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Nicolas Luco

Nico is a Research Civil Engineer in the Earthquake Hazards Program.

Science and Products

A risk map of the 50-state NSHM 2023 update showing the greater than MMI6 for chance of damaging shaking within 100 years.

USGS National Seismic Hazard Model User-Needs Workshop

The National Seismic Hazard Model Project (NSHMP) will be summarizing the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) and presenting a preliminary future vision for the 2029 NSHM release. Day 1 will consist primarily of presentations as well as discussion and questions, and Day 2 will be focused on user participation.
By
Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
USGS National Seismic Hazard Model User-Needs Workshop

USGS National Seismic Hazard Model User-Needs Workshop

The National Seismic Hazard Model Project (NSHMP) will be summarizing the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) and presenting a preliminary future vision for the 2029 NSHM release. Day 1 will consist primarily of presentations as well as discussion and questions, and Day 2 will be focused on user participation.
Learn More
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Filter Total Items: 79

Development and utilization of USGS ShakeCast for rapid post-earthquake assessment of critical facilities and infrastructure Development and utilization of USGS ShakeCast for rapid post-earthquake assessment of critical facilities and infrastructure

The ShakeCast system is an openly available, near real-time post-earthquake information management system. ShakeCast is widely used by public and private emergency planners and responders, lifeline utility operators and transportation engineers to automatically receive and process ShakeMap products for situational awareness, inspection priority, or damage assessment of their own...
Authors
David J. Wald, Kuo-wan Lin, C. A. Kircher, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Nico Luco, L. Turner, Daniel Slosky
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Get your science used—Six guidelines to improve your products Get your science used—Six guidelines to improve your products

Introduction Natural scientists, like many other experts, face challenges when communicating to people outside their fields of expertise. This is especially true when they try to communicate to those whose background, knowledge, and experience are far distant from that field of expertise. At a recent workshop, experts in risk communication offered insights into the communication...
Authors
Suzanne C. Perry, Michael L. Blanpied, Erin R. Burkett, Nnenia M. Campbell, Anders Carlson, Dale A. Cox, Carolyn L. Driedger, David P. Eisenman, Katherine T. Fox-Glassman, Sherry Hoffman, Susanna M. Hoffman, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Lucile M. Jones, Nico Luco, Sabine M. Marx, Sean M. McGowan, Dennis S. Mileti, Morgan P. Moschetti, David Ozman, Elizabeth Pastor, Mark D. Petersen, Keith A. Porter, David W. Ramsey, Liesel A. Ritchie, Jessica K. Fitzpatrick, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Timothy L. Sellnow, Wendy L. Vaughon, David J. Wald, Lisa A. Wald, Anne Wein, Christina Zarcadoolas
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Science Application for Risk Reduction, Reducing Risk

Earthquake ground motion Earthquake ground motion

Most of the effort in seismic design of buildings and other structures is focused on structural design. This chapter addresses another key aspect of the design process—characterization of earthquake ground motion into parameters for use in design. Section 3.1 describes the basis of the earthquake ground motion maps in the Provisions and in ASCE 7 (the Standard). Section 3.2 has examples...
Authors
Nico Luco, Charles A. Kircher, C. B. Crouse, Finley Charney, Curt B. Haselton, Jack W. Baker, Reid Zimmerman, John D. Hooper, William McVitty, Andy Taylor
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Earthquake probabilities for the Wasatch front region in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming Earthquake probabilities for the Wasatch front region in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming

In a letter to The Salt Lake Daily Tribune in September 1883, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geologist G.K. Gilbert warned local residents about the implications of observable fault scarps along the western base of the Wasatch Range. The scarps were evidence that large surface-rupturing earthquakes had occurred in the past and more would likely occur in the future. The main actor in this...
Authors
Ivan G. Wong, William R. Lund, Christopher DuRoss, Patricia Thomas, Walter Arabasz, Anthony J. Crone, Michael D. Hylland, Nico Luco, Susan S. Olig, James C. Pechmann, Stephen Personius, Mark D. Petersen, David P. Schwartz, Robert B. Smith, Steve Rowman
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Seismic hazard in the Nation's breadbasket Seismic hazard in the Nation's breadbasket

The USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps were updated in 2014 and included several important changes for the central United States (CUS). Background seismicity sources were improved using a new moment-magnitude-based catalog; a new adaptive, nearest-neighbor smoothing kernel was implemented; and maximum magnitudes for background sources were updated. Areal source zones developed by the...
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, Kathleen Haller, Nico Luco, Morgan P. Moschetti, Charles Mueller, Mark D. Petersen, Sanaz Rezaeian, Justin L. Rubinstein
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

The 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model The 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model

New seismic hazard maps have been developed for the conterminous United States using the latest data, models, and methods available for assessing earthquake hazard. The hazard models incorporate new information on earthquake rupture behavior observed in recent earthquakes; fault studies that use both geologic and geodetic strain rate data; earthquake catalogs through 2012 that include...
Authors
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles Mueller, Kathleen Haller, Arthur D. Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, Rui Chen, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nico Luco, Russell Wheeler, Robert Williams, Anna H. Olsen
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Updates to building-code maps for the 2015 NEHRP recommended seismic provisions Updates to building-code maps for the 2015 NEHRP recommended seismic provisions

With the 2014 update of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) as a basis, the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) has updated the earthquake ground motion maps in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, with partial funding from the Federal Emergency Management...
Authors
Nico Luco, Robert Bachman, C.B Crouse, James R. Harris, John D. Hooper, Charles A. Kircher, Phillp Caldwell, Kenneth S. Rukstales
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Aftershock collapse vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures Aftershock collapse vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures

In a seismically active region, structures may be subjected to multiple earthquakes, due to mainshock–aftershock phenomena or other sequences, leaving no time for repair or retrofit between the events. This study quantifies the aftershock vulnerability of four modern ductile reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings in California by conducting incremental dynamic analysis of nonlinear...
Authors
Meera Raghunandan, Abbie B. Liel, Nico Luco
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Modifications to risk-targeted seismic design maps for subduction and near-fault hazards Modifications to risk-targeted seismic design maps for subduction and near-fault hazards

ASCE 7-10 introduced new seismic design maps that define risk-targeted ground motions such that buildings designed according to these maps will have 1% chance of collapse in 50 years. These maps were developed by iterative risk calculation, wherein a generic building collapse fragility curve is convolved with the U.S. Geological Survey hazard curve until target risk criteria are met...
Authors
Abbie B. Liel, Nico Luco, Meera Raghunandan, C. Champion
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Subduction Zone Science

Collapse risk of buildings in the Pacific Northwest region due to subduction earthquakes Collapse risk of buildings in the Pacific Northwest region due to subduction earthquakes

Subduction earthquakes similar to the 2011 Japan and 2010 Chile events will occur in the future in the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest. In this paper, nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried out on 24 buildings designed according to outdated and modern building codes for the cities of Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The results indicate that the median...
Authors
Meera Raghunandan, Abbie B. Liel, Nico Luco
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Subduction Zone Science

Using the USGS Seismic Risk Web Application to estimate aftershock damage Using the USGS Seismic Risk Web Application to estimate aftershock damage

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Engineering Risk Assessment Project has developed the Seismic Risk Web Application to combine earthquake hazard and structural fragility information in order to calculate the risk of earthquake damage to structures. Enabling users to incorporate their own hazard and fragility information into the calculations will make it possible to quantify (in near...
Authors
Sean M. McGowan, Nicolas Luco
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Quantitative rock-fall hazard and risk assessment for Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California Quantitative rock-fall hazard and risk assessment for Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

Rock falls are common in Yosemite Valley, California, posing substantial hazard and risk to the approximately four million annual visitors to Yosemite National Park. Rock falls in Yosemite Valley over the past few decades have damaged structures and caused injuries within developed regions located on or adjacent to talus slopes highlighting the need for additional investigations into...
Authors
Greg M. Stock, Nicolas Luco, Brian D. Collins, Edwin L. Harp, Paola Reichenbach, Kurt L. Frankel
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
Hazard map from the 2023 50-state update of the National Seismic Hazard Model Project

New USGS map shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur in US New USGS map shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur in US

USGS scientists and our partners recently revealed the latest National Seismic Hazard Model, showing that nearly 75% of the United States could experience a damaging earthquake, emphasizing seismic hazards span a significant part of the country.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Communications and Publishing

Science and Products

A risk map of the 50-state NSHM 2023 update showing the greater than MMI6 for chance of damaging shaking within 100 years.

