Earthquake System Science

What We Do

The Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) collaborates with academic, government, industry, and other organizations to advance earthquake science, community resilience, and education by: (1) Gathering and analyzing data from field observations and laboratory experiments. (2) Developing system-level models and simulations of earthquake processes to synthesize knowledge as a physics-based understanding of seismic hazard. (3) Communicating that understanding to expand knowledge and reduce earthquake risk.

Building Community Earth Models (CEM) for California

SCEC CEMs are collaborative platforms that provide community-contributed data, models, and tools to study key geophysical features of the San Andreas Fault System.

Developing Advanced Modeling Frameworks

SCEC develops physics-based models and advanced modeling frameworks to simulate earthquake processes and the evolution of faults and earthquakes more realistically.

Increasing California’s Resilience to Earthquakes

SCEC provides the scientific foundation for earthquake risk-reduction by integrating observations within a system science modeling framework to quantify seismic hazard.

Using Artificial Intelligence in Earthquake Science

By applying AI methods across earthquake science, SCEC is exploring its potential in fault mapping, ground motion simulations, earthquake forecasting, and more.

Science Plan and Roadmap

Each year, SCEC solicits proposals for research, workshops, and trainings through a competitive process, typically attracting hundreds of investigators to contribute to the Center’s programs. The 2024 Science Plan emphasized new opportunities enabled by a geographic scope that now includes the entire transform plate boundary system of California. It also provides a roadmap on how to distribute research efforts in southern, central, and northern California to achieve the Center’s science goals.

SCEC Research Highlights

Co-Director and SSC Chair Greg Beroza (Stanford) presents research highlights from the first year of the Statewide California Earthquake Center at the 2024 SCEC Annual Meeting.

Workshops and Events

Statewide California Community Earth Models Workshop
March 3-4, 2024

SCEC Community Geodetic Model Workshop
September 7, 2024

SCEC CSEP Workshop: New Frontiers in Earthquake Forecasting
September 8, 2024

SCEC Earthquake Stress Drop Estimation Tutorial for Early-Career Researchers
September 8, 2024

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SCEC prioritizes investigator-driven, interdisciplinary research, fostering connections with scientific, engineering, and community stakeholders. This collaborative approach sustains basic and applied earthquake science research, enabling exploration of new avenues, welcoming new investigators, and providing a global platform for multidisciplinary research, workforce development, and community engagement. SCEC fosters an inclusive and diverse professional culture that maximizes the contributions of future earthquake scientists.

Projects funded in 2024

Co-PI'S ON 2024 PROJECTS

Awarded in 2024

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Center Science Steering

SCEC’s Science Steering Branch guides research by identifying promising new research directions, and engaging the broader scientific community. A Science Steering Committee sets annual science goals and solicits proposals aligned with them. A Proposal Review Committee evaluates these proposals and recommends the portfolio of projects to the Directors and Board for annual funding.

Science Steering Committee (SSC)

Monitors research progress, identifies priorities, and sets Center science goals. With input from the SCEC community and leadership, they cultivate new research ideas, and develop the annual science plan guiding proposal submissions to SCEC’s research program.
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Proposal Review Committee (PRC)

24-30 expert reviewers (representing 12 disciplinary and interdisciplinary focus areas) who evaluate proposals submitted to SCEC, and recommend the annual portfolio of research proposals, trainings, and workshops to fund to the Board, Center Directors, and sponsors to act on.
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Have a Recent Publication?

The SCEC Community may register any recently published journal article, book, chapter, presentation, and more in the SCEC Publications Database. These publications may be results partially or entirely funded by SCEC.

The SCEC/USGS Community Stress Drop Validation Study Using the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence
Baltay, A. S., Abercrombie, R. E., Chu, S., & Taira, T. (2024).

We introduce a community stress drop validation study using the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence, in which researchers are invited to use a common dataset to independently estimate comparable measurements using…

Evidence for faulting and fluid-driven earthquake processes from seismic attenuation variations beneath metropolitan Los Angeles
Chiara Nardoni, & Patricia Persaud (2024)

Seismicity in the Los Angeles metropolitan area has been primarily attributed to the regional stress loading. Below the urban areas, earthquake sequences have occurred over time showing migration off the faults and providing evidence that secondary processes…

The USGS 2023 Conterminous U.S. Time‐Independent Earthquake Rupture Forecast
Field, E. H., Milner, K. R., Hatem, A., Powers, P. M., Pollitz, et al. (2023).

We present the 2023 U.S. Geological Survey time‐independent earthquake rupture forecast for the conterminous United States, which gives authoritative estimates of the magnitude, location, and…

Subregional Anelastic Attenuation Model for California
Buckreis, T. E., Stewart, J. P., Brandenberg, S. J., & Wang, P. (2023).

Ground‐motion models (GMMs) typically include a source‐to‐site path model that describes the attenuation of ground motion with distance due to geometric spreading and anelastic attenuation. In contemporary GMMs, the anelastic component is typically derived…

The 2023 US 50-State National Seismic Hazard Model: Overview and implications
Petersen, M. D., Shumway, A. M., Powers, P. M., Field, E. H., et al. (2023)

The US National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) was updated in 2023 for all 50 states using new science on seismicity, fault ruptures, ground motions, and probabilistic techniques to produce a standard of practice for public policy and other engineering applications…

Implementation of Iwan-Type Nonlinear Rheology in a 3D High-Order Staggered-Grid Finite-Difference Method
Roten, D., Yeh, T., Olsen, K. B., Day, S. M., & Cui, Y. (2023)

We have implemented and verified a parallel-series Iwan-type nonlinear model in a 3D fourth-order staggered-grid velocity-stress finite difference method. The Masing unloading and reloading behavior is simulated by tracking an overlay of concentric von Mises yield…

Basin Structure for Earthquake Ground Motion Estimates in Urban Los Angeles Mapped with Nodal Receiver Functions
Ghose, R., Persaud, P., & Clayton, R. W. (2023)

We constrained sedimentary basin structure using a nodal seismic array consisting of ten dense lines that overlie multiple basins in the northern Los Angeles area. The dense array consists of 758 seismic nodes, spaced…

A Comprehensive Fault System Inversion Approach: Methods and Application to NSHM23
Milner, K. R., & Field, E. H. (2023)

We present updated inversion‐based fault‐system solutions for the 2023 update to the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM23), standardizing earthquake rate model calculations on crustal faults across the western United States. We build upon the inversion methodology…

SCEC Annual Meetings

The SCEC Annual Meeting brings together 400-500 participants worldwide to share breakthroughs, assess progress, and chart a collaborative path for earthquake science. All of the Center activities are presented, analyzed, and woven into a set of priorities for SCEC to pursue in the future.

SCEC Publications Database

Documents published by the SCEC community, including journal articles, books, chapters, presentations, etc. are collected in the SCEC publications database. Each record is identified by its SCEC Contribution Number, that can be used to acknowledgement of SCEC funding support.