2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake and Tsunami: Remembering the Victims, Learning from the Past

March 11, 2021: The California Geological Survey issues new Tsunami Hazard Area Maps for Del Norte and Mendocino counties By Rick Wilson, California Geological Survey (CGS) Many of my tsunami and non-tsunami colleagues can remember what they were doing on March 11, 2011, the day the magnitude 9 Tohoku-Oki earthquake struck offshore of Japan, unleashing…

San Fernando ’71: the Earthquake That Made Us Safer

The San Fernando Earthquake changed how the state approached earthquake hazards,” said Dr. Steve Bohlen, Acting State Geologist of California and head of the California Geological Survey. “There was an increased realization that the state had to do something to limit the damage of these events.”

Q&A with California Geological Survey Librarian Amy Loseth for #LibraryShelfieDay

Most folks don’t know that the Department of Conservation is home to the California Geological Survey library–full of geologic resources, maps, and even rare books dating back to the 1600s! The library, located at 801 K Street, in Downtown Sacramento (across from the Sacramento Public Library) is usually open to the public. With COVID-19 restrictions…

Earth Science Week Day 3 — Fossil Day

It’s Earth Science Week (October 12-16) Continuing on our theme of Earth Science Week, today we are talking about the California State Fossil! Wednesday: October 14: FOSSIL DAY Did you know that California’s official state fossil is the Sabertoothed Cat? How cool is that?! We’ve created some fun facts to help you get to know…

CGS Geologists Assess Multiple Fire Burn Areas for Landslide Potential: 10-1-20 Update

Wildfires are a disaster that can spawn yet another disaster. Fire eliminates ground covering on slopes, exposing the soil underneath and making it more susceptible to debris flows. Such events can be catastrophic, as was the case in Montecito (Santa Barbara County) in 2018. David Longstreth, senior engineering geologist in California Geological Survey’s (CGS) Forest and Watershed Geology program, is one…