharp change in fault zone orientation from north-south to...
Filter Total Items: 32
High‐resolution surface deformation and slip distribution observations for the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, earthquake sequence help constrain the rupture process High‐resolution surface deformation and slip distribution observations for the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, earthquake sequence help constrain the rupture process
Splay, or branch, faults are a common geometric feature of earthquake surface ruptures and may provide constraints on the rupture behavior of an earthquake. The 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and Mw 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes are examples of ruptures with multiple small splays, and the Pazarcık earthquake nucleated on a splay fault, the Narlı fault, before rupturing bilaterally on the East...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, M. Morow Tan, Paula Madeline Burgi, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Richard W. Briggs
Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes
The 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), earthquake ruptured 475 km of the central Sagaing fault and is the longest continental strike-slip rupture on record. The observed rupture length is 1.6–4.7 times the value expected (100–300 km) from existing length-magnitude scaling relations for strike-slip earthquakes. The earthquake resulted from shallow dextral faulting and ruptured...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yuanshi Wang, Yu-Ting Kuo, Catherine Elise Hanagan, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Chun-Chi Chen, Dara Elyse Goldberg, Harriet Zoe Yin, Richard W. Briggs, Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Emerson Madelyn Lynch, Joseph Hoss Powell, William D. Barnhart, Robert G. Schmitt
Earthquake rupture arrest from depth‐dependent frictional stability on the Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye (Turkey) Earthquake rupture arrest from depth‐dependent frictional stability on the Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye (Turkey)
Determining why earthquake ruptures stop is a central challenge in earthquake science and seismic hazard assessment. The Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye, exhibits shallow creep ( 6.5 earthquake ruptures at greater depth. Here, we evaluate whether variations in frictional stability along this segment aided arrest of the 2020 M 6.7 Elaziğ and 2023 M 7.8 Pazarcık...
Authors
Johanna Nevitt, Tamara Nicole Jeppson, Roger Bilham, Diane E. Moore, David A. Lockner, William D Barnhart, Ziyadin Cakir, Efe Ayruk, Benjamin A. Brooks, Dawn Catherine Sweeney Ruth, Nima Ekhtari, Francisco Gomez, Jonathan Weiss, Sarah E. Minson, Semih Ergintav, Ugur Dogan, Seda Ozarpaci, Nadine G. Reitman, Ruth A. Harris
Effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery Effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery
The limits of detection for earthquake surface deformation in the spatial domain have improved with advances in remote sensing imagery data availability, resolution, and analysis. Sub-pixel correlation and digital elevation model (DEM) differencing from sub-meter, earthquake-spanning satellite optical imagery has enhanced surface rupture mapping and deformation measurements. However...
Authors
Catherine Elise Hanagan, Stephen B. DeLong, Nadine G. Reitman
Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk
The 28 March 2025 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.7 earthquake in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), ruptured 475 kilometers of the Sagaing Fault, which was more than twice the length predicted by magnitude scaling relationships. Kinematic slip models and observation of a Rayleigh Mach wave that passed through parts of Thailand confirmed that rupture occurred at supershear velocities of greater than 5...
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, William L. Yeck, Catherine Elise Hanagan, James William Atterholt, Haiyang Liam Kehoe, Nadine G. Reitman, William D. Barnhart, David R. Shelly, Alexandra Elise Hatem, David Wald, Paul S. Earle
Unveiling coseismic deformation from differenced legacy aerial photography and modern lidar topography: The 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake, Idaho, USA Unveiling coseismic deformation from differenced legacy aerial photography and modern lidar topography: The 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake, Idaho, USA
The 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak, Idaho, earthquake is one of the largest historical normal fault earthquakes in the western United States. We quantified meter-scale vertical change along the 35 km-long rupture using topographic differencing of 1966 aerial imagery and 2019 lidar-derived data. The initial differencing results are largely obscured by horizontal and vertical georeferencing errors...
Authors
Chelsea P Scott, Nadine G. Reitman, Simone Bello
Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
Large surface-rupturing intraplate earthquakes in stable continental regions (SCRs) are uncommon globally and have recurrence intervals of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years based on the paleoseismic and geomorphic record, challenging accurate active fault identification in these regions. To constrain the timescales of preservation for scarps created by surface ruptures from dip...
