| The 1906 Earthquake — The Birth of Earthquake Science |
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A
Moment of Magnitude for America and for Science (PDF -
581 k)
In December 1904, a University of California at Berkeley geology professor
named Andrew Lawson wrote the following in the university's newspaper: "History
and records show that earthquakes in this locality have never been of
a violent nature, as so far as I can judge from the nature of recent
disturbances and from accounts of past occurrences there is not occasion
for alarm at present." Less than two years later, he might have
considered a retraction.
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USGS
Responds to the 1906 Earthquake (PDF - 319 k)
In 1906, the only permanent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) office in California
was the Pacific Region Topographic Mapping Office in Sacramento, some 70
miles up the Sacramento River from San Francisco Bay. The office had been
established just three years earlier and was the only USGS office ever
created for the sole function of topographic mapping. On April 18, 1906,
many of the USGS topographers were in Sacramento preparing for summer fieldwork.
It was that day that the great earthquake struck. |
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A
Letter Home and a Look Back in Time (PDF - 384 k)
Firsthand accounts
from survivors |
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America's
Shaky Past (PDF - 466 k)
The Top 18 Earthquake Events in the United States Since
1700. |
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Seismic
Technology Evolves into the 21st Century (PDF - 156 k)
From dragonheads
and toads to geophones and electronic amplifiers, seismic science has
come a long way.
|
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History
of the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program (PDF - 223 k)
Scientific study of earthquakes in the United States arose from three seismic
events that occurred in the eastern, central,
and western parts of the country beginning in the early 1800s. |
| The People Who Make Earthquake Science
Interesting |
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"Mr.
Earthquake" Takes
a Bow (PDF - 124 k)
Waverly Person retires after
51 years of service.
|
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Thinking
Globally but Guiding the Local Message for the 1906 Centennial (PDF
- 360 k)
Mary Lou Zoback guides the 1906 Earthquake commemoration. |
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Working for
a Safer Southern California - A Profile of Lucy Jones (PDF
- 143 k)
Lucy Jones, chief scientist of the Earthquake Hazards Program in Southern
California, is truly a household name and the face of the USGS in Southern
California. |
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What it's Like
to be an Earthquake Scientist - Talking with USGS Geophysicist Ross
Stein (PDF - 157 k)
In a field where the work is critical to saving lives, earthquake scientists
often operate at a dizzying pace, collaborating with partners around the world
as they try to solve the many mysteries of the Earth’s processes. And just
when they least expect it, they are thrown into the public spotlight, expected
to respond to the fear and confusion that inevitably follow natural disasters
with answers they may or may not have. It is tough, challenging work; but for
most, the rewards of scientific discovery and knowing that they are giving something
back to society make it all worthwhile. |
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USGS Earthquake
Scientists—A Nationwide Notion
of Pride (PDF - 604 k)
USGS scientists from across the country have been part of many incredible
and memorable earthquake experiences. With that in mind, several of
them were asked, "What
has been your proudest, most exciting or most noteworthy moment in USGS earthquake
science?" The answers are as different as the scientists themselves.
|
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This Dynamic
Planet—Special Poster Pullout (PDF - 886 k)
Special poster pullout featuring the front of the USGS map, "This Dynamic
Planet." |
| The Present and Future of Earthquake Science |
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The
USGS National Earthquake Information Center (PDF - 293
k)
The USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) is responsible
for the comprehensive monitoring and reporting of earthquake activity
for our nation and the world.
|
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The
Advanced National Seismic System: A Sure Bet for a Shaky Nation (PDF
- 209 k)
If you were to learn that in 1886, a major U.S. city was ravaged by a magnitude-7.3
earthquake in which 60 people were killed and millions of dollars of damage
done, where would you guess it had happened— Los Angeles? San Francisco?
