Boyd, O. S., R. Smalley, and Y. Zeng (2015), Crustal Deformation in the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Role of Postseismic Processes, J. Geophys. Res., 120(8), 5782–5803, doi:10.1002/2015JB012049.
Oliver S Boyd, Ph.D.
Research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey studying various aspects of seismic hazard with a concentration on the central and eastern United States
Biography
I began with the National Seismic Hazards Mapping Project in Golden, CO in 2004 and now spend most of my activities within the Central and Eastern U.S. Seismic Hazards Project. I am an Adjunct Professor at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis where I help students to better understand seismic hazards. Much of my research focuses on several aspects of earthquake hazards including time-dependent earthquake probabilities, declustering of foreshocks and aftershocks, and parameters related to earthquake sources. I helped update the central and eastern United States source models for the 2008 and 2014 updates of the National Seismic Hazard Maps. Other recent projects include a time-dependent seismic hazard map of Alaska and a seismic hazard analysis of Afghanistan, the latter being done in conjunction with other U.S. Agency for International Development’s reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Prior to joining the Survey, I obtained my Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder where I performed laboratory experiments on seismic wave attenuation and produced and interpreted tomographic images of seismic wave attenuation and velocity beneath the western United States.
Science and Products
Year Published: 2020
Calibration of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model
The U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model (NCM) is being developed to include spatially varying estimates of site response in seismic hazard assessments. Primary outputs of the NCM are continuous velocity and density profiles from the Earth’s surface to the mantle transition zone at 410-kilometer (km) depth for each location on a 1-km grid...
Boyd, Oliver S.Attribution: Natural Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, United States of America
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Boyd, O.S., 2020, Calibration of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020–1052, 23 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201052.
Year Published: 2019
Temperature model in support of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model for seismic hazard Ssudies
The U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model (NCM) is being developed to assist with earthquake hazard and risk assessment by supporting estimates of ground shaking in response to an earthquake. The period-dependent intensity and duration of shaking depend upon the three-dimensional seismic velocity, seismic attenuation, and density...
Boyd, Oliver S.Attribution: Natural Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, United States of America
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Boyd, O.S., 2020, Temperature model in support of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model for seismic hazard studies: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019–1121, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191121.
Year Published: 2019
The 2018 update of the US National Seismic Hazard Model: Overview of model and implications
During 2017–2018, the National Seismic Hazard Model for the conterminous United States was updated as follows: (1) an updated seismicity catalog was incorporated, which includes new earthquakes that occurred from 2013 to 2017; (2) in the central and eastern United States (CEUS), new ground motion models were updated that incorporate updated median...
Petersen, Mark D.; Shumway, Allison; Powers, Peter M.; Mueller, Charles; Moschetti, Morgan P.; Frankel, Arthur; Rezaeian, Sanaz; McNamara, Daniel E.; Luco, Nicolas; Boyd, Oliver S.; Rukstales, Kenneth S.; Jaiswal, Kishor; Thompson, Eric M.; Hoover, Susan M.; Clayton, Brandon; Field, Edward H.; Zeng, Yuehua
Year Published: 2019
3D geologic framework for use with the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model, Phase 1—Western United States
A 3D geologic framework is presented here as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model for the western United States, which will be used to improve seismic hazard assessment. The framework is based on 1:250,000 to 1:1,000,000-scale state geologic maps and depths of multiple subsurface unit boundaries. The geology at or near the...
Boyd, Oliver S.Attribution: Natural Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, United States of America
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Boyd, O.S., 2019, 3D Geologic framework for use with the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model, Phase 1—Western United States: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019–1081, 36 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191081.
Year Published: 2019
Status of three-dimensional geological mapping and modeling activities in the U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), created in 1879, is the national geological survey for the United States and the sole science agency within its cabinet-level bureau, the Department of the Interior. The USGS has a broad mission, including: serving the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth;...
Sweetkind, Donald; Graymer, Russell; Higley, D.K.; Boyd, Oliver S.
Year Published: 2019
Petrologic and mineral physics database for use with the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model
We present a petrologic and mineral physics database as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model (NCM). Each of 209 geologic units, 134 of which are currently part of the geologic framework within the NCM, was assigned a mineralogical composition according to generalized classifications with some refinement for specific geologic...
