Earthquakes and Seismology

For over a century, Caltech scientists and engineers have transformed our understanding of earthquakes and geophysics through advanced instrumentation, data science, experimentation, and engineering.

Earthquakes have helped define the physical and cultural landscape of Southern California. The big ones help us understand how rocks move along faults and how different kinds of stone, soil, buildings, and infrastructure respond to seismic activity. By studying major earthquakes, researchers help people build in more resilient ways and develop lifesaving policies.

Leading the world in earthquake measurement and monitoring, Caltech scientists have informed preparedness and response initiatives, and pioneered innovations in early-warning systems with the goal of reducing the human toll of these natural disasters. It was Caltech scientists who invented the Richter scale to measure earthquake magnitude; Institute researchers also developed its successor, the moment magnitude scale still used today by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and others.

Since the 1970s, Caltech, through its Seismological Laboratory, has partnered with the federal government to develop seismic monitoring techniques, including the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN), which is currently made up of more than 400 seismic stations throughout Southern California. The USGS has maintained its office across the street from the Caltech campus for more than 50 years."