Computer simulation of shaking during the April 14, 2025 M5.2 Julian, CA earthquake. As the waves propagate away from the epicenter they interact with different geologic materials, which can slow down and amplify the shaking.
Sarah Minson
Sarah Minson is a research geophysicist in the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Science Center in Moffett Field, California. She uses probabilistic inference to understand earthquakes and how uncertainty impacts our understanding of natural hazards.
Sarah’s research attempts to understand not only how faults slip, but also to understand what we can and cannot determine about earthquake ruptures and how these uncertainties affect our estimates of potential earthquake impacts.
She has also studied earthquake early warning to determine what kinds of warning are possible and what kind of accuracy can be achieved.
In addition to her research, Sarah participates in outreach activities to communicate her research results to the public, media, and stakeholders. She was a 2020 IRIS/SSA distinguished lecturer and is the recipient of several honors including a 2014 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.
Science and Products
External Grants - Overview
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides support for research that will assist in achieving the goals of the Earthquake Hazards Program. The goal is to mitigate earthquake losses that can occur in many parts of the nation by providing earth science data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions.
Earthquake Early Warning – Fine-Tuning for Best Alerts
Release Date: OCTOBER 8, 2019 The goal of an earthquake early warning (EEW) system is to provide an alert to people and automatic systems after an earthquake begins but before the shaking reaches their location. As the USGS and its partners are developing an EEW system, called ShakeAlert®, for the West Coast, the benefits, costs, capabilities, and limitations are being investigated. Two recent...
Shake Movie for M5.2 Julian earthquake
Computer simulation of shaking during the April 14, 2025 M5.2 Julian, CA earthquake. As the waves propagate away from the epicenter they interact with different geologic materials, which can slow down and amplify the shaking.
Science and Products
External Grants - Overview
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides support for research that will assist in achieving the goals of the Earthquake Hazards Program. The goal is to mitigate earthquake losses that can occur in many parts of the nation by providing earth science data and assessments essential for land-use planning, engineering design, and emergency preparedness decisions.
Earthquake Early Warning – Fine-Tuning for Best Alerts
Release Date: OCTOBER 8, 2019 The goal of an earthquake early warning (EEW) system is to provide an alert to people and automatic systems after an earthquake begins but before the shaking reaches their location. As the USGS and its partners are developing an EEW system, called ShakeAlert®, for the West Coast, the benefits, costs, capabilities, and limitations are being investigated. Two recent...
Shake Movie for M5.2 Julian earthquake
Computer simulation of shaking during the April 14, 2025 M5.2 Julian, CA earthquake. As the waves propagate away from the epicenter they interact with different geologic materials, which can slow down and amplify the shaking.
Computer simulation of shaking during the April 14, 2025 M5.2 Julian, CA earthquake. As the waves propagate away from the epicenter they interact with different geologic materials, which can slow down and amplify the shaking.