On the Nepal Earthquake

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There is a particular feeling of helplessness that comes with being a seismologist when a disaster like the Nepal earthquake happens. I spend most of my day thinking about earthquakes in some capacity; I get a couple of alerts a day from the USGS about M3s and 4s in Oklahoma and think, ooh, data, or a M6 hundreds of kilometers deep where it will never be felt, but waking up to a 7.8 last Saturday provoked a moment of both clarity and confusion – that this one was going to mean something real and something terrible. Continue reading →

Field Notes: Oklahoma

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Oklahoma might not seem like a first choice for a spring break getaway, but sun, warmth, and the outdoors make for a good spring break, even if you have to spend it working. If you’re a seismologist in upstate NY you have to follow where the earthquakes go. I’m thinking of saving up for a tricked out pickup and painting “Earthquake Chasers” on the side, like the tornado hunters we kept running into at gas stations, somewhat unnervingly.

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Out standing in my field

If you’re hearing earthquakes and Oklahoma in the same sentence and getting confused, welcome to the strange new future where OK was the most earthquake-prone state in 2014, more than California. Since 2009 the number of quakes has gone from 1 or 2 felt events a year to 1 or 2 a day; in an animation from the USGS, you can see earthquakes blossom across the entire central portion of the state: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/oklahoma/OKeqanimation.php Continue reading →