I am the Alaska Coordinator for the Earthquake Hazards Program of the USGS. I provide input to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Council on Alaska issues and I am the Alaska coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program external grants program. Feel free to contact me to discuss various proposal ideas.
Earthquake hazards
Onshore-offshore study of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system.
Identification and characterization of seismic sources across southern Alaska, including the Castle Mountain fault, Denali fault, Totschunda fault, Broad Pass fault, Patton Bay thrust, Cape Cleare thrust, and fault cored folds in the Cook Inlet and Susitna basins.
Paleoseismology of the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust from coastal marsh and lake records.
I am strongly interested in improving our understanding of active and recent deformation in Alaska, whether it is onshore or offshore, using any types of data that shed light on the most recent geologic history of the state.
Submarine landslides
Characterization and description of submarine landslides in coastal fjords of southern Alaska generated by the 1964 M9.2 earthquake
Framework geology
Geology of the western Alaska Range and southeastern Alaska
Cook Inlet, Susitna, and Peters Hills basin geology
Accretionary complex history and record of ridge subduction
Alaska Earthquake Hazards Media Experience
I frequently discuss earthquake hazards and Alaskan geology with the media. I have appeared on, and provided input to, the National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Nightline, Frontline, and numerous other local and regional media outlets.
Professional Experience
1994 - Present Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK
1992 - 1994 Postdoctoral Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK
1992 Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
1986 - 1991 Research Assistant, University of California Santa Cruz
1985 - 1988 Teaching Assistant, University of California Santa Cruz
1985 Geologist, Lancer Energy Corporation, Wilmore, KY
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1991 University of California Santa Cruz Earth Sciences
B.S. 1984 Michigan State University Geology
Affiliations and Memberships
1985-present, American Geophysical Union
1985-present, Geological Society of America
1992-present, Alaska Geological Society
2010-present, Seismological Society of America
Honors and Awards
Fellow, Geological Society of America
Science and Products
U.S. West Coast and Alaska Marine Geohazards
Earthquake Hazards in Southeastern Alaska
M7.1 November 30, 2018 Anchorage Earthquake
Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Alaska Seismic Hazard Map
Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone Studies
Characterizing the Active Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System
Western Alaska Range Metallogeny and Tectonics
The "Snow Plow Theory"* of Early-Arriving Tsunamis
U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar Geochronologic Data for Selected Rocks from the Western Alaska Range, Alaska
Combined High-Resolution Topography and Bathymetry for Western Passage Canal, Near Whittier, Alaska
Gridded Data from Multibeam Bathymetric Surveys of Eklutna, Kenai, and Skilak Lakes, Alaska
Gridded Data from a 2011 Multibeam Bathymetric Survey of the Western Part of Passage Canal, Near Whittier, Alaska
Simulated inundation extent and depth at Whittier, Alaska resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Geologic Inputs for the 2023 Alaska Update to the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM)
Alaska Fault Trace Mapping, 2021
Airborne Lidar-based Digital Elevation Models of Coastal Montague Island (Alaska) Acquired September 2018
U-Pb Isotopic Data and Ages of Titanite and Detrital Zircon from Selected Rocks from the Western Alaska Range, Alaska
Multibeam and multichannel sparker seismic-reflection data between Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska, collected from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12 during field activity 2016-625-FA
Multichannel minisparker and chirp seismic-reflection data of field activity 2015-651-FA; Chatham Strait and Cross Sound, southeastern Alaska from 2015-08-03 to 2015-08-21
Selected geologic maps of the Kodiak batholith and other Paleocene intrusive rocks, Kodiak Island, Alaska
Geologic Map of Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska
Geologic map of the Cook Inlet region, Alaska, including parts of the Talkeetna, Talkeetna Mountains, Tyonek, Anchorage, Lake Clark, Kenai, Seward, Iliamna, Seldovia, Mount Katmai, and Afognak 1:250,000-scale quadrangles
Lidar-revised geologic map of the Wildcat Lake 7.5' quadrangle, Kitsap and Mason Counties, Washington
Lidar-revised geologic map of the Uncas 7.5' quadrangle, Clallam and Jefferson Counties, Washington
Late Quaternary deglaciation of Prince William Sound, Alaska
Extreme Quaternary plate boundary exhumation and strike slip localized along the southern Fairweather fault, Alaska, USA
Cretaceous to Oligocene magmatic and tectonic evolution of the western Alaska Range: insights from U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology
Detection and assessment of a large and potentially‐tsunamigenic periglacial landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska
The Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment
Three-dimensional shape and structure of the Susitna basin, south-central Alaska, from geophysical data
Submarine landslide kinematics derived from high-resolution imaging in Port Valdez, Alaska
Evidence for large Holocene earthquakes along the Denali fault in southwest Yukon, Canada
Sediment sources and transport by the Kahiltna Glacier and other catchments along the south side of the Alaska Range, Alaska
Turbidite stratigraphy in proglacial lakes: Deciphering trigger mechanisms using a statistical approach
The sedimentary record of the 2018 Anchorage Earthquake in Eklutna Lake, Alaska: Calibrating the lacustrine seismograph
Plate boundary localization, slip-rates and rupture segmentation of the Queen Charlotte Fault based on submarine tectonic geomorphology
3D Focal Mechanisms
3D Focal Mechanisms is a tool for viewing earthquake focal mechanism symbols three dimensionally.
