Earthquakes Content

Tiny Earthquakes Reveal Hidden Faults Under Northern California

Andy Fell — January 15, 2026 - 11:54am

By tracking swarms of very small earthquakes, seismologists are getting a new picture of the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, an area that could give rise to devastating major earthquakes. The work, by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado Boulder, is published Jan. 15 in Science.

Rocks on Faults Can Heal Following Seismic Movement

Andy Fell — November 19, 2025 - 12:05pm

Earthquake faults deep in the Earth can glue themselves back together following a seismic event, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The work, published Nov. 19 in Science Advances and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, adds a new factor to our understanding of the behavior of faults that can give rise to major earthquakes.

Nowcasting and the Kamchatka Earthquake

Andy Fell — August 07, 2025 - 9:54am

The July 29 earthquake on Russia's Kamchatka peninsula was among the most powerful recorded by modern instruments, setting off tsunami warnings around the Pacific rim. The magnitude 8.8 earthquake caused part of the peninsula to sink by about six feet and set off volcanic eruptions, according to the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Fortunately, there do not appear to have been any fatalities or major damage.

Nitrogen-eating Microbes Could Prevent Building Collapse in Earthquakes

Andy Fell — January 11, 2023 - 4:03pm

Naturally occurring microbes could help stabilize the ground under buildings during earthquakes due to the way they reduce the water content in soils, according to new research. This novel microbe-based technique costs half as much and results in far lower carbon emissions than existing soil stabilization methods, as researchers presented at AGU’s Fall Meeting 2022 in Chicago Dec. 14.

Investigating Bridges Under Pressure

Andy Fell — July 12, 2022 - 10:04am

Can a bridge withstand an earthquake? One of the big unknowns is how far a bridge might settle from seismic shaking, especially if the shaking triggers a quicksand-like soil response called liquefaction.

Ridgecrest Shows How Earthquakes Damage Earth’s Crust

Andy Fell — February 18, 2022 - 12:39pm

In July 2019, a series of earthquakes including two major shocks of magnitude 6.4 and 7.1 a day apart struck near Ridgecrest, CA, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. For local residents, it was a violent interruption to the Fourth of July holiday. For seismologists, it was a rare opportunity to study how earthquakes damage the Earth’s crust.

Evidence for Shared Earthquakes Between San Andreas and San Jacinto Faults

Andy Fell — December 14, 2021 - 8:30am

The San Andreas and San Jacinto faults have ruptured simultaneously at least three times in the past 2,000 years, most recently in 1812, according to a new study by geologists at the University of California, Davis, and San Diego State University. The work was published Dec. 7 in the journal Geology.

Reviewing Earthquake Predictions, Forecasts and Nowcasts

Andy Fell — October 11, 2021 - 4:17pm

John Rundle, distinguished professor of physics and of earth and planetary sciences at �鶹��ý, and colleagues were recently invited to contribute to the prestigious physics journal Reports on Progress in Physics on their work in earthquake forecasting and nowcasting.

New Clues to Deep Earthquake Mystery

Andy Fell — May 27, 2020 - 3:31pm

A new understanding of our planet’s deepest earthquakes could help unravel one of the most mysterious geophysical processes on Earth.

2 Elected to National Academy of Engineering

Andy Fell — February 08, 2017 - 2:58pm

Two engineering professors at the University of California, Davis, Deb Niemeier and Ross Boulanger, have been elected as members of the National Academy of Engineering, among the highest honors in the profession. Both are faculty members in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering.