Recent News

The Earthquake Doublet + 2400 smaller EQs plotted

One more helpful graphic to better illustrate the remarkable seismic activity the Ridgecrest area is experiencing right now. There have been over 2400 earthquakes since July 4. IGPP Seismologist Debi Kilb is reluctant to refer to the first quake as a foreshock, given its magnitude. She is referring to both the M6.4 and the M7.1 quakes as mainshocks and calling them an "EQ Doublet."

>M7 Earthquakes are a rarity in California

Just how frequently do >M7 earthquakes occur in our state? Not very often. There have only been 25 in the past 209 years! Bonus question: Do they all occur along the San Andreas Fault? Nope. This one certainly didn't. The San Andreas Fault runs along the coast of Northern California and continues on land thru the southern portion of the state.

Updated EQ annotation

Two Mainshocks!

Want an update to better understand the magnitude of yesterday's M7.1 mainshock? Debi Kilb has more annotation for you.  Click here.

CBS News Channel 8 meets with Debi Kilb to learn more about the 4th of July EQ

CBS News Channel 8 met with Debi Kilb at IGPP to learn more about the Ridgecrest quake. The largest California quake in 20 years occurred along an unknown fault line and offers much to be studied.

Want to better understand EQ Data? Debi Kilb has some annotation for that...

IGPP Seismologist Debi Kilb annotated this ANZA network-generated image to better explain yesterday's Independence Day M6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest, CA.

ANF captures and illustrates M6.4 Ridgecrest quake

Learn more about the Ridgequest M6.4 earthquake that shook some 4th of July festivities.  Visit the Vernon Lab's Array Network Facility (ANF) website for an illustrated view of yesterday's seismic activity: http://anf.ucsd.edu/spevents/display.php?event=11974527.

Final instrument recovery in Alaskan Megathrust complete

Director Constable and his crew are have successfully completed their survey and recovered each deployed instrument—with a bit of time to spare—and are returning to Seward along the scenic route.

Learn more about the trick used to retrieve the seemingly unresponsive Steelhead and other stories from the past week: https://marineemlab.ucsd.edu/Projects/Megathrust/?fbclid=IwAR1PK6_IVTjfV-r3PhTxeSqhD-vVCHYHKamZIZ9mbv4yAc9yV99HcrTVW8Y

SUESI sets a second record.

Congratulations go out to SUESI 1, and her doppelgänger SUESI 2, currently enjoying some well earned R&R aboard RV Sikuliaq. The instrument(s) followed up their own tow depth record of 5100m w/a new record of 5200m, collected data successfully, and have since been setting off a rather large number of alerts that indicate the instruments are bit battle worn.

Fialko co-chairing The Applications of Mechanics to Geophysics Symposium

Registration is now open for the Applications of Mechanics to Geophysics symposium to be co-chaired by Yuri Fialko and Xanthippi Markenscoff.  The two day event includes a international list of speakers and is open to the public. For more information, please click here.  A poster session will occur on the second day.  Registration is available here, those interested in presenting a poster should include their poster  in the respective box.

SUESI has a new tow depth record!

Congratulations to SUESI! She has beaten her *own* tow depth record by 100m. The EM lab's Scripps Undersea EM Source Instrument or SUESI recently recached a depth of 5100m while collecting data for the Alaskan Megathrust project. Read more about the data (and occasional coral) SUESI and her fellow instruments are collecting on Steve Constable's cruise blog here: https://marineemlab.ucsd.edu/Projects/Megathrust/