At the Geophysical Institute the diversity of our research focus is reflected by our disciplinary-based, functional groupings of faculty and research staff. These divisions are: space physics and aeronomy, atmospheric sciences, snow, ice, and permafrost, seismology, volcanology, and tectonics and sedimentation. Along with an ubiquitous, cross-discipline remote sensing group, these research divisions reflect the range and diversity of the active scientific research projects which reach from the center of the sun to the center of the earth and beyond.

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  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report October-December 2023

    Ruppert, Natalia (2024-02-16)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • 2023 Alaska Seismicity Summary

    Ruppert, Natalia; McFarlin, Heather (2024-02-01)
    The Alaska Earthquake Center reported 45,546 seismic events in Alaska and neighboring regions in 2023. The largest earthquake was a magnitude 7.2 event that occurred on July 16 in the Alaska Peninsula region. It was a late aftershock of the 2020 M7.8 Simeonof Earthquake. Other strong earthquakes include the October 16 M6.4 and December 21 M6.1 earthquakes in the Andreanof Islands region of the Aleutian Islands. The largest earthquake in mainland Alaska, magnitude 5.4, occurred in the lower Cook Inlet region on March 19. We continued to monitor ongoing activity within the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage, 2018 M6.4 Kaktovik, 2018 M7.9 Offshore Kodiak, 2020 M7.8 Simeonof, and 2021 M8.2 Chignik aftershock sequences, the Purcell Mountains earthquake swarm, and the Wright Glacier cluster northeast of Juneau. All aftershock sequences continued to slow down compared to the previous years.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report July-September 2023

    Ruppert, Natalia (2023-12-04)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • Alaska landslide research benchmark dataset

    Karasozen, Ezgi; West, Michael E. (2023-10-13)
    We introduce a benchmark dataset of significant landslides across southern Alaska, meticulously curated to facilitate the development of a real-time landslide assessment system. This dataset comprises six distinctive events, selected from the Exotic Seismic Events Catalog, meeting specific criteria such as location, volume estimation, seismic station proximity, and occurrence post-2010. This report describes the essence of the dataset, its importance in developing a real-time assessment system, and the key characteristics of the selected landslide events across southern Alaska.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report April-June 2023

    Ruppert, Natalia (2023-08-18)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report January-March 2023

    Ruppert, Natalia (2023-04-26)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • 2022 Alaska Seismicity Summary

    Ruppert, Natalia (2023-02-09)
    The Alaska Earthquake Center reported 47,045 seismic events in Alaska and neighboring regions in 2022. The largest earthquake was a magnitude 6.8 event that occurred on January 11 in the Fox Islands region of the Aleutian Islands. Other active spots include two M6.3 earthquakes in the Rat Islands on June 4 and December 14, both of which were followed by moderate aftershock sequences. A magnitude 5.4 earthquake was recorded in an unusual location in the Bering Sea, east of St. George Island, on July 4. The two largest earthquakes in mainland Alaska, both magnitude 5.2, occurred in the Yakutat Bay region on January 8 and in central Alaska on February 6. We continued to monitor ongoing activity within the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage, 2018 M6.4 Kaktovik, 2018 M7.9 Offshore Kodiak, 2020 M7.6 Simeonof, and 2021 M8.2 Chignik aftershock sequences, the Purcell Mountains earthquake swarm, and the Wright Glacier cluster northeast of Juneau. All aftershock sequences continued to slow down compared to the previous years.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report October-December 2022

    Ruppert, Natalia (2023-02-02)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report July-September 2022

    Ruppert, Natalia (2022-11-10)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report April-June 2022

    Ruppert, Natalia (2022-08-31)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. The first report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • Maritime Guidance for Distant and Local Source Tsunami Events: Haines and Skagway, Alaska