Science and Products
- Science
U.S. West Coast and Alaska Marine Geohazards
Marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. Such underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis.Earthquake Hazards in Southeastern Alaska
Over the last 100 years, the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system has produced large-magnitude earthquakes affecting both Canada and the U.S. To fill in missing details about its offshore location and structure, USGS uses sophisticated techniques to truly understand the fault’s hazard potential.M7.1 November 30, 2018 Anchorage Earthquake
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska, on November 30, 2018, at 8:29 a.m. local time (17:29:28 UTC).Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Alaska has more large earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined. More than three-quarters of the state’s population live in an area that can experience a magnitude 7 earthquake. Our research provides objective science that helps stakeholders prepare for and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes and tsunamis, which bolsters the economic health and well-being of Alaska and the...Alaska Seismic Hazard Map
The National Seismic Hazard Maps developed by the USGS show the spatial probability of peak earthquake-driven ground motion levels. Since the last revisions to the map for Alaska in 2007, scientists have made significant advances in understanding active faulting, fault slip rates, and fault behavior.Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone Studies
Our research team is exploring seismic and aseismic slip along the Alaska-Aleutian arc and studying the prehistoric record of megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis along the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zoneSeismic and Aseismic Slip: Tectonic tremor and associated slow slip events represent a newly discovered part of the earthquake cycle. This research aims to understand the process generating...Characterizing the Active Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System
This research aims to better characterize the earthquake potential of the southern Fairweather Fault in order to provide more accurate fault source data for the USGS National Seismic Hazard Map. Our approach interrogates lidar data and satellite imagery, applies paleoseismological methods to examine earthquake history, and leverages partnerships with USGS scientists from Colorado and California...Western Alaska Range Metallogeny and Tectonics
There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect.The "Snow Plow Theory"* of Early-Arriving Tsunamis
Release Date: JUNE 1, 2015What is a splay fault, and how can they affect tsunamis?* completely contrived term by this author, not a scientific term or theory - Data
U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar Geochronologic Data for Selected Rocks from the Western Alaska Range, Alaska
This dataset includes four tables with isotopic data and ages for selected igneous bedrock samples collected in 2001 through 2003 from the Western Alaska Range, southcentral Alaska: (1) the concentration of uranium (U) and thorium (Th), ratios of multiple isotopes of lead (Pb) and U, and the age of multiple analytical aliquots, or fractions, of zircon for each sample; (2) the 40Ar/39Ar analyticalCombined High-Resolution Topography and Bathymetry for Western Passage Canal, Near Whittier, Alaska
This dataset is a new Digital Elevation Model (DEM) using the best available high-resolution topography and bathymetry surrounding the area of Whittier, Alaska. We utilized three datasets (1) LiDAR topography collected by the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) in 2012, (2) multibeam echosounder system (MBES) survey of western Passage Canal collected by the USGS in the sumGridded Data from Multibeam Bathymetric Surveys of Eklutna, Kenai, and Skilak Lakes, Alaska
This dataset provides bathymetry data collected in 2015 for Eklutna, Kenai, and Skilak Lakes, Alaska. The data release consists of a grid for each lake (4 m, 9 m, and 7 m respectively), derived from processed and cleaned multibeam data. Depths were corrected using conductivity, temperature, and depth profiles collected during the surveys, and the data were cleaned of spurious returns.Gridded Data from a 2011 Multibeam Bathymetric Survey of the Western Part of Passage Canal, Near Whittier, Alaska
This data release provides bathymetry data for the western part of Passage Canal, near Whittier Alaska. It was collected by the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in 2011 under Field Activity Number A0111GA. The data release consists of a 5 m grid, derived from processed and cleaned multibeam data. Depths were corrected for tidal variations and calculated using conductivity, temperaturSimulated inundation extent and depth at Whittier, Alaska resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
This data release contains postprocessed model output from simulations of hypothetical rapid motion of landslides, subsequent wave generation, and wave propagation. A modeled tsunami wave was generated by rapid motion of unstable material into Barry Arm Fjord. This wave propagated through Prince William Sound and then into Passage Canal east of Whittier. Here we consider only the largest wave-geneGeologic Inputs for the 2023 Alaska Update to the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM)
This data release comprises three crustal (as opposed to subduction zone) geologic input datasets for the 2023 Alaska update to the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM): a fault sections map dataset, a fault zones map dataset, and an accompanying earthquake geology table.Alaska Fault Trace Mapping, 2021
