12 earthquakes recorded in United States regional monitoring zone
Real-Time Earthquakes in the United States
Continuous seismic tracking across the San Andreas Fault Zone, Cascadia Subduction Zone, and Alaska Aleutian Arc.
Recent Earthquakes in the United States
LIVELive telemetry feed and seismic report for earthquakes in the United States.
Active Fault Systems & Tectonic Setting
Geodynamic boundaries, subduction dynamics, and crustal deformation zones.
The United States spans multiple high-risk tectonic zones, including the San Andreas strike-slip fault system in California, the Cascadia Megathrust subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest, and the Aleutian Arc in Alaska. The USGS monitors real-time seismic activity nationwide.
San Andreas Fault System
Right-Lateral Strike-Slip1,200 km transform boundary cutting across California; primary driver of West Coast earthquake hazard.
Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ)
Subduction Megathrust1,000 km offshore convergent fault capable of generating full-margin M9.0 megathrust ruptures.
Hayward Fault & Calaveras Fault
Right-Lateral Strike-SlipDensely urbanized East Bay strike-slip faults with high creep rates and historic major ruptures.
New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ)
Intraplate Reelfoot RiftAncient mid-continent rift in the central US capable of high-intensity intraplate sequences.
Landmark & Historical Earthquakes
Significant seismic benchmarks, cataloged magnitudes, and geological impacts.
Prince William Sound, Alaska
March 27, 1964Great Alaska Earthquake; second strongest ever recorded, generating 67m local runup tsunamis.
Offshore San Francisco, California
April 18, 1906Ruptured 470 km of the San Andreas Fault; resulting conflagration leveled central San Francisco.
Loma Prieta, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA
October 17, 1989Disrupted World Series, collapsed Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland and section of the Bay Bridge.
Northridge, San Fernando Valley, CA
January 17, 1994Blind thrust faulting producing recorded vertical accelerations exceeding 1.8g in Los Angeles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about seismic activity, safety, and monitoring in United States.
How does USGS ShakeAlert work?▾
ShakeAlert detects ground motion at sensor networks in California, Oregon, and Washington and transmits alerts to cell phones via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and integrated apps.
What is the Cascadia Subduction Zone 'Big One'?▾
The Cascadia Subduction Zone last ruptured on January 26, 1700, producing an estimated M9.0 earthquake. Geologists calculate a ~15–20% chance of a full-margin rupture occurring within the next 50 years.
Can earthquakes happen in the central or eastern United States?▾
Yes. While plate boundaries produce most earthquakes, intraplate seismic zones like the New Madrid Zone (MO/TN/AR) and Charleston (SC) have produced historic M7+ events that shake broader geographic areas than West Coast quakes.