Today, our director, Keith Koper, sat down to talk about this morning’s M4.2 earthquake. He shares why we consider this an aftershock, why we consider this to be normal, why aftershocks occur, why this event may have felt different than Tuesday’s M4.2
News!
Video update about Magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Magna
UUSS Director Keith Koper sat down on Facebook live to explain how the UUSS responds to earthquake events, like the Magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Magna, UT. He also shared important things to know and simple steps to take to be prepared.
Press Conference for Magnitude 5.7 Magna earthquake
Press Conference from March 18, 2020 regarding the Magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Magna, UT.
COVID-19 UUSS work from home, 24/7 EQ response unaffected
To protect our community during the #COVID crisis: The University of Utah Seismograph Stations offices will be closed. We will continue our regular office hours while working from home, in support of #SocialDistancing.
Most importantly:
THE 24/7 EMERGENCY EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE WILL BE UNAFFECTED.
Our duty seismologists will have the same response capabilities as before.
For the latest earthquake information: www.quake.utah.edu
For the latest Utah COVID information:
https://coronavirus.utah.gov/
Please do what you can to keep yourselves and the community safe.
Thank you.
UUSS Earthquake Information Center Tours Canceled
In response to the changing dynamics in the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, UUSS is canceling all EIC tours through the end of April. We will update this information and resume tours when we are able to.
Seismograph Technician Opening at UUSS
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations is seeking a specialist who will work under the supervision of other professional staff to operate, repair, and maintain 230 stations forming part of the University of Utah’s regional seismic network. Stations consist of seismic sensors, digital data acquisition systems, and associated telemetry equipment and are sited both in the urban built environment and in remote field locations throughout Utah and in parts of neighboring states. The Seismograph Technician will assist with the installation of new seismograph stations and maintain a detailed record of station visits and a written repair history for specified equipment items.
More information can be found here.
UUSS invited to become a formal Member-Institution of the International Seismological Centre (ISC).
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) is excited to announce it was recently invited to become a formal Member-Institution of the International Seismological Centre (ISC).
The ISC is a non-governmental, non-profit international organization which maintains extensive information about earthquakes and other seismic events from around the world. ISC members strive to collect, archive, and process seismic station and network bulletins and prepare and distribute the ISC bulletin – the definitive summary of the world’s seismicity.
Since its inception in the 1960s, the ISC has provided invaluable data used by thousands of seismologists worldwide. The current ISC mission is to maintain the ISC bulletin, the International Seismographic Station Registry, and the IASPEI Reference Event list. ISC also maintains several other important catalogs, contacts, and datasets.
The UUSS is honored to join the ISC. It joins 68 other research and operational organizations in 50 countries that support the ISC. Other ISC Members in the United States include NEIC/USGS, IRIS, and the TexNet of the University of Texas at Austin. The invitation to join comes as a great recognition of the important work of the UUSS on a national, and now international, scale.
Feb. 5th UUSS website switch to SSL, some links may break
On February 5th the UUSS website will be switching over to SSL. This will change our web address from http://quake.utah.edu to https://quake.utah.edu.
Some links may break, including live seismograms (webicorders). If you link to our site, please update your links with https rather than http.
UUSS is hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate and a Research Scientist this fall.
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Earthquake Seismology.
The successful applicant will work with UUSS faculty, staff, and students on problems related to induced seismicity. UUSS has active projects related to enhanced geothermal development, mining induced seismicity, and discrimination of explosions from earthquakes. Potential research topics include (1) discrimination of tectonic earthquakes from induced earthquakes and non-earthquake sources, (2) estimation of full moment tensors for small-to-moderate seismic events, (3) estimation of fault parameters of micro-earthquakes, (4) detection and high-resolution multi-event relocation of induced seismic sequences. While primary datasets are available from regional seismic networks, in some cases supplemental data will be generated using the University of Utah pool of over 150 three-component, short-period (5 Hz) Nodal seismometers.
