Nadine G Reitman, PhD
As an earthquake geologist, I use numerical modeling, field observations, and remote sensing to investigate the earthquake history and behavior of active faults, as well as how earthquake history is recorded in the landscape.
Professional Experience
Research Geologist, USGS, 2020-Present
Geologist, USGS, 2014-2016
Physical Science Technician, Denali National Park, 2010, 2011, 2013
Education and Certifications
PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, 2016-2020
MS, University of Colorado Boulder, 2011-2013
BA, Vassar College, 2006-2010
Science and Products
How Big and How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?
Release Date: FEBRUARY 1, 2015 Paleoseismology along the Wasatch Fault in Utah is helping to estimate the shaking risk to nearby towns.
Filter Total Items: 13
Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
This data release provides input data and landscape evolution modeling results to accompany the manuscript “Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record" (Thompson Jobe and Reitman, 2025). The data release includes two tabular datasets, a text file, and movies of the landscape...
Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs
This data release contains a point cloud and raster image of a digital surface model (DSM) that covers a portion of the Lost River fault in Idaho that ruptured in the 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake. The DSM provides a high-resolution, pre-earthquake record of the landscape from 1966. It is constructed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry software and aerial photographs taken in...
Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults
Summary: This computational notebook is intended to visualize any dataset of offset measurements along a fault, including datasets for single or multiple earthquakes. It is used to plot recent, geomorphic, and synthetic offset measurements for the companion manuscript: Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record by N.G. Reitman, Y. Klinger, R. Briggs...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0
This Data Release contains three related databases for the Central and Eastern United States: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) A fault zone polygon database ("NSHM2023_FaultPolygons_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of distributed fault zones capable of hosting repeated...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of three related geologic input databases for the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) region (62°–70° W and 16°–21° N) of the United States: 1) A fault sections database (“NSHM2025_FaultSections_PRVI_v1’”), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) a fault-zone polygon database ("NSHM2025...
Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography
This data release contains a dataset that depicts fault scarps along the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone located in the San Luis basin of southern Colorado. The Zapata and Blanca sections extend from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to the Blanca Peak massif and are differentiated by a sharp change in fault zone orientation from north-south to...
UAV imagery and digital elevation data for the debris slide in Chaos Canyon, 28 June 2022, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. UAV imagery and digital elevation data for the debris slide in Chaos Canyon, 28 June 2022, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
This dataset contains a point cloud (HalletPeak_PointCloud.las), digital elevation model (HalletPeak_DEM.tif), and orthoimagery (HalletPeak_Ortho.tif) of a debris slide originating on the southeast flank of Hallett Peak and sliding into Upper Chaos Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. The slide occurred on 28 June 2022, and imagery was obtained on 15 July 2022. These...
Fault Rupture Mapping of the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Earthquake Sequence from Satellite Data (ver. 1.1, February 2024) Fault Rupture Mapping of the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Earthquake Sequence from Satellite Data (ver. 1.1, February 2024)
This data release contains two datasets that depict fault rupture on the East Anatolian and Çardak faults resulting from the Mw7.8 and Mw7.5 earthquakes in Turkey (Türkiye). It contains two additional datasets that describe satellite imagery coverage and observation gaps. The 6 February 2023 earthquake sequence caused >500 km of combined surface rupture on the primarily left-lateral...
Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023, version 1.0 Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023, version 1.0
The U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) relies on deformation models to assign slip rates along active faults used in the earthquake rupture forecast. Here, we present the geologic deformation model results in tabular form. We provide model outputs in multiple file formats, as well as the polygons used in analyses throughout the geologic deformation model process.The data presented...
Strike-slip in transtension: Complex crustal architecture of the Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane Strike-slip in transtension: Complex crustal architecture of the Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane
This data release contains field data for two P-wave seismic reflection profiles acquired across the Warm Springs Valley fault zone, part of the Northern Walker Lane, NV. The dataset consists of high-resolution seismic reflection field records in .segy format, shot coordinates in .csv format, and observers? logs in .pdf format. The high-resolution seismic profiles are approximately 4 km...
Compilation of offset measurements and fault data for global strike-slip faults with multiple earthquakes Compilation of offset measurements and fault data for global strike-slip faults with multiple earthquakes
This Data Release provides the compilation of offset measurement datasets and associated fault data to accompany the manuscript "Climatic influence on the expression of strike-slip faulting" by Reitman et al. In addition to a ReadMe file, it includes two tabular datasets, one code, and one text file. The datasets are a compilation of offset measurement data ("data_multiple_eq_offsets...