This dataset provides a detailed (1:10,000) digital map of fault and fold traces in Alaska, USA based on features identified in the freely available ArcticDEM 3.0. The fault traces represented in this dataset either revise the location and accuracy of known active faults or folds archived in the USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database, or represent the surface traces of active structures not previAirborne Lidar-based Digital Elevation Models of Coastal Montague Island (Alaska) Acquired September 2018
This dataset provides a digital elevation model mosaic derived from airborne lidar data acquired in 2018 from September 2-3 over eight separate areas along Alaska's Montague Island coast, between Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska.U-Pb Isotopic Data and Ages of Titanite and Detrital Zircon from Selected Rocks from the Western Alaska Range, Alaska
This data set contains U-Pb isotopic data and associated ages of titanite from one sample and detrital zircon grains from 33 sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks collected from the western Alaska Range in south-central Alaska. The samples were collected as part of geological mapping and research conducted between 2010 and 2014 and funded by the Mineral Resources Program of the U.S. Geological SurMultibeam and multichannel sparker seismic-reflection data between Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska, collected from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12 during field activity 2016-625-FA
Multibeam bathymetry and multisparker data were collected along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault between Icy Point and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12.Multichannel minisparker and chirp seismic-reflection data of field activity 2015-651-FA; Chatham Strait and Cross Sound, southeastern Alaska from 2015-08-03 to 2015-08-21
High-resolution multichannel minisparker and chirp seismic-reflection data were collected in August of 2015 to explore marine geologic hazards of inland waterways of southeastern Alaska. Sub-bottom profiles were acquired in the inland waters between Glacier Bay and Juneau, including Cross Sound and Chatham Strait. High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles were acquired to assess evidence for act - Maps
Selected geologic maps of the Kodiak batholith and other Paleocene intrusive rocks, Kodiak Island, Alaska
Kodiak Island in southern Alaska is one of the premier examples globally for the study of forearc magmatism. This location contains two Paleocene intrusive belts that formed due to the subduction of a migrating spreading ridge and slab-window: the Kodiak batholith and the trenchward magmatic belt. These magmatic rocks are part of the Sanak-Baranof belt, which extends for greater than 2,100 km alonGeologic Map of Baranof Island, southeastern Alaska
This map updates the geology of Baranof Island based on fieldwork, petrographic analyses, paleontologic ages, and isotopic ages. These new data provide constraints on depositional and metamorphic ages of lithostratigraphic rock units and the timing of structures that separate them. Kinematic analyses and thermobarometric calculations provide insights on the regional tectonic processes that affecteGeologic map of the Cook Inlet region, Alaska, including parts of the Talkeetna, Talkeetna Mountains, Tyonek, Anchorage, Lake Clark, Kenai, Seward, Iliamna, Seldovia, Mount Katmai, and Afognak 1:250,000-scale quadrangles
In 1976, L.B. Magoon, W.L. Adkinson, and R.M. Egbert published a major geologic map of the Cook Inlet region, which has served well as a compilation of existing information and a guide for future research and mapping. The map in this report updates Magoon and others (1976) and incorporates new and additional mapping and interpretation. This map is also a revision of areas of overlap with the geoloLidar-revised geologic map of the Wildcat Lake 7.5' quadrangle, Kitsap and Mason Counties, Washington
This map is an interpretation of a 6-ft-resolution (2-m-resolution) lidar (light detection and ranging) digital elevation model combined with the geology depicted on the Geologic Map of the Wildcat Lake 7.5' quadrangle, Kitsap and Mason Counties, Washington (Haeussler and Clark, 2000). Haeussler and Clark described, interpreted, and located the geology on the 1:24,000-scale topographic map of theLidar-revised geologic map of the Uncas 7.5' quadrangle, Clallam and Jefferson Counties, Washington
In 2000 and 2001, the Puget Sound Lidar Consortium obtained 1 pulse/m2 lidar data for about 65 percent of the Uncas 7.5' quadrangle. For a brief description of LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) and this data acquisition program, see Haugerud and others (2003). This map combines geologic interpretation (mostly by Haugerud and Tabor) of the 6-ft (2-m) lidar-derived digital elevation model (DEM) wi - Publications
Filter Total Items: 136
Late Quaternary deglaciation of Prince William Sound, Alaska
To understand the timing of deglaciation of the northernmost marine-terminating glaciers of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS), we obtained 26 10Be surface-exposure ages from glacially scoured bedrock surfaces in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. We sampled six elevation transects between sea level and 620 m and spanning a distance of 14 to 70 km along ice flow paths. Most transect age–elevation paExtreme Quaternary plate boundary exhumation and strike slip localized along the southern Fairweather fault, Alaska, USA