    Nicolsky, Dmitry; Gardine, Lea (2022-06)
    These documents provide response guidance for Haines and Skagway, Alaska in the event of tsunamis for small vessels such as recreational sailing and motor vessels, and commercial fishing vessels. The developed documents follow the guidance developed by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) and are based on anticipated effects of a maximum-considered distant and locally generated tsunami event.
  • Alaska Earthquake Center Quarterly Technical Report January-March 2022

    Ruppert, Natalia (2022-05)
    This series of technical quarterly reports from the Alaska Earthquake Center (AEC) includes detailed summaries and updates on Alaska seismicity, the AEC seismic network and stations, field work, our social media presence, and lists publications and presentations by AEC staff. Multiple AEC staff members contribute to this report. It is issued in the following month after the completion of each quarter Q1: January-March, Q2: April-June, Q3: July-September, and Q4: October-December. First report was published for January-March, 2021.
  • Maritime Guidance for Distant and Local Source Tsunami Events: Kodiak, Alaska

    Nicolsky, Dmitry; Suleimani, Elena; Gardine, Lea (2019-07)
    These documents provide response guidance for Kodiak Harbor in the event of tsunamis for small vessels such as recreational sailing and motor vessels, and commercial fishing vessels. The developed documents follow the guidance developed by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) and are based on anticipated effects of a maximum-considered distant and locally generated tsunami event.
  • PEDESTRIAN TRAVEL-TIME MAPS FOR KODIAK, ALASKA: An anisotropic model to support tsunami evacuation planning

    Nicolsky, Dmitry; Gardine, Lea (2019-05)
    Tsunami-induced pedestrian evacuation for the City of Kodiak, U.S. Coast Guard Base and the community of Womens Bay is evaluated using an anisotropic modeling approach developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The method is based on path-distance algorithms and accounts for variations in land cover and directionality in the slope of terrain. We model evacuation of pedestrians to exit points from the tsunami hazard zone. The pedestrian travel is restricted to the roads only. Results presented here are intended to provide guidance to local emergency management agencies for tsunami inundation assessment, evacuation planning, and public education to mitigate future tsunami hazards.
  • Maritime Guidance for Distant and Local Source Tsunami Events: Unalaska, Alaska

    Nicolsky, Dmitry; Suleimani, Elena; Gardine, Lea (2019-07)
    These documents provide response guidance for Unalaska/Dutch Harbor in the event of tsunamis for small vessels such as recreational sailing and motor vessels, and commercial fishing vessels. The developed documents follow the guidance developed by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) and are based on anticipated effects of a maximum-considered distant and locally generated tsunami event.
  • Maritime Guidance for Distant and Local Source Tsunami Events: Tatitlek, Alaska

    Nicolsky, Dmitry; Suleimani, Elena; Gardine, Lea (2019-07)
    These documents provide response guidance for Tatitlek Harbor in the event of tsunamis for small vessels such as recreational sailing and motor vessels, and commercial fishing vessels. The developed documents follow the guidance developed by the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) and are based on anticipated effects of a maximum-considered distant and locally generated tsunami event.
  • Maritime Guidance for Distant and Local Source Tsunami Events: Sitka, Alaska

    Nicolsky, Dmitry; Suleimani, Elena; Gardine, Lea (2019-07)
  • 2021 Alaska Seismicity Summary

    Ruppert, Natalia; Gardine, Lea (2022-02-23)
    The Alaska Earthquake Center reported 49,120 seismic events in Alaska and neighboring regions in 2021. The largest earthquake was a magnitude 8.2 event that occurred on July 29 southwest of Kodiak Island. It was followed by about 1,300 aftershocks including two magnitude 6.9 events on August 14 and October 11. Other active spots include sequences near Harding Lake in Interior Alaska in July-September and near Yakutat Bay in September. The largest earthquake in mainland Alaska was the M6.1 Chickaloon Earthquake on May 31. We continued to monitor ongoing activity within the 2018 M7.1 Anchorage, 2018 M6.4 Kaktovik, and 2018 M7.9 Offshore Kodiak aftershock sequences, the Purcell Mountains earthquake swarm, and the Wright Glacier cluster northeast of Juneau.

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