Plotting multiple fault representations: Applications for National Seismic Hazard Model 2023 update (NSHM-faultmaps) Plotting multiple fault representations: Applications for National Seismic Hazard Model 2023 update (NSHM-faultmaps)
The National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) utilizes a fault sections database (FSD) throughout the model workflow. Working towards a 2023 NSHM release, the NSHM23 FSD encompasses a major update with the addition of new fault sections, as well as the revision of existing fault sections from prior FSD (2014). The additions and revisions were largely based on the U.S. Geological Survey's...
Filter Total Items: 23
Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
Large surface-rupturing intraplate earthquakes in stable continental regions (SCRs) are uncommon globally and have recurrence intervals of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years based on the paleoseismic and geomorphic record, challenging accurate active fault identification in these regions. To constrain the timescales of preservation for scarps created by surface ruptures from dip...
Authors
Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Nadine G. Reitman
Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record
Offset geomorphic markers are commonly used to interpret slip history of strike-slip faults and have played an important role in forming earthquake recurrence models. These data sets are typically analyzed using cumulative probability methods to interpret average amounts of slip in past earthquakes. However, interpretation of the geomorphic record to infer surface slip history is...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yann Klinger, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold
Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component
The last National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) was published in 2003. In advance of the 2025 PRVI NSHM update, we created three geologic input databases to summarize new onshore and offshore fault source information in the northern Caribbean region between 62°–70° W and 16°–21° N. These databases, of fault sections, fault‐zone polygons...
Authors
Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Richard W. Briggs, Uri S. ten Brink, Thomas L. Pratt, K. Stephen Hughes, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Julie A. Herrick, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Camille Collett, Katherine M. Scharer, Stephen B. DeLong
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Earth sciences. As one of the largest geoscience employers, the USGS wields significant community influence and has a responsibility to adopt and implement robust, unbiased policies so that the science it is charged to deliver is better connected to the...
Authors
Matthew C. Morriss, Eleanour Snow, Jennifer L. Miselis, William F. Waite, Katherine R. Barnhart, Andria P. Ellis, Liv M. Herdman, Seth C. Moran, Annie L. Putman, Nadine G. Reitman, Wendy K. Stovall, Meagan J. Eagle, Stephen C. Phillips
Rapid surface rupture mapping from satellite data: The 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake sequence Rapid surface rupture mapping from satellite data: The 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake sequence produced > 500 km of surface rupture primarily on the left‐lateral East Anatolian (~345 km) and Çardak (~175 km) faults. Constraining the length and magnitude of surface displacement on the causative faults is critical for loss estimates, recovery efforts, rapid identification of impacted infrastructure, and fault...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, William D. Barnhart, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Christopher DuRoss, Ryan D. Gold, John David Mejstrik, Camille Collett, Richard D Koehler, Sinan Akçiz
Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and subsequent Mw 7.5 Elbistan earthquakes generated strong ground shaking that resulted in catastrophic human and economic loss across south‐central Türkiye and northwest Syria. The rapid characterization of the earthquakes, including their location, size, fault geometries, and slip kinematics, is critical to estimate the impact of significant seismic...
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, Tuncay Taymaz, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Seda Yolsal-Çevikbilen, William D. Barnhart, Tahir Serkan Irmak, David J. Wald, Taylan Öcalan, William L. Yeck, Berkan Özkan, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, David R. Shelly, Eric M. Thompson, Christopher DuRoss, Paul S. Earle, Richard W. Briggs, Harley M. Benz, Ceyhun Erman, Ali Hasan Doğan, Cemali Altuntaş
Climatic influence on the expression of strike-slip faulting Climatic influence on the expression of strike-slip faulting
Earthquakes on strike-slip faults are preserved in the geomorphic record by offset landforms that span a range of displacements, from small offsets created in the most recent earthquake (MRE) to large offsets that record cumulative slip from multiple prior events. An exponential decay in the number of large cumulative offsets has been observed on many faults, and a leading hypothesis is...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yann Klinger, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold
Revised earthquake geology inputs for the central and eastern United States and southeast Canada for the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model Revised earthquake geology inputs for the central and eastern United States and southeast Canada for the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model
It has been nearly a decade since updates to seismic and fault sources in the central and eastern United States (CEUS) were last assessed for the 2012 Central and Eastern United States Seismic Source Characterization for nuclear facilities (CEUS-SSCn) and 2014 United States Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for the conterminous U.S. In advance of the 2023 NSHM update...