Sowers, Theron; Boyd, Oliver S.Attribution: Natural Hazards, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program, , Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, United States of America
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Sowers, T., and Boyd, O.S., 2019, Petrologic and mineral physics database for use with the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019–1035, 17 p.,https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191035.
Year Published: 2019
The USGS National crustal model for seismic hazard studies: 2019 update
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Crustal Model (NCM) is being developed to assist in the modeling of seismic hazards across the conterminous United States, specifically by improving estimates of site response. The NCM is composed of geophysical profiles, extending from the Earth’s surface into the upper mantle, constructed from...
Boyd, Oliver S.
Year Published: 2018
Preliminary 2018 national seismic hazard model for the conterminous United States
The 2014 U.S. Geological Survey national seismic hazard model for the conterminous U.S. will be updated in 2018 and 2020 to coincide with the Building Seismic Safety Council’s Project 17 timeline for development of new building code design criteria. The two closely timed updates are planned to allow more time for the Provisions Update Committee to...
Petersen, Mark D.; Shumway, Allison; Powers, Peter M.; Mueller, Charles; Rezaeian, Sanaz; Moschetti, Morgan P.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Thompson, Eric M.; Boyd, Oliver S.; Luco, Nicolas; Hoover, Susan M.; Rukstales, Kenneth S.
Year Published: 2018
Depth to basement and thickness of unconsolidated sediments for the western United States—Initial estimates for layers of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model
We present numeric grids containing estimates of the thickness of unconsolidated sediments and depth to the pre-Cenozoicbasement for the western United States. Values for these grids were combined and integrated from previous studies or deriveddirectly from gravity analyses. The grids are provided with 1-kilometer grid-node spacing in ScienceBase...
Shah, Anjana K.; Boyd, Oliver S.Attribution: Geology, Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Data, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, United States of America
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Shah, A.K, and Boyd, O.S., 2018, Depth to basement and thickness of unconsolidated sediments for the western United States—Initial estimates for layers of the U.S. Geological Survey National Crustal Model: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1115, 13 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181115.
Year Published: 2018
An updated stress map of the continental U.S. reveals heterogeneous intraplate stress
Knowledge of the state of stress in the Earth’s crust is key to understanding the forces and processes responsible for earthquakes. Historically, low rates of natural seismicity in the central and eastern United States have complicated efforts to understand intraplate stress, but recent improvements in seismic networks and the spread of human-...
Levandowski, Will; Hermann, Robert B; Briggs, Richard W.; Boyd, Oliver S.; Gold, Ryan D.
Year Published: 2018
Integrate urban‐scale seismic hazard analyses with the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model
For more than 20 yrs, damage patterns and instrumental recordings have highlighted the influence of the local 3D geologic structure on earthquake ground motions (e.g., M">MM 6.7 Northridge, California, Gao et al., 1996; M">MM 6.9 Kobe, Japan, Kawase, 1996; M">MM 6.8 Nisqually,...
Moschetti, Morgan P.; Luco, Nicolas; Frankel, Arthur; Petersen, Mark D.; Aagaard, Brad T.; Baltay, Annemarie S.; Blanpied, Michael; Boyd, Oliver S.; Briggs, Richard W.; Gold, Ryan D.; Graves, Robert; Hartzell, Stephen H.; Rezaeian, Sanaz; Stephenson, William J.; Wald, David J.; Williams, Robert A.; Withers, Kyle
Year Published: 2017
Influence of lithostatic stress on earthquake stress drops in North America
We estimate stress drops for earthquakes in and near the continental United States using the method of spectral ratios. The ratio of acceleration spectra between collocated earthquakes recorded at a given station removes the effects of path and recording site and yields source parameters including corner frequency for, and the ratio of seismic...
Boyd, Oliver S.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Hartzell, Stephen H.; Choy, GeorgeAttribution: Natural Hazards, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program, , Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, United States of America, North America
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Boyd, O. S., D. E. McNamara, S. Hartzell, and G. Choy (2017), Influence of Lithostatic Stress on Earthquake Stress Drops in North America, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 107(2), doi:10.1785/0120160219.