Authors
Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Nadine G. Reitman
Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record
Offset geomorphic markers are commonly used to interpret slip history of strike-slip faults and have played an important role in forming earthquake recurrence models. These data sets are typically analyzed using cumulative probability methods to interpret average amounts of slip in past earthquakes. However, interpretation of the geomorphic record to infer surface slip history is...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yann Klinger, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold
Are field observations of surface rupture useful? An example from the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake Are field observations of surface rupture useful? An example from the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake
Field investigations have long been an important component of the scientific response to surface‐faulting earthquakes. However, in light of advances in remote data and models, the question arises whether field‐based observations of surface rupture remain useful for understanding rupture processes and seismic hazards. We approach this question using a field‐based study of the central 2023...
Authors
Christopher B. DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Henry Mason, Grigorios Lavrentiadis, Domniki Asimaki, Christopher Milliner, Melike Karakaş, Seçen Bahadir
Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component
The last National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) was published in 2003. In advance of the 2025 PRVI NSHM update, we created three geologic input databases to summarize new onshore and offshore fault source information in the northern Caribbean region between 62°–70° W and 16°–21° N. These databases, of fault sections, fault‐zone polygons...
Authors
Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Richard W. Briggs, Uri S. ten Brink, Thomas L. Pratt, K. Stephen Hughes, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Julie A. Herrick, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Camille Collett, Katherine M. Scharer, Stephen B. DeLong
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Earth sciences. As one of the largest geoscience employers, the USGS wields significant community influence and has a responsibility to adopt and implement robust, unbiased policies so that the science it is charged to deliver is better connected to the...
Authors
Matthew C. Morriss, Eleanour Snow, Jennifer L. Miselis, William F. Waite, Katherine R. Barnhart, Andria P. Ellis, Liv M. Herdman, Seth C. Moran, Annie L. Putman, Nadine G. Reitman, Wendy K. Stovall, Meagan J. Eagle, Stephen C. Phillips
Paleoseismology of the Sawtooth fault and implications for fault behavior in the epicentral region of the 2020 Mw 6.5 Stanley, Idaho earthquake Paleoseismology of the Sawtooth fault and implications for fault behavior in the epicentral region of the 2020 Mw 6.5 Stanley, Idaho earthquake
The 2020 moment magnitude (Mw) 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake raised questions about the history and extent of complex faulting in the northwestern Centennial Tectonic Belt (CTB) and its relation to the Sawtooth normal fault and Eocene Trans‐Challis fault system (TCFS). To explore faulting in this area, we excavated a paleoseismic trench across the Sawtooth fault along the western...
Authors
Christopher B. DuRoss, Zachery Lifton, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Richard Briggs, Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Nadine G. Reitman, Glenn D. Thackray, Mark S. Zellman, Camille Marie Collett, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan
Non-USGS Publications**
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2021) Strain and velocity across the Great Basin derived from 15-ka fault slip rates: Implications for continuous deformation and seismic hazards in the Walker Lane, California-Nevada, USA. Tectonics. doi: 10.1029/2020TC006389
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2020) Input parameters, output data, and script to calculate strain and velocity from fault source parameters. [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3895334
Reitman, N.G., K.J. Mueller, G.E. Tucker, R.D. Gold, R.W. Briggs, and K.R. Barnhart. (2019) Numerical model code and input files to run landscape evolution models with strike-slip faulting and measure channel offsets. [Data set]. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3374026
Litchfield, N.J., K.J. Clark, U.A. Cochran, J. Mountjoy, C. Mueller, R. Morgenstern, K.R. Berryman, B.G. McFadgen, R. Steele, N.G. Reitman, J. Howarth, and P. Villamor. (2020) Unraveling complex coastal deformation mechanisms using marine terrace paleoseismology Puatai Beach and Pakarae River mouth, northern Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. doi: 10.1785/0120190208
Reitman, N.G., Ge, S., and Mueller, K. (2014) Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA. Hydrogeology Journal, doi: 10.1007/s10040-014-1126-0.
**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
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.