Authors
Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Ryan D. Gold, Christopher DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, Camille Marie Collett
Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023 Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023
Fault geometry and slip rates are key input data for geologic deformation models, which are a fundamental component of probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHAs). However, geologic sources for PSHA have traditionally been limited to faults with field‐based slip rate constraints, which results in underrepresentation of known, but partially characterized, active faults. Here, we...
Authors
Alexandra Elise Hatem, Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Reed J. Burgette
How similar was the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake rupture to its surface-faulting predecessors along the northern Lost River fault zone (Idaho, USA)? How similar was the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake rupture to its surface-faulting predecessors along the northern Lost River fault zone (Idaho, USA)?
We excavated trenches at two paleoseismic sites bounding a trans-basin bedrock ridge (the Willow Creek Hills) along the northern Lost River fault zone to explore the uniqueness of the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake compared to its prehistoric predecessors. At the Sheep Creek site on the southernmost Warm Springs section, two earthquakes occurred at 9.8−14.0 ka (95% confidence) and 6.5...
Authors
Christopher DuRoss, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Austin John Elliott, Jaime Delano, Ivan Medina-Cascales, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan, Sylvia Nicovich, Zachery Lifton, Emily J. Kleber, Greg N. McDonald, Adam Hiscock, Mike Bunds, Nadine G. Reitman
Geophysical constraints on the crustal architecture of the transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane, western Nevada, USA Geophysical constraints on the crustal architecture of the transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane, western Nevada, USA
The Walker Lane is a zone of distributed transtension where normal faults are overprinted by strike-slip motion. We use two newly-acquired high-resolution seismic reflection profiles and a reprocessed Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) deep crustal reflection profile to assess the subsurface geometry of the Holocene-active, transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault...
Authors
Richard W. Briggs, William J. Stephenson, J.H. McBride, Jackson K. Odum, Nadine G. Reitman, Ryan D. Gold
The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin
Rocky, alpine mountains are prone to mass wasting from debris flows. The Chalk Cliffs study area (central Colorado, USA) produces debris flows annually. These debris flows are triggered when overland flow driven by intense summer convective storms mobilizes large volumes of sediment within the channel network. Understanding the debris flow hazard in this, and similar alpine settings...
Authors
Francis K. Rengers, Jason W. Kean, Nadine G. Reitman, Joel B. Smith, Jeffrey A. Coe, Luke McGuire
Non-USGS Publications**
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2021) Strain and velocity across the Great Basin derived from 15-ka fault slip rates: Implications for continuous deformation and seismic hazards in the Walker Lane, California-Nevada, USA. Tectonics. doi: 10.1029/2020TC006389
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2020) Input parameters, output data, and script to calculate strain and velocity from fault source parameters. [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3895334
Reitman, N.G., K.J. Mueller, G.E. Tucker, R.D. Gold, R.W. Briggs, and K.R. Barnhart. (2019) Numerical model code and input files to run landscape evolution models with strike-slip faulting and measure channel offsets. [Data set]. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3374026
Litchfield, N.J., K.J. Clark, U.A. Cochran, J. Mountjoy, C. Mueller, R. Morgenstern, K.R. Berryman, B.G. McFadgen, R. Steele, N.G. Reitman, J. Howarth, and P. Villamor. (2020) Unraveling complex coastal deformation mechanisms using marine terrace paleoseismology Puatai Beach and Pakarae River mouth, northern Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. doi: 10.1785/0120190208
Reitman, N.G., Ge, S., and Mueller, K. (2014) Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA. Hydrogeology Journal, doi: 10.1007/s10040-014-1126-0.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
How Big and How Frequent Are Earthquakes on the Wasatch Fault?
Release Date: FEBRUARY 1, 2015 Paleoseismology along the Wasatch Fault in Utah is helping to estimate the shaking risk to nearby towns.
Filter Total Items: 13
Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Datasets documenting Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
This data release provides input data and landscape evolution modeling results to accompany the manuscript “Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record" (Thompson Jobe and Reitman, 2025). The data release includes two tabular datasets, a text file, and movies of the landscape...
Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs Digital Surface Model of the Lost River Fault, Idaho, from 1966 Aerial Photographs
This data release contains a point cloud and raster image of a digital surface model (DSM) that covers a portion of the Lost River fault in Idaho that ruptured in the 1983 M6.9 Borah Peak earthquake. The DSM provides a high-resolution, pre-earthquake record of the landscape from 1966. It is constructed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry software and aerial photographs taken in...
Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults Computational notebook to plot offset measurements along strike-slip faults
Summary: This computational notebook is intended to visualize any dataset of offset measurements along a fault, including datasets for single or multiple earthquakes. It is used to plot recent, geomorphic, and synthetic offset measurements for the companion manuscript: Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record by N.G. Reitman, Y. Klinger, R. Briggs...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2023 (central and eastern United States), version 1.0
This Data Release contains three related databases for the Central and Eastern United States: 1) A fault sections database ("NSHM2023_FaultSections_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) A fault zone polygon database ("NSHM2023_FaultPolygons_CEUS_v1"), which depicts the geometry of distributed fault zones capable of hosting repeated...
Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0
This Data Release contains preliminary versions of three related geologic input databases for the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) region (62°–70° W and 16°–21° N) of the United States: 1) A fault sections database (“NSHM2025_FaultSections_PRVI_v1’”), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) a fault-zone polygon database ("NSHM2025...
Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography Quaternary fault mapping of the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone from high-resolution 3DEP topography
This data release contains a dataset that depicts fault scarps along the Zapata and Blanca sections of the Sangre de Cristo fault zone located in the San Luis basin of southern Colorado. The Zapata and Blanca sections extend from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve to the Blanca Peak massif and are differentiated by a sharp change in fault zone orientation from north-south to...
UAV imagery and digital elevation data for the debris slide in Chaos Canyon, 28 June 2022, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. UAV imagery and digital elevation data for the debris slide in Chaos Canyon, 28 June 2022, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
This dataset contains a point cloud (HalletPeak_PointCloud.las), digital elevation model (HalletPeak_DEM.tif), and orthoimagery (HalletPeak_Ortho.tif) of a debris slide originating on the southeast flank of Hallett Peak and sliding into Upper Chaos Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. The slide occurred on 28 June 2022, and imagery was obtained on 15 July 2022. These...
Fault Rupture Mapping of the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Earthquake Sequence from Satellite Data (ver. 1.1, February 2024) Fault Rupture Mapping of the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Earthquake Sequence from Satellite Data (ver. 1.1, February 2024)
This data release contains two datasets that depict fault rupture on the East Anatolian and Çardak faults resulting from the Mw7.8 and Mw7.5 earthquakes in Turkey (Türkiye). It contains two additional datasets that describe satellite imagery coverage and observation gaps. The 6 February 2023 earthquake sequence caused >500 km of combined surface rupture on the primarily left-lateral...
Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023, version 1.0 Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023, version 1.0
The U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) relies on deformation models to assign slip rates along active faults used in the earthquake rupture forecast. Here, we present the geologic deformation model results in tabular form. We provide model outputs in multiple file formats, as well as the polygons used in analyses throughout the geologic deformation model process.The data presented...
Strike-slip in transtension: Complex crustal architecture of the Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane Strike-slip in transtension: Complex crustal architecture of the Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane
This data release contains field data for two P-wave seismic reflection profiles acquired across the Warm Springs Valley fault zone, part of the Northern Walker Lane, NV. The dataset consists of high-resolution seismic reflection field records in .segy format, shot coordinates in .csv format, and observers? logs in .pdf format. The high-resolution seismic profiles are approximately 4 km...
Compilation of offset measurements and fault data for global strike-slip faults with multiple earthquakes Compilation of offset measurements and fault data for global strike-slip faults with multiple earthquakes
This Data Release provides the compilation of offset measurement datasets and associated fault data to accompany the manuscript "Climatic influence on the expression of strike-slip faulting" by Reitman et al. In addition to a ReadMe file, it includes two tabular datasets, one code, and one text file. The datasets are a compilation of offset measurement data ("data_multiple_eq_offsets...
Plotting multiple fault representations: Applications for National Seismic Hazard Model 2023 update (NSHM-faultmaps) Plotting multiple fault representations: Applications for National Seismic Hazard Model 2023 update (NSHM-faultmaps)
The National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) utilizes a fault sections database (FSD) throughout the model workflow. Working towards a 2023 NSHM release, the NSHM23 FSD encompasses a major update with the addition of new fault sections, as well as the revision of existing fault sections from prior FSD (2014). The additions and revisions were largely based on the U.S. Geological Survey's...
