Welcome to The Trembling Earth, a blog where you can find commentary, context, and consideration of developments in earthquake science. And to my existing readers, welcome to the new home! Here you’ll find periodic musings on seimological advances as well as media that unveil and illuminate the phenomenon of earthquakes.

I’ve been studying earthquakes–in some form–since I felt my first one at age 13 and just needed to know how and why the Earth jiggled like that.

Seismogram of the Hector Mine earthquake recorded in Palmdale, CA, October 16, 1999

Formally I’ve studied earthquakes from a cultural historic perspective, a geomorphic perspective, and a mechanical perspective. My expertise is in earthquake geology, but I keep up avidly with developments in seismology and other global facets of earthquake science in general. These are what I will bring to you in distilled and hopefully engaging form.

For detailed information about specific earthquakes there is a wealth of resources available from the USGS and other agencies around the globe–no need to re-invent the wheel on that front. I’ll reflect and go into a bit of depth on some particularly notable earthquakes, but for specific pertinent information I would direct you to the USGS’s info pages which include maps of shaking and assessments of earthquakes’ other effects.

I’ve been maintaining The Trembling Earth for two years, and primarily use it to compile earthquake video footage and data animations that reveal the fascinating suite of phenomena that accompany earthquakes. I also use this blog as a platform to advertise local and regional developments in seismic risk mitigation, and to simply share cultural takes on earthquakes. All of these posts are available in the archives (at right), and I’ve compiled the footage as well as possible in the tab above labeled “Earthquake Footage.” If you’re feelin’ like taking the day off to read about earthquakes, have at it and explore my past posts.

In blogging about earthquakes I am accompanied by a handfull of other seismo-bloggers whose own musings I encourage you to peruse. These include
Berkeley Seismo Blog
PacNW Seismo Blog
Paleoseismicity.org
Highly Allochthonous
Remembering the Loma Prieta/Chronicling the Nisqually Quakes

These are my most closely aligned, but there are innumerable others, many of which you will find listed in the right-hand panel of this blog. I welcome any introductions or recommendations of those I’ve missed!

As an AGU blogger I join the ranks of those listed at right, whose blogs cover a huge array of topics in Earth sciences. Explore ’em for yourself!

I look forward to bringing to you all the fascinating tidbits that come my way, and using modern media to help raise awareness and education about one of Earth’s most natural but fearsome phenomena.

Surface rupture of a normal fault in the Mexican desert, April 2010.    32.537647N   115.687532W