Lucy Jones
@drlucyjones.bsky.social
Seismologist in Southern California. Viol player. Founder of Tempo: Music for Climate Action
This was a fun interview. It ended up being quite a retrospective on how seismology has changed over the 4 decades I have been in Pasadena. making-l-a.simplecast.com/episodes/luc...
Lucy Jones: Seismology, ShakeOuts, and String Quartets | Making Los Angeles
What do Chinese literature, medieval string instruments, and earthquake drills have in common? In Los Angeles, the answer is Lucy Jones.
Often called “L.A.’s earthquake queen” — a nickname she’s not e...
making-l-a.simplecast.com
September 2, 2025 at 4:32 PM
This was a fun interview. It ended up being quite a retrospective on how seismology has changed over the 4 decades I have been in Pasadena. making-l-a.simplecast.com/episodes/luc...
In the last 24 hours, we have seen several M3s in 3 locations. The events near Ontario are at the western end of the Fontana trend. The Lytle Creek events are near the San Andreas & the Rialto events are where the Fontana trend intersects the San Andreas. Last week's M4.3 was at the Rialto location
August 6, 2025 at 10:56 PM
In the last 24 hours, we have seen several M3s in 3 locations. The events near Ontario are at the western end of the Fontana trend. The Lytle Creek events are near the San Andreas & the Rialto events are where the Fontana trend intersects the San Andreas. Last week's M4.3 was at the Rialto location
The New York - Philadelphia - Wilmington urban corridor has felt small earthquakes roughly every 2-3 years. Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the urban corridor roughly twice a century. So infrequent but not weird
M 3.0 - NE of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Did you feel it? Report it!
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
Did you feel it? Report it!
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
August 3, 2025 at 2:32 AM
The New York - Philadelphia - Wilmington urban corridor has felt small earthquakes roughly every 2-3 years. Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the urban corridor roughly twice a century. So infrequent but not weird
On the M4.3 on the Fontana trend
July 31, 2025 at 10:07 PM
On the M4.3 on the Fontana trend
Looks like a small swarm in the Fontana trend. This M4.2 had a few foreshcoks including a M3.0. The Fontana trend is a NE-striking lineation of earthquakes under the sediments of the San Bernardino Vslley. We believe it is one of the left-lateral striking faults that are south of the San Gabriels.
#AutoEQ A magnitude 4.2 (MI) #earthquake has occurred 4 mi W of Muscoy, CA at 09:32 PDT Jul 31, 2025 [2025-07-31 16:32 UTC]. #SCSN has not yet confirmed this event. For more info visit http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci41249496#executive
July 31, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Looks like a small swarm in the Fontana trend. This M4.2 had a few foreshcoks including a M3.0. The Fontana trend is a NE-striking lineation of earthquakes under the sediments of the San Bernardino Vslley. We believe it is one of the left-lateral striking faults that are south of the San Gabriels.
The 7/29/2025 M8.8 looks like a repeat of an earthquake in 1952
Another quick comparison of the 1952 #Kamchatka #earthquake from MacInnes et al. (2010) with today’s M8.8 event. The aftershock areas are similar, as well as one region of foreshocks. The updated USGS rupture model has a max slip of 10m versus 12m for 1952, with SW rupture direction. 🧪⚒️
July 30, 2025 at 3:19 PM
The 7/29/2025 M8.8 looks like a repeat of an earthquake in 1952
Reposted by Lucy Jones
In addition to many M7+ earthquakes, this boundary has also hosted half a dozen M8+ earthquakes. Red circles mark the epicenter above the site where fault rupture began, and yellow shows the area on the megathrust fault that ruptured.
July 16, 2025 at 11:13 PM
In addition to many M7+ earthquakes, this boundary has also hosted half a dozen M8+ earthquakes. Red circles mark the epicenter above the site where fault rupture began, and yellow shows the area on the megathrust fault that ruptured.
Even very small quakes can be felt if you are nearby (and a shallow quake is closer to people on the surface). But there is not much to be said about an M2.7 except that it happened
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
June 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Even very small quakes can be felt if you are nearby (and a shallow quake is closer to people on the surface). But there is not much to be said about an M2.7 except that it happened
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
Reposted by Lucy Jones
This study uses "overdue" to mean that time time since the last quake is longer than the average time between earthquakes. But that doesn't mean the next quake is more likely in the near future. The length of intervals between events is very variable even at one location.
Can you expand on what you mean?
June 8, 2025 at 4:33 AM
This study uses "overdue" to mean that time time since the last quake is longer than the average time between earthquakes. But that doesn't mean the next quake is more likely in the near future. The length of intervals between events is very variable even at one location.
This does not mean the big earthquake is more likely. Whatever is making for long intervals is happening now.
Study says California is overdue for a major earthquake. Does that mean ‘the big one’ is coming?—About 45% of the faults analyzed for California are running behind schedule for a major earthquake, meaning… www.sfchronicle.com/science/arti... @jackjlee.bsky.social @sfchronicle.com
Study says California is overdue for a major earthquake. Does that mean ‘the big one’ is coming?