Filter Total Items: 23
Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record Timescales of surface faulting preservation in low-strain intraplate regions from landscape evolution modeling and the geomorphic and historical record
Large surface-rupturing intraplate earthquakes in stable continental regions (SCRs) are uncommon globally and have recurrence intervals of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years based on the paleoseismic and geomorphic record, challenging accurate active fault identification in these regions. To constrain the timescales of preservation for scarps created by surface ruptures from dip...
Authors
Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Nadine G. Reitman
Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record Limited preservation of strike-slip surface displacement in the geomorphic record
Offset geomorphic markers are commonly used to interpret slip history of strike-slip faults and have played an important role in forming earthquake recurrence models. These data sets are typically analyzed using cumulative probability methods to interpret average amounts of slip in past earthquakes. However, interpretation of the geomorphic record to infer surface slip history is...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yann Klinger, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold
Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component Geologic input databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico – U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model update: Crustal faults component
The last National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) was published in 2003. In advance of the 2025 PRVI NSHM update, we created three geologic input databases to summarize new onshore and offshore fault source information in the northern Caribbean region between 62°–70° W and 16°–21° N. These databases, of fault sections, fault‐zone polygons...
Authors
Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Richard W. Briggs, Uri S. ten Brink, Thomas L. Pratt, K. Stephen Hughes, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Christopher DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Julie A. Herrick, Sylvia R. Nicovich, Camille Collett, Katherine M. Scharer, Stephen B. DeLong
Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE): Summary of U.S. Geological Survey URGE pod deliverables
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is in a unique position to be a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Earth sciences. As one of the largest geoscience employers, the USGS wields significant community influence and has a responsibility to adopt and implement robust, unbiased policies so that the science it is charged to deliver is better connected to the...
Authors
Matthew C. Morriss, Eleanour Snow, Jennifer L. Miselis, William F. Waite, Katherine R. Barnhart, Andria P. Ellis, Liv M. Herdman, Seth C. Moran, Annie L. Putman, Nadine G. Reitman, Wendy K. Stovall, Meagan J. Eagle, Stephen C. Phillips
Rapid surface rupture mapping from satellite data: The 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake sequence Rapid surface rupture mapping from satellite data: The 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye), earthquake sequence produced > 500 km of surface rupture primarily on the left‐lateral East Anatolian (~345 km) and Çardak (~175 km) faults. Constraining the length and magnitude of surface displacement on the causative faults is critical for loss estimates, recovery efforts, rapid identification of impacted infrastructure, and fault...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, William D. Barnhart, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Christopher DuRoss, Ryan D. Gold, John David Mejstrik, Camille Collett, Richard D Koehler, Sinan Akçiz
Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence Rapid characterization of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, earthquake sequence
The 6 February 2023 Mw 7.8 Pazarcık and subsequent Mw 7.5 Elbistan earthquakes generated strong ground shaking that resulted in catastrophic human and economic loss across south‐central Türkiye and northwest Syria. The rapid characterization of the earthquakes, including their location, size, fault geometries, and slip kinematics, is critical to estimate the impact of significant seismic...
Authors
Dara Elyse Goldberg, Tuncay Taymaz, Nadine G. Reitman, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Seda Yolsal-Çevikbilen, William D. Barnhart, Tahir Serkan Irmak, David J. Wald, Taylan Öcalan, William L. Yeck, Berkan Özkan, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, David R. Shelly, Eric M. Thompson, Christopher DuRoss, Paul S. Earle, Richard W. Briggs, Harley M. Benz, Ceyhun Erman, Ali Hasan Doğan, Cemali Altuntaş
Climatic influence on the expression of strike-slip faulting Climatic influence on the expression of strike-slip faulting
Earthquakes on strike-slip faults are preserved in the geomorphic record by offset landforms that span a range of displacements, from small offsets created in the most recent earthquake (MRE) to large offsets that record cumulative slip from multiple prior events. An exponential decay in the number of large cumulative offsets has been observed on many faults, and a leading hypothesis is...