Filter Total Items: 19
Geochronological data for the Airport East trench site, West Valley fault zone, Salt Lake County, Utah Geochronological data for the Airport East trench site, West Valley fault zone, Salt Lake County, Utah
This data release includes geochronological data for the Airport East trench site (40.795359, -111.950438) on the Taylorsville fault of the West Valley fault zone (WVFZ). The WVFZ comprises intrabasin faults in the hanging wall of the Wasatch fault zone in the northern part of Salt Lake Valley, Utah. Samples for radiocarbon and luminescence dating were collected from two paleoseismic...
Field Observations of Surface Rupture and Fault Displacement in the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Türkiye Earthquake Field Observations of Surface Rupture and Fault Displacement in the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Türkiye Earthquake
Field observations of surface rupture extent and fault displacement are critical to improving our understanding of rupture processes in the 6 February 2023 earthquakes in the Kahramanmaraş region of Türkiye. This data release includes two primary datasets depicting the 2023 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8 Pazarcık, Türkiye earthquake rupture: 1) surface rupture mapping (lines) and 2)...
Surface deformation and slip distribution for the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and Mw 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes from subpixel correlation of optical images Surface deformation and slip distribution for the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and Mw 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes from subpixel correlation of optical images
The data contained in this Data Release depicts surface deformation and surface slip distribution for the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes derived from subpixel correlation of Planet Dove and Sentinel-2 (S2) optical satellite images. The datasets contained in this data release are (1) raster files of surface displacement fields in north-south and east-west...
Remote Surface Rupture Observations for the M7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake Remote Surface Rupture Observations for the M7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake
This data release contains datasets that depict fault rupture and surface displacement from the M7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar, earthquake on March 28, 2025. The earthquake caused ~475 km of right-lateral surface rupture on the Sagaing fault in Myanmar. These data were based on rapid analysis of available satellite data after the earthquake and updated as more information became available. They...
Digital elevation models, orthophotos, and differencing results to analyze the effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery Digital elevation models, orthophotos, and differencing results to analyze the effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery
Synthetic earthquake deformation was imposed on high resolution (~0.5 m/pixel)orthoimagery and digital elevation models (DEMs) for two regions of the Garlock fault in the east and west. This repository contains the input and result rasters for the analysis, further described in Hanagan et al. (2025): "Effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high...
Detailed Mapping of the 1983 Borah Peak Earthquake Surface Rupture (Idaho, USA) Using a High-Resolution Digital Terrain Model Derived from 2019 Lidar Data Detailed Mapping of the 1983 Borah Peak Earthquake Surface Rupture (Idaho, USA) Using a High-Resolution Digital Terrain Model Derived from 2019 Lidar Data
In this work, we refined and expanded the coseismic surface rupture map of the 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake coseismic rupture mapping at a scale of 1:500. While earlier work (DuRoss et al., 2019; Bello et al., 2020, 2021) used structure-from-motion (SfM) methods to construct digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS or drone) imagery, the...
Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
This data release provides input data and landscape evolution modeling results to accompany the manuscript “Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record" (Thompson Jobe and Reitman, 2025). The data release includes two tabular datasets, a text file, and movies of the landscape...
Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs
This data release contains a point cloud and raster image of a digital surface model (DSM) that covers a portion of the Lost River fault in Idaho that ruptured in the 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake. The DSM provides a high-resolution, pre-earthquake record of the landscape from 1966. It is constructed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry software and aerial photographs taken in...
Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults
Summary: This computational notebook is intended to visualize any dataset of offset measurements along a fault, including datasets for single or multiple earthquakes. It is used to plot recent, geomorphic, and synthetic offset measurements for the companion manuscript: Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record by N.G. Reitman, Y. Klinger, R. Briggs...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0
This Data Release contains three related databases for the Central and Eastern United States: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) A fault zone polygon database ("NSHM2023_FaultPolygons_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of distributed fault zones capable of hosting repeated...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of three related geologic input databases for the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) region (62°–70° W and 16°–21° N) of the United States: 1) A fault sections database (“NSHM2025_FaultSections_PRVI_v1’”), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) a fault-zone polygon database ("NSHM2025...
Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography
This data release contains a dataset that depicts fault scarps along the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone located in the San Luis basin of southern Colorado. The Zapata and Blanca sections extend from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to the Blanca Peak massif and are differentiated by a sharp change in fault zone orientation from north-south to...
