Earthquake Science Center
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The Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park, California is the largest USGS research center in the West and houses extensive research laboratories, scientific infrastructure, and library facilities.
Our priority is to continue the important work of the Department of the Interior and the USGS, while also maintaining the health and safety of our employees and the community. Based on guidance from the White House, the CDC, and state and local authorities, we are shifting our operations to a virtual mode and have minimal staffing within our offices.
Earthquake Science Center Seminars
Seminars typically take place at 10:30 AM Wednesdays in the Rambo Auditorium (main USGS Conference Room). The USGS Campus is located at 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA.
Browse SeminarsEarthquake Science Center Campus Video
This short, 7-minute video gives an overview of the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Menlo Park, California. It briefly introduces you to the San Francisco Bay Area, shows the campus and facilities, and includes interviews with scientists.
View videoHandbooks to Help You Prepare for an Earthquake
USGS handbooks that describe the threat posed by earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region and explain how you can prepare for, survive, and recover from these inevitable events.
View HandbooksNews
Federal Agencies Partner to Strengthen ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning Capacity Along the West Coast
A lone solar panel in the middle of California’s largest national forest is powering a seismometer able to detect Earth’s vibrations, a piece of the puzzle necessary to help protect life and property by providing critical seconds of warning that an earthquake is occurring and shaking is imminent.
ShakeOut 2020: Staying Safe When the Ground Starts to Rumble
When the ground shakes, what do you do? ShakeOut 2020: Drop, Cover, and Hold On!
From Volcanoes to Vineyards - New Geologic Map Reveals Portland's Deep History
A new digital geologic map of the greater Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area of Oregon and Washington being released today will support emergency response, conservation, agriculture and recreation.
Publications
Apparent earthquake rupture predictability
To what extent can the future evolution of an ongoing earthquake rupture be predicted? This question of fundamental scientific and practical importance has recently been addressed by studies of teleseismic source time functions (STFs) but reaching contrasting conclusions. One study concludes that the initial portion of STFs is the same regardless...
Meier, M.-A.; Ampuero, P.; Cochran, Elizabeth S.; Page, Morgan T. Characteristics of frequent dynamic triggering of microearthquakes in Southern California
Dynamic triggering of earthquakes has been reported at various fault systems. The triggered earthquakes are thought to be caused either directly by dynamic stress changes due to the passing seismic waves, or indirectly by other nonlinear processes that are initiated by the passing waves. Distinguishing these physical mechanisms is difficult...
Fan, Wenyuan; Barbour, Andrew; Cochran, Elizabeth S.; Lin, Guoqing Ensemble ShakeMaps for magnitude 9 earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone
We develop ensemble ShakeMaps for various magnitude 9 (M">MM 9) earthquakes on the Cascadia megathrust. Ground‐shaking estimates are based on 30 M">MM 9 Cascadia earthquake scenarios, which were selected using a logic‐tree approach that varied the hypocenter location, down‐dip rupture limit, slip distribution, and location of...
Moriarty, Erin; Grant, Alex R. R. ; Marafi, Nasser A.; Frankel, Arthur