USGS National Seismic Hazard Model User-Needs Workshop

The National Seismic Hazard Model Project (NSHMP) will be summarizing the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) and presenting a preliminary future vision for the 2029 NSHM release. Day 1 will consist primarily of presentations as well as discussion and questions, and Day 2 will be focused on user participation.
By
Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
USGS National Seismic Hazard Model User-Needs Workshop

USGS National Seismic Hazard Model User-Needs Workshop

The National Seismic Hazard Model Project (NSHMP) will be summarizing the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) and presenting a preliminary future vision for the 2029 NSHM release. Day 1 will consist primarily of presentations as well as discussion and questions, and Day 2 will be focused on user participation.
Learn More
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 79

Development and utilization of USGS ShakeCast for rapid post-earthquake assessment of critical facilities and infrastructure Development and utilization of USGS ShakeCast for rapid post-earthquake assessment of critical facilities and infrastructure

The ShakeCast system is an openly available, near real-time post-earthquake information management system. ShakeCast is widely used by public and private emergency planners and responders, lifeline utility operators and transportation engineers to automatically receive and process ShakeMap products for situational awareness, inspection priority, or damage assessment of their own...
Authors
David J. Wald, Kuo-wan Lin, C. A. Kircher, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Nico Luco, L. Turner, Daniel Slosky
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Get your science used—Six guidelines to improve your products Get your science used—Six guidelines to improve your products

Introduction Natural scientists, like many other experts, face challenges when communicating to people outside their fields of expertise. This is especially true when they try to communicate to those whose background, knowledge, and experience are far distant from that field of expertise. At a recent workshop, experts in risk communication offered insights into the communication...
Authors
Suzanne C. Perry, Michael L. Blanpied, Erin R. Burkett, Nnenia M. Campbell, Anders Carlson, Dale A. Cox, Carolyn L. Driedger, David P. Eisenman, Katherine T. Fox-Glassman, Sherry Hoffman, Susanna M. Hoffman, Kishor S. Jaiswal, Lucile M. Jones, Nico Luco, Sabine M. Marx, Sean M. McGowan, Dennis S. Mileti, Morgan P. Moschetti, David Ozman, Elizabeth Pastor, Mark D. Petersen, Keith A. Porter, David W. Ramsey, Liesel A. Ritchie, Jessica K. Fitzpatrick, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Timothy L. Sellnow, Wendy L. Vaughon, David J. Wald, Lisa A. Wald, Anne Wein, Christina Zarcadoolas
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Science Application for Risk Reduction, Reducing Risk

Earthquake ground motion Earthquake ground motion

Most of the effort in seismic design of buildings and other structures is focused on structural design. This chapter addresses another key aspect of the design process—characterization of earthquake ground motion into parameters for use in design. Section 3.1 describes the basis of the earthquake ground motion maps in the Provisions and in ASCE 7 (the Standard). Section 3.2 has examples...
Authors
Nico Luco, Charles A. Kircher, C. B. Crouse, Finley Charney, Curt B. Haselton, Jack W. Baker, Reid Zimmerman, John D. Hooper, William McVitty, Andy Taylor
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Earthquake probabilities for the Wasatch front region in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming Earthquake probabilities for the Wasatch front region in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming

In a letter to The Salt Lake Daily Tribune in September 1883, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geologist G.K. Gilbert warned local residents about the implications of observable fault scarps along the western base of the Wasatch Range. The scarps were evidence that large surface-rupturing earthquakes had occurred in the past and more would likely occur in the future. The main actor in this...
Authors
Ivan G. Wong, William R. Lund, Christopher DuRoss, Patricia Thomas, Walter Arabasz, Anthony J. Crone, Michael D. Hylland, Nico Luco, Susan S. Olig, James C. Pechmann, Stephen Personius, Mark D. Petersen, David P. Schwartz, Robert B. Smith, Steve Rowman
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Seismic hazard in the Nation's breadbasket Seismic hazard in the Nation's breadbasket

The USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps were updated in 2014 and included several important changes for the central United States (CUS). Background seismicity sources were improved using a new moment-magnitude-based catalog; a new adaptive, nearest-neighbor smoothing kernel was implemented; and maximum magnitudes for background sources were updated. Areal source zones developed by the...
Authors
Oliver S. Boyd, Kathleen Haller, Nico Luco, Morgan P. Moschetti, Charles Mueller, Mark D. Petersen, Sanaz Rezaeian, Justin L. Rubinstein
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