Filter Total Items: 32
High‐resolution surface deformation and slip distribution observations for the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, earthquake sequence help constrain the rupture process High‐resolution surface deformation and slip distribution observations for the 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, earthquake sequence help constrain the rupture process
Splay, or branch, faults are a common geometric feature of earthquake surface ruptures and may provide constraints on the rupture behavior of an earthquake. The 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and Mw 7.5 Elbistan, Türkiye, earthquakes are examples of ruptures with multiple small splays, and the Pazarcık earthquake nucleated on a splay fault, the Narlı fault, before rupturing bilaterally on the East...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, M. Morow Tan, Paula Madeline Burgi, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Richard W. Briggs
Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes Surface rupture and slip distribution of the 2025 Mw7.7 Mandalay earthquake and updated length scaling of supershear earthquakes
The 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), earthquake ruptured 475 km of the central Sagaing fault and is the longest continental strike-slip rupture on record. The observed rupture length is 1.6–4.7 times the value expected (100–300 km) from existing length-magnitude scaling relations for strike-slip earthquakes. The earthquake resulted from shallow dextral faulting and ruptured...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yuanshi Wang, Yu-Ting Kuo, Catherine Elise Hanagan, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Chun-Chi Chen, Dara Elyse Goldberg, Harriet Zoe Yin, Richard W. Briggs, Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Emerson Madelyn Lynch, Joseph Hoss Powell, William D. Barnhart, Robert G. Schmitt
Earthquake rupture arrest from depth‐dependent frictional stability on the Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye (Turkey) Earthquake rupture arrest from depth‐dependent frictional stability on the Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye (Turkey)
Determining why earthquake ruptures stop is a central challenge in earthquake science and seismic hazard assessment. The Pütürge segment of the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Türkiye, exhibits shallow creep ( 6.5 earthquake ruptures at greater depth. Here, we evaluate whether variations in frictional stability along this segment aided arrest of the 2020 M 6.7 Elaziğ and 2023 M 7.8 Pazarcık...
Authors
Johanna Nevitt, Tamara Nicole Jeppson, Roger Bilham, Diane E. Moore, David A. Lockner, William D Barnhart, Ziyadin Cakir, Efe Ayruk, Benjamin A. Brooks, Dawn Catherine Sweeney Ruth, Nima Ekhtari, Francisco Gomez, Jonathan Weiss, Sarah E. Minson, Semih Ergintav, Ugur Dogan, Seda Ozarpaci, Nadine G. Reitman, Ruth A. Harris
Effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery Effect of land cover type on 3D deformation recovery from synthetically deformed high-resolution satellite optical imagery
The limits of detection for earthquake surface deformation in the spatial domain have improved with advances in remote sensing imagery data availability, resolution, and analysis. Sub-pixel correlation and digital elevation model (DEM) differencing from sub-meter, earthquake-spanning satellite optical imagery has enhanced surface rupture mapping and deformation measurements. However...
Authors
Catherine Elise Hanagan, Stephen B. DeLong, Nadine G. Reitman
Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk
The 28 March 2025 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.7 earthquake in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), ruptured 475 kilometers of the Sagaing Fault, which was more than twice the length predicted by magnitude scaling relationships. Kinematic slip models and observation of a Rayleigh Mach wave that passed through parts of Thailand confirmed that rupture occurred at supershear velocities of greater than 5...
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, William L. Yeck, Catherine Elise Hanagan, James William Atterholt, Haiyang Liam Kehoe, Nadine G. Reitman, William D. Barnhart, David R. Shelly, Alexandra Elise Hatem, David Wald, Paul S. Earle
Unveiling coseismic deformation from differenced legacy aerial photography and modern lidar topography: The 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake, Idaho, USA Unveiling coseismic deformation from differenced legacy aerial photography and modern lidar topography: The 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake, Idaho, USA
The 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak, Idaho, earthquake is one of the largest historical normal fault earthquakes in the western United States. We quantified meter-scale vertical change along the 35 km-long rupture using topographic differencing of 1966 aerial imagery and 2019 lidar-derived data. The initial differencing results are largely obscured by horizontal and vertical georeferencing errors...
Authors
Chelsea P Scott, Nadine G. Reitman, Simone Bello
Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
Large surface-rupturing intraplate earthquakes in stable continental regions (SCRs) are uncommon globally and have recurrence intervals of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years based on the paleoseismic and geomorphic record, challenging accurate active fault identification in these regions. To constrain the timescales of preservation for scarps created by surface ruptures from dip...
