Peter J Haeussler, Ph.D.
Most of my research is related to earthquake and tsunami hazards in Alaska, with a focus on paleoseismology, submarine landslides, and active faulting. I am the Alaska Coordinator for the Earthquake Hazards Program of the USGS. I also study various aspects of the framework geology of Alaska, with a focus on neotectonics and tectonics.
I use various tools to understand earthquakes and earthquake hazards in Alaska. I’ve studied the tectonic evolution of parts of Alaska, accretionary prisms along Alaska’s margin, forearc and splay faulting, submarine landslides, mountain building and exhumation, landscape evolution, glacial histories, and sedimentary basins. I’ve worked with marine and terrestrial seismic reflection and potential field data. Current work is focused on lacustrine paleoseismology, splay faulting, and various seismic hazards projects.
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
Simulated inundation extent and depth at Whittier, Alaska resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder
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
Eastern Denali Fault Surface Trace Map, Eastern Alaska and Adjacent Canada, 1978-2008
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
The 30 November 2018 Mw7.1 Anchorage Earthquake
Detrital zircon geochronology along a structural transect across the Kahiltna assemblage in the western Alaska Range: Implications for emplacement of the Alexander-Wrangellia-Peninsular terrane against North America
Bathymetry and geomorphology of Shelikof Strait and the western Gulf of Alaska
Tsunamigenic splay faults imply a long-term asperity in southern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Coseismic slip partitioning and uplift over multiple earthquake cycles is critical to understanding upper‐plate fault development. Bathymetric and seismic reflection data from the 1964 Mw9.2 Great Alaska earthquake rupture area reveal sea floor scarps along the tsunamigenic Patton Bay/Cape Cleare/Middleton Island fault system. The faults splay from a megathrust where duplexing and underplating pro
Dropstones in lacustrine sediments as a record of snow avalanches - A validation of the proxy by combining satellite imagery and varve chronology at Kenai Lake (south-central Alaska)
Pace and process of active folding and fluvial incision across the Kantishna Hills anticline, central Alaska
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 21
Simulated 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-geneMultibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder
Marine geophysical mapping of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the eastern Gulf of Alaska was conducted in 2016 as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to understand the morphology and subsurface geology of the entire Queen Charlotte system. The Queen Charlotte fault is the offshore portion of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather FaultGeologic Inputs for the 2023 Alaska Update to the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM)
This data release is composed of three crustal (as opposed to subduction zone) geologic input datasets for the 2023 Alaska update to the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM): 1) fault section vector line data, 2) fault zone vector polygon data, and 3) accompanying earthquake geology attributes.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 actEastern Denali Fault Surface Trace Map, Eastern Alaska and Adjacent Canada, 1978-2008
The eastern section of the Denali Fault did not rupture during the 2002 Denali Fault earthquake (Mw 7.9), however seismologic, geodetic, and geomorphic evidence along with a paleoseismic record of several past ground-rupturing earthquakes demonstrate the fault is active. Thick vegetation, along with complex glacial landforms, large braided rivers, and fault-parallel bedrock structure (e.g., beddin - Maps
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Submarine 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. WAuthorsEmily Roland, Peter J. Haeussler, Thomas E. Parsons, Patrick E. HartEvidence 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 fauAuthorsAndrée Blais-Stevens, J.J. Clague, J. Brahney, P. Lipovsky, Peter J. Haeussler, B. MenounosSediment 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 vallAuthorsAri Matmon, Peter J. HaeusslerTurbidite 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 flooAuthorsNore Praet, Maarten Van Daele, Tim Collart, J. Moernaut, Elke Vandekerkhove, P. Kempf, Peter J. Haeussler, M. De BatistThe 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 towarAuthorsMaarten Van Daele, Peter J. Haeussler, Robert C. Witter, Nore Praet, Marc De BatistPlate 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 westernAuthorsDaniel Brothers, Nathaniel C. Miller, Vaughn Barrie, Peter J. Haeussler, H. Gary Greene, Brian D. Andrews, Olaf Zielke, Peter DartnellThe 30 November 2018 Mw7.1 Anchorage Earthquake
The Mw 7.1 47 km deep earthquake that occurred on 30 November 2018 had deep societal impacts across southcentral Alaska and exhibited phenomena of broad scientific interest. We document observations that point to future directions of research and hazard mitigation. The rupture mechanism, aftershocks, and deformation of the mainshock are consistent with extension inside the Pacific plate near the dAuthorsMichael E. West, Adrian Bender, Matthew Gardine, Lea Gardine, Kara Gately, Peter J. Haeussler, Wael Hassan, Franz Meyer, Cole Richards, Natalia Ruppert, Carl Tape, John Thornley, Robert WitterDetrital zircon geochronology along a structural transect across the Kahiltna assemblage in the western Alaska Range: Implications for emplacement of the Alexander-Wrangellia-Peninsular terrane against North America
The Kahiltna assemblage in the western Alaska Range consists of deformed Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous clastic strata that lie between the Alexander-Wrangellia-Peninsular (AWP) terrane to the south, and the Farewell and other peri-cratonic terranes to the north. Differences in detrital zircon populations and sandstone petrography allow geographic separation of the strata into two different successAuthorsStephen E. Box, Susan M. Karl, James V. Jones, Dwight C. Bradley, Peter J. Haeussler, Paul B. O'SullivanBathymetry and geomorphology of Shelikof Strait and the western Gulf of Alaska
We defined the bathymetry of Shelikof Strait and the western Gulf of Alaska (WGOA) from the edges of the land masses down to about 7000 m deep in the Aleutian Trench. This map was produced by combining soundings from historical National Ocean Service (NOS) smooth sheets (2.7 million soundings); shallow multibeam and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) data sets from the NOS and others (subsampledAuthorsMark Zimmermann, Megan M. Prescott, Peter J. HaeusslerTsunamigenic splay faults imply a long-term asperity in southern Prince William Sound, Alaska
Coseismic slip partitioning and uplift over multiple earthquake cycles is critical to understanding upper‐plate fault development. Bathymetric and seismic reflection data from the 1964 Mw9.2 Great Alaska earthquake rupture area reveal sea floor scarps along the tsunamigenic Patton Bay/Cape Cleare/Middleton Island fault system. The faults splay from a megathrust where duplexing and underplating pro
AuthorsLee Liberty, Daniel S. Brothers, Peter J. HaeusslerDropstones in lacustrine sediments as a record of snow avalanches - A validation of the proxy by combining satellite imagery and varve chronology at Kenai Lake (south-central Alaska)
Snow avalanches cause many fatalities every year and damage local economies worldwide. The present-day climate change affects the snowpack and, thus, the properties and frequency of snow avalanches. Reconstructing snow avalanche records can help us understand past variations in avalanche frequency and their relationship to climate change. Previous avalanche records have primarily been reconstructeAuthorsSien Thys, Maarten Van Daele, Nore Praet, Britta J.L. Jensen, Thomas Van Dyck, Peter J. Haeussler, Elke Vandekerkhove, Veerle Cnudde, Marc De BatistPace and process of active folding and fluvial incision across the Kantishna Hills anticline, central Alaska
Rates of northern Alaska Range thrust system deformation are poorly constrained. Shortening at the system's west end is focused on the Kantishna Hills anticline. Where the McKinley River cuts across the anticline, the landscape records both Late Pleistocene deformation and climatic change. New optically stimulated luminescence and cosmogenic 10Be depth profile dates of three McKinley River terraceAuthorsAdrian Bender, Richard O. Lease, Peter J. Haeussler, Tammy M. Rittenour, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, Marc W. Caffee - Software
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government