The Fairweather fault (southeastern Alaska, USA) is Earth’s fastest-slipping intracontinental strike-slip fault, but its long-term role in localizing Yakutat–(Pacific–)North America plate motion is poorly constrained. This plate boundary fault transitions northward from pure strike slip to transpression where it comes onshore and undergoes a 6–8 km/m.y. exhumation rates that increases in age awayCretaceous to Oligocene magmatic and tectonic evolution of the western Alaska Range: insights from U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology
New U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar ages integrated with geologic mapping and observations across the western Alaska Range constrain the distribution and tectonic setting of Cretaceous to Oligocene magmatism along an evolving accretionary plate margin in south-central Alaska. These rocks were emplaced across basement domains that include Neoproterozoic to Jurassic carbonate and siliciclastic strata of the FareDetection and assessment of a large and potentially‐tsunamigenic periglacial landslide in Barry Arm, Alaska
The retreat of glaciers in response to global warming has the potential to trigger landslides in glaciated regions around the globe. Landslides that enter fjords or lakes can cause tsunamis, which endanger people and infrastructure far from the landslide itself. Here we document the ongoing movement of an unstable slope (total volume of 455 million m3) in Barry Arm, a fjord in Prince William SoundThe Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment
The Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment (AACSE) is a shoreline‐crossing passive‐ and active‐source seismic experiment that took place from May 2018 through August 2019 along an ∼700 km∼700 km long section of the Aleutian subduction zone spanning Kodiak Island and the Alaska Peninsula. The experiment featured 105 broadband seismometers; 30 were deployed onshore, and 75 were deployed ofThree-dimensional shape and structure of the Susitna basin, south-central Alaska, from geophysical data
We use gravity, magnetic, seismic reflection, well, and outcrop data to determine the three-dimensional shape and structural features of south-central Alaska’s Susitna basin. This basin is located within the Aleutian-Alaskan convergent margin region and is expected to show effects of regional subduction zone processes. Aeromagnetic data, when filtered to highlight anomalies associated with sourcesSubmarine landslide kinematics derived from high-resolution imaging in Port Valdez, Alaska
Submarine landslides caused by strong ground shaking during the M9.2 1964 Great Alaska earthquake generated a tsunami that destroyed much of the old town of Valdez, Alaska, and was responsible for 32 deaths at that location. We explore structural details of the 1964 landslide deposit, as well as landslide deposits from earlier events, in order to characterize kinematics of the landslide process. WEvidence for large Holocene earthquakes along the Denali fault in southwest Yukon, Canada
The Yukon–Alaska Highway corridor in southern Yukon is subject to geohazards ranging from landslides to floods and earthquakes on faults in the St. Elias Mountains and Shakwak Valley. Here we discuss the late Holocene seismic history of the Denali fault, located at the eastern front of the St. Elias Mountains and one of only a few known seismically active terrestrial faults in Canada. Holocene fauSediment sources and transport by the Kahiltna Glacier and other catchments along the south side of the Alaska Range, Alaska
Erosion related to glacial activity produces enormous amounts of sediment. However, sediment mobilization in glacial systems is extremely complex. Sediment is derived from headwalls, slopes along the margins of glaciers, and basal erosion; however, the rates and relative contributions of each are unknown. To test and quantify conceptual models for sediment generation and transport in a simple vallTurbidite stratigraphy in proglacial lakes: Deciphering trigger mechanisms using a statistical approach
Turbidites embedded in lacustrine sediment sequences are commonly used to reconstruct regional flood or earthquake histories. A critical step for this method to be successful is that turbidites and their trigger mechanisms are determined unambiguously. The latter is particularly challenging for prehistoric proglacial lake records in high‐seismicity settings where both earthquake‐generated and flooThe sedimentary record of the 2018 Anchorage Earthquake in Eklutna Lake, Alaska: Calibrating the lacustrine seismograph
The 30 November 2018 Mw 7.1 Anchorage earthquake caused modified Mercalli intensities of V¼ to V½ at Eklutna Lake (south central Alaska). A few hours after the earthquake, a “dirt streak” was observed on the lake surface, followed by a peak in sediment turbidity values (∼80 times normal) at a drinking water facility, which receives water from the lake through a pipe. These observations hint towarPlate boundary localization, slip-rates and rupture segmentation of the Queen Charlotte Fault based on submarine tectonic geomorphology
Linking fault behavior over many earthquake cycles to individual earthquake behavior is a primary goal in tectonic geomorphology, particularly across an entire plate boundary. Here, we examine the 1150-km-long, right-lateral Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system using comprehensive multibeam bathymetry data acquired along the Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) offshore southeastern Alaska and western - Software
3D Focal Mechanisms
3D Focal Mechanisms is a tool for viewing earthquake focal mechanism symbols three dimensionally.
- News