Authors
Nadine G. Reitman, Yann Klinger, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold
Revised earthquake geology inputs for the central and eastern United States and southeast Canada for the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model Revised earthquake geology inputs for the central and eastern United States and southeast Canada for the 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model
It has been nearly a decade since updates to seismic and fault sources in the central and eastern United States (CEUS) were last assessed for the 2012 Central and Eastern United States Seismic Source Characterization for nuclear facilities (CEUS-SSCn) and 2014 United States Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) for the conterminous U.S. In advance of the 2023 NSHM update...
Authors
Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Ryan D. Gold, Christopher DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, Camille Marie Collett
Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023 Western U.S. geologic deformation model for use in the U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model 2023
Fault geometry and slip rates are key input data for geologic deformation models, which are a fundamental component of probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHAs). However, geologic sources for PSHA have traditionally been limited to faults with field‐based slip rate constraints, which results in underrepresentation of known, but partially characterized, active faults. Here, we...
Authors
Alexandra Elise Hatem, Nadine G. Reitman, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold, Jessica Ann Thompson Jobe, Reed J. Burgette
How similar was the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake rupture to its surface-faulting predecessors along the northern Lost River fault zone (Idaho, USA)? How similar was the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake rupture to its surface-faulting predecessors along the northern Lost River fault zone (Idaho, USA)?
We excavated trenches at two paleoseismic sites bounding a trans-basin bedrock ridge (the Willow Creek Hills) along the northern Lost River fault zone to explore the uniqueness of the 1983 Mw 6.9 Borah Peak earthquake compared to its prehistoric predecessors. At the Sheep Creek site on the southernmost Warm Springs section, two earthquakes occurred at 9.8−14.0 ka (95% confidence) and 6.5...
Authors
Christopher DuRoss, Richard W. Briggs, Ryan D. Gold, Alexandra Elise Hatem, Austin John Elliott, Jaime Delano, Ivan Medina-Cascales, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan, Sylvia Nicovich, Zachery Lifton, Emily J. Kleber, Greg N. McDonald, Adam Hiscock, Mike Bunds, Nadine G. Reitman
Geophysical constraints on the crustal architecture of the transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane, western Nevada, USA Geophysical constraints on the crustal architecture of the transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault zone, northern Walker Lane, western Nevada, USA
The Walker Lane is a zone of distributed transtension where normal faults are overprinted by strike-slip motion. We use two newly-acquired high-resolution seismic reflection profiles and a reprocessed Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) deep crustal reflection profile to assess the subsurface geometry of the Holocene-active, transtensional Warm Springs Valley fault...
Authors
Richard W. Briggs, William J. Stephenson, J.H. McBride, Jackson K. Odum, Nadine G. Reitman, Ryan D. Gold
The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin
Rocky, alpine mountains are prone to mass wasting from debris flows. The Chalk Cliffs study area (central Colorado, USA) produces debris flows annually. These debris flows are triggered when overland flow driven by intense summer convective storms mobilizes large volumes of sediment within the channel network. Understanding the debris flow hazard in this, and similar alpine settings...
Authors
Francis K. Rengers, Jason W. Kean, Nadine G. Reitman, Joel B. Smith, Jeffrey A. Coe, Luke McGuire
Non-USGS Publications**
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2021) Strain and velocity across the Great Basin derived from 15-ka fault slip rates: Implications for continuous deformation and seismic hazards in the Walker Lane, California-Nevada, USA. Tectonics. doi: 10.1029/2020TC006389
Reitman, N.G. and P. Molnar (2020) Input parameters, output data, and script to calculate strain and velocity from fault source parameters. [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3895334
Reitman, N.G., K.J. Mueller, G.E. Tucker, R.D. Gold, R.W. Briggs, and K.R. Barnhart. (2019) Numerical model code and input files to run landscape evolution models with strike-slip faulting and measure channel offsets. [Data set]. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3374026
Litchfield, N.J., K.J. Clark, U.A. Cochran, J. Mountjoy, C. Mueller, R. Morgenstern, K.R. Berryman, B.G. McFadgen, R. Steele, N.G. Reitman, J. Howarth, and P. Villamor. (2020) Unraveling complex coastal deformation mechanisms using marine terrace paleoseismology Puatai Beach and Pakarae River mouth, northern Hikurangi Margin, New Zealand. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. doi: 10.1785/0120190208
Reitman, N.G., Ge, S., and Mueller, K. (2014) Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA. Hydrogeology Journal, doi: 10.1007/s10040-014-1126-0.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.