The position is renewable for a second year pending acceptable progress and availability of funding. Opportunities for teaching, mentoring, and outreach will be made available for those interested in pursuing an academic track.
The successful applicant will work with UUSS faculty, staff, and students on problems related to induced seismicity. UUSS has active projects related to enhanced geothermal development, mining induced seismicity, and discrimination of explosions from earthquakes. Potential research topics include (1) discrimination of tectonic earthquakes from induced earthquakes and non-earthquake sources, (2) estimation of full moment tensors for small-to-moderate seismic events, (3) estimation of fault parameters of micro-earthquakes, (4) detection and high-resolution multi-event relocation of induced seismic sequences. While primary datasets are available from regional seismic networks, in some cases supplemental data will be generated using the University of Utah pool of over 150 three-component, short-period (5 Hz) Nodal seismometers.
The position is renewable for a second year pending acceptable progress and availability of funding. Opportunities for teaching, mentoring, and outreach will be made available for those interested in pursuing an academic track.
In addition to research, the successful applicant will be expected to serve rotations as a UUSS duty seismologist (leading the initial UUSS response to events of interest), which will periodically require 24/7 availability via cell/pager.
To apply submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, and contact information for three references using the following webpage: https://utah.peopleadmin.com/
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS, quake.utah.edu) invites applications for a full-time staff scientist position. UUSS operates a network of approximately 250 seismic stations (with a combination of broadband, strong-motion, and short-period sensors) and 3 infrasound arrays. Together with the Department of Geology and Geophysics, UUSS also maintains an inventory of 162 three-component, 5 Hz, Nodal geophones that can be used for special studies. In operations, UUSS runs the ANSS Quake Monitoring System (AQMS) and is responsible for generating earthquake catalogs and other earthquake information products for the regions around Utah and Yellowstone National Park, as well as providing information to local stakeholders. The successful applicant will (1) help sustain and improve UUSS operational capabilities for earthquake detection, location, and characterization in the Intermountain West, and (2) work with UUSS faculty, staff, and students on related research problems. Research topics of interest include earthquake detection and location, seismic hazard analysis, discrimination of seismic sources, imaging of shallow Earth structure, seismotectonics of the Intermountain West region, mining induced seismicity, and seismicity induced by geothermal energy development. The new hire will be required to serve rotations as a UUSS duty seismologist, which will periodically require 24/7 availability via cell/pager to carry out the initial UUSS response to events of interest. A Ph.D. in seismology or a closely related field is required at the time of appointment. Other requirements include proficiency in programming and scripting languages commonly used in modern seismology, and strong communication skills. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in network or field seismology and database management. To apply submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, and contact information for three references using the following webpage: https://utah.peopleadmin.com/
Small Salt Lake City Earthquakes Felt and Heard
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations reports that four minor earthquakes of magnitude (M) 0.7 to 1.0 have occurred in northeastern Salt Lake City during the last eight days. The first two earthquakes occurred on Sunday, September 2, at 02:13 am (M 0.7) and 10:33 am (M 1.0) MDT. They were followed by an M 1.0 shock on Thursday, September 6, at 8:43 pm MDT and an M 0.8 shock at 3:48 pm MDT on Saturday, September 8. These four earthquakes occurred near the southeastern part of the University of Utah campus at shallow depths of less than 3.5 miles.
Residents of northeastern Salt Lake City have reported feeling and/or hearing these earthquakes, in some cases describing the noise as a loud boom. Earthquakes, especially very shallow ones, can generate noises that sound like booms or thunder to those nearby. The sound is generated by seismic waves vibrating the ground surface up and down like a loudspeaker.
Small magnitude seismic activity like the recent activity in northestern Salt Lake City is a common occurrence in the Wasatch Front region. The location of this recent activity appears to be too far east for it to be occurring on the Wasatch fault.
Anyone who felt or heard any of these earthquakes is encouraged to fill out a survey form which is available on the US Geological Survey website at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/da