Authors
Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Nadine G. Reitman
Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record
Offset geomorphic markers are commonly used to interpret slip history of strike-slip faults and have played an important role in forming earthquake recurrence models. These data sets are typically analyzed using cumulative probability methods to interpret average amounts of slip in past earthquakes. However, interpretation of the geomorphic record to infer surface slip history is...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yann Klinger, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold
Are field observations of surface rupture useful? An example from the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake Are field observations of surface rupture useful? An example from the 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake
Field investigations have long been an important component of the scientific response to surface‐faulting earthquakes. However, in light of advances in remote data and models, the question arises whether field‐based observations of surface rupture remain useful for understanding rupture processes and seismic hazards. We approach this question using a field‐based study of the central 2023...
Authors
Christopher B. DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Henry Mason, Grigorios Lavrentiadis, Domniki Asimaki, Christopher Milliner, Melike Karakaş, Seçen Bahadir
Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component
The last National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) was published in 2003. In advance of the 2025 PRVI NSHM update, we created three geologic input databases to summarize new onshore and offshore fault source information in the northern Caribbean region between 62°–70° W and 16°–21° N. These databases, of fault sections, fault‐zone polygons...
Authors
Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Richard W. Briggs, Uri S. ten Brink, Thomas L. Pratt, K. Stephen Hughes, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Julie A. Herrick, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Camille Collett, Katherine M. Scharer, Stephen B. DeLong
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Earth sciences. As one of the largest geoscience employers, the USGS wields significant community influence and has a responsibility to adopt and implement robust, unbiased policies so that the science it is charged to deliver is better connected to the...
Authors
Matthew C. Morriss, Eleanour Snow, Jennifer L. Miselis, William F. Waite, Katherine R. Barnhart, Andria P. Ellis, Liv M. Herdman, Seth C. Moran, Annie L. Putman, Nadine G. Reitman, Wendy K. Stovall, Meagan J. Eagle, Stephen C. Phillips
Paleoseismology of the Sawtooth fault and implications for fault behavior in the epicentral region of the 2020 Mw 6.5 Stanley, Idaho earthquake Paleoseismology of the Sawtooth fault and implications for fault behavior in the epicentral region of the 2020 Mw 6.5 Stanley, Idaho earthquake
The 2020 moment magnitude (Mw) 6.5 Stanley, Idaho, earthquake raised questions about the history and extent of complex faulting in the northwestern Centennial Tectonic Belt (CTB) and its relation to the Sawtooth normal fault and Eocene Trans‐Challis fault system (TCFS). To explore faulting in this area, we excavated a paleoseismic trench across the Sawtooth fault along the western...
Authors
Christopher B. DuRoss, Zachery Lifton, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Richard Briggs, Jessica A. Thompson Jobe, Nadine G. Reitman, Glenn D. Thackray, Mark S. Zellman, Camille Marie Collett, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan
Non-USGS Publications**
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2021) Strain and velocity across the Great Basin derived from 15-ka fault slip rates: Implications for continuous deformation and seismic hazards in the Walker Lane, California-Nevada, USA. Tectonics. doi: 10.1029/2020TC006389
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2020) Input parameters, output data, and script to calculate strain and velocity from fault source parameters. [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3895334
Reitman, N.G., K.J. Mueller, G.E. Tucker, R.D. Gold, R.W. Briggs, and K.R. Barnhart. (2019) Numerical model code and input files to run landscape evolution models with strike-slip faulting and measure channel offsets. [Data set]. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3374026
Litchfield, N.J., K.J. Clark, U.A. Cochran, J. Mountjoy, C. Mueller, R. Morgenstern, K.R. Berryman, B.G. McFadgen, R. Steele, N.G. Reitman, J. Howarth, and P. Villamor. (2020) Unraveling complex coastal deformation mechanisms using marine terrace paleoseismology Puatai Beach and Pakarae River mouth, northern Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. doi: 10.1785/0120190208
Reitman, N.G., Ge, S., and Mueller, K. (2014) Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA. Hydrogeology Journal, doi: 10.1007/s10040-014-1126-0.
**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.