The "Snow Plow Theory"* of Early-Arriving Tsunamis
During the M9.2 Alaska earthquake in 1964, a large tsunami locally impacted the coastal town of Seward only 1.5-2 minutes after the start of shaking, and then 30 minutes after the earthquake another large tsunami inundated Seward and many other towns along the coast of Prince William Sound. Yet another tsunami later moved out across the ocean to affect distant coastlines as well. Sudden displacement of the seafloor must have occurred somewhere close to shore, but where and why?
Seismology in the City
We usually think of noise as a bad thing. But what information can we learn from that noise that can help us understand earthquake hazards and ground shaking? To help answer this question scientists have been seeking out noisy city blocks in urban areas to record seismic signals.
Scientific Overview of the M5.8 Earthquake in Central Virginia on August 23, 2011
On August 23, 2011 tens of millions of people along the East Coast of the U.S from Maine to Georgia, west to Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Chicago, and southeastern Canada suddenly felt the earth shaking from the largest earthquake in the eastern U.S. since the M5.8 earthquake in 1944 near Cornwall and Massena, New York. What have scientists learned from this rare earthquake?
- The "Snow Plow Theory"* of Early-Arriving Tsunamis
- Scientific Overview of the M5.8 Earthquake in Central Virginia on August 23, 2011
- How Big and How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?
- Rupture Directions for Selected California Earthquakes
- Seismology in the City
- Central US Seismic Velocity Model
- East Bay Seismic Experiment
- The Effects of Basins, Topography, and Fault Zones on Seismic Waves: San Francisco Bay Area Portable Seismograph Deployments
- The Salton Seismic Imaging Project
- Site Response in the Northern San Francisco Bay Area, California
The USGS invites research proposals that will assist in achieving the goals of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NERHP).
Regional Science Activities
Science Centers and Field Offices offer activities for the general public and scientists, including public lectures, workshops, and open houses.
- Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
- Seattle Field Office, Seattle, WA
- Earthquake Science Center, Menlo Park, CA
- Pasadena Field Office, Pasadena, CA
- Geologic Hazards Science Center, Golden, CA
Software programs that are available for download.