The 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model The 2014 United States National Seismic Hazard Model

New seismic hazard maps have been developed for the conterminous United States using the latest data, models, and methods available for assessing earthquake hazard. The hazard models incorporate new information on earthquake rupture behavior observed in recent earthquakes; fault studies that use both geologic and geodetic strain rate data; earthquake catalogs through 2012 that include...
Authors
Mark D. Petersen, Morgan P. Moschetti, Peter M. Powers, Charles Mueller, Kathleen Haller, Arthur D. Frankel, Yuehua Zeng, Sanaz Rezaeian, Stephen Harmsen, Oliver S. Boyd, Edward H. Field, Rui Chen, Kenneth S. Rukstales, Nico Luco, Russell Wheeler, Robert Williams, Anna H. Olsen
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Updates to building-code maps for the 2015 NEHRP recommended seismic provisions Updates to building-code maps for the 2015 NEHRP recommended seismic provisions

With the 2014 update of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) as a basis, the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC) has updated the earthquake ground motion maps in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, with partial funding from the Federal Emergency Management...
Authors
Nico Luco, Robert Bachman, C.B Crouse, James R. Harris, John D. Hooper, Charles A. Kircher, Phillp Caldwell, Kenneth S. Rukstales
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Aftershock collapse vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures Aftershock collapse vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete frame structures

In a seismically active region, structures may be subjected to multiple earthquakes, due to mainshock–aftershock phenomena or other sequences, leaving no time for repair or retrofit between the events. This study quantifies the aftershock vulnerability of four modern ductile reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings in California by conducting incremental dynamic analysis of nonlinear...
Authors
Meera Raghunandan, Abbie B. Liel, Nico Luco
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Modifications to risk-targeted seismic design maps for subduction and near-fault hazards Modifications to risk-targeted seismic design maps for subduction and near-fault hazards

ASCE 7-10 introduced new seismic design maps that define risk-targeted ground motions such that buildings designed according to these maps will have 1% chance of collapse in 50 years. These maps were developed by iterative risk calculation, wherein a generic building collapse fragility curve is convolved with the U.S. Geological Survey hazard curve until target risk criteria are met...
Authors
Abbie B. Liel, Nico Luco, Meera Raghunandan, C. Champion
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Subduction Zone Science

Collapse risk of buildings in the Pacific Northwest region due to subduction earthquakes Collapse risk of buildings in the Pacific Northwest region due to subduction earthquakes

Subduction earthquakes similar to the 2011 Japan and 2010 Chile events will occur in the future in the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest. In this paper, nonlinear dynamic analyses are carried out on 24 buildings designed according to outdated and modern building codes for the cities of Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The results indicate that the median...
Authors
Meera Raghunandan, Abbie B. Liel, Nico Luco
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Subduction Zone Science

Using the USGS Seismic Risk Web Application to estimate aftershock damage Using the USGS Seismic Risk Web Application to estimate aftershock damage

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Engineering Risk Assessment Project has developed the Seismic Risk Web Application to combine earthquake hazard and structural fragility information in order to calculate the risk of earthquake damage to structures. Enabling users to incorporate their own hazard and fragility information into the calculations will make it possible to quantify (in near...
Authors
Sean M. McGowan, Nicolas Luco
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Quantitative rock-fall hazard and risk assessment for Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California Quantitative rock-fall hazard and risk assessment for Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California

Rock falls are common in Yosemite Valley, California, posing substantial hazard and risk to the approximately four million annual visitors to Yosemite National Park. Rock falls in Yosemite Valley over the past few decades have damaged structures and caused injuries within developed regions located on or adjacent to talus slopes highlighting the need for additional investigations into...
Authors
Greg M. Stock, Nicolas Luco, Brian D. Collins, Edwin L. Harp, Paola Reichenbach, Kurt L. Frankel
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
Hazard map from the 2023 50-state update of the National Seismic Hazard Model Project

New USGS map shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur in US New USGS map shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur in US

USGS scientists and our partners recently revealed the latest National Seismic Hazard Model, showing that nearly 75% of the United States could experience a damaging earthquake, emphasizing seismic hazards span a significant part of the country.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Communications and Publishing
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