Anchorage? Try Charleston, S.C. |
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Building
Safer: How Decades of Earth Science is Helping to Reduce the Biggest
Earthquake Vulnerability—Man-Made Structures (PDF
- 212 k)
On October 17, 1989, occupants of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco
were unnerved as the building started to shake. Sixty miles away, in the
forest of Nisene Marks State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Loma Prieta
earthquake had struck with a magnitude of 6.9. |
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Not
Just a California Thing: Why Earthquakes in the Eastern and Central
United States could be a Bigger Problem than You Think (PDF -
135 k)
Scientists estimate that Memphis has a 25 to 40 percent probability of a
magnitude-6.0 or greater earthquake during the next 50 years. |
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Taking
Seismic Science into the Third Dimension (PDF - 147 k)
3D Models Help Predict Shaking Vulnerability in Your Neighborhood |
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A
Guidebook to the San Andreas: Geology Fieldtrips on the World's
Most Famous Fault (PDF - 391 k)
When Philip W. Stoffer, geologist for the USGS in Menlo Park, Calif., learned
he had lymphoma, or cancer of the lymph system, in 2004, he was not sure
if he was going to live. The statistics for surviving were grim. He knew
he had to do whatever he could to try to survive. |
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Did
You Feel It? Citizen Science Goes Seismic (PDF - 190 k)
Have you ever been through an earthquake? Did you know that reporting your experience
during an earthquake can help save lives and property during future quakes?
As a result of work by USGS with the cooperation of various regional seismic
networks, the world can log in on the Internet and tell USGS scientists what
they felt during an earthquake. |
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A
Profusion of Products and Events for the 1906 Earthquake Centennial (PDF
- 109 k)
The U.S. Geological Survey is involved with a number of products and several
events commemorating the 1906 centennial. |
| Other Stories |
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Chain
Reaction: Earthquakes that Trigger Other Natural Hazards (PDF
- 150 k)
A fire destroys much of a major city. The side of a mountain collapses
and then explodes. A train of waves sweeps away coastal villages over
thousands of miles. All of these events are disasters that have started
with or been triggered by an earthquake.
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Earthquake
Basics: The Fundamentals and Terminology of Earthquake Science (PDF
- 162 k)
An earthquake is a sudden movement of the Earth's crust caused by the abrupt
release of pressure that has accumulated over a long time. |
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Taking
it all in Slide — How the Trans-Alaska
Pipeline Survived a Big One (PDF - 195 k)
The Nov. 3, 2002, magnitude-7.9 central Alaska earthquake was one of the
largest recorded earthquakes in our nation's history. |
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Measuring
Magnitude — What Do the Numbers Mean? (PDF - 139 k)
Often two or more different magnitudes are reported for the same earthquake.
Sometimes, years after an earthquake occurs, the magnitude is adjusted.
Although this can cause some confusion in news reports, for the public
and among scientists, there are good reasons for these adjustments. |
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Top
10 Things Northern Californians Should Do to Prepare for the Next Big
Earthquake (PDF - 116 k)
The people, businesses and government agencies in Northern California will
risk suffering loss of life and structural and financial damage when major
earthquakes strike. Scientists, engineers and emergency-management experts
gathering for the 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference call on the
region’s citizens, businesses and governments to take the following
actions to increase safety, reduce losses and ensure a speedier |
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Forecast
of Aftershock Hazard Maps Show Daily Shaking Probability (PDF
- 135 k)
In the course of a day, the probability for moderate-to-strong earthquake
shaking in California is between 1-in-10,000 and 1-in-100,000. That isn't
very high when you consider that the average American has a one-in-2,500
chance of being in a car accident in the same period of time. However,
there are times when the likelihood of experiencing earthquake shaking
goes up considerably. The USGS 24-hour forecast of aftershock hazard maps
show Californians when and where the risk is elevated. |
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Putting
Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Are You Prepared for "The
Big One"? (PDF - 211 k)
Earthquakes are scary because they are largely unpredictable. We don’t
know exactly when, where or with how much force they are going to strike,
but we do know they will strike again. |