A new earthquake study reported that a large share of California faults have been running “late,” based on the expected time span between damaging temblors.
www.sfchronicle.com
June 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
This does not mean the big earthquake is more likely. Whatever is making for long intervals is happening now.
It is so cool to see actual fault offset, but I am also struck by how small the shaking is. This is the ultimate "near-field" site, but the shaking is not enough to topple any of the tall vases.
Watch the ground break and move during the magnitude 7.7 #Myanmar #earthquake. This footage shows the incredible power of the earthquake that devastated parts of Myanmar and #Thailand. My thoughts are with the people impacted by this event. 💔
🧪⚒️
🧪⚒️
May 13, 2025 at 3:57 AM
It is so cool to see actual fault offset, but I am also struck by how small the shaking is. This is the ultimate "near-field" site, but the shaking is not enough to topple any of the tall vases.
Reposted by Lucy Jones
#FieldPhotoFriday Back from the beach and up into the mountains, sometimes the field techs need to go even higher! Atop an antenna at the peak of a mountain near Lake Arrowhead to be exact! Climbing can be a regular part of the job, they do what it takes to keep the data flowing!
April 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
#FieldPhotoFriday Back from the beach and up into the mountains, sometimes the field techs need to go even higher! Atop an antenna at the peak of a mountain near Lake Arrowhead to be exact! Climbing can be a regular part of the job, they do what it takes to keep the data flowing!
I've partnered with OcTech, Caltech's choral octet, to create Courage To Care: a concert & discussion to process climate angst in a time of historic fires. If you're in SoCal, come build community with us!
Sunday, April 27th, 7:30 PM
Dabney Lounge on the Caltech campus
Tickets: No tickets - free!
Sunday, April 27th, 7:30 PM
Dabney Lounge on the Caltech campus
Tickets: No tickets - free!
April 23, 2025 at 11:50 PM
I've partnered with OcTech, Caltech's choral octet, to create Courage To Care: a concert & discussion to process climate angst in a time of historic fires. If you're in SoCal, come build community with us!
Sunday, April 27th, 7:30 PM
Dabney Lounge on the Caltech campus
Tickets: No tickets - free!
Sunday, April 27th, 7:30 PM
Dabney Lounge on the Caltech campus
Tickets: No tickets - free!
Interesting to look at the detailed relocations of the aftershocks to the M5.2. It looks like they are not on the main strand of the Elsinore fault.
April 15, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Interesting to look at the detailed relocations of the aftershocks to the M5.2. It looks like they are not on the main strand of the Elsinore fault.
Earthquake Early Warning requires estimating the magnitude from the first few seconds on just a few stations. It is always very rough but lets us get out something quickly. There is a lot of variation between locations. The final magnitude averages 100+ stations and is always more accurate
Out of curiosity, why was it first projected so high at 6.7 and then 6.0, only to be downgraded to 5.2? Felt it pretty strong here in Long Beach so we def thought it made more sense with the initial numbers stated.
April 14, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Earthquake Early Warning requires estimating the magnitude from the first few seconds on just a few stations. It is always very rough but lets us get out something quickly. There is a lot of variation between locations. The final magnitude averages 100+ stations and is always more accurate
When my grandson's preschool teacher (in Orange County) told the children to Drop and Cover as the Julian quake happened, my grandson yelled out "And hold on!". I'm so proud
In related news, this was the 1st earthquake that my kids ever felt.
April 14, 2025 at 8:05 PM
When my grandson's preschool teacher (in Orange County) told the children to Drop and Cover as the Julian quake happened, my grandson yelled out "And hold on!". I'm so proud
Today's M5.2 is the largest quake near the Elsinore fault since I came to California in 1983. But there were quite a few M4s along the way. A junior sibling to the San Andreas, the Elsinore is long enough to have given us some bigger events
April 14, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Today's M5.2 is the largest quake near the Elsinore fault since I came to California in 1983. But there were quite a few M4s along the way. A junior sibling to the San Andreas, the Elsinore is long enough to have given us some bigger events
I was proud to be a federal scientist at the USGS for 33 years. "Earth science in the public service" meant I could focus on creating and explaining science for public officials and providing public education, not just educating students at one university. theconversation.com/us-earthquak...
US earthquake safety relies on federal employees’ expertise
The US experiences violent earthquakes, but the damage and death toll is much lower than in many countries because of the work of federal seismologists and engineers.
theconversation.com
April 2, 2025 at 2:35 AM
I was proud to be a federal scientist at the USGS for 33 years. "Earth science in the public service" meant I could focus on creating and explaining science for public officials and providing public education, not just educating students at one university. theconversation.com/us-earthquak...
Reposted by Lucy Jones
#AirTalk with Larry Mantle celebrates 40 years on air, with leading voices joining to help listeners better understand the many facets of L.A.—from science to politics to history. Hear from guests, including seismologist @drlucyjones.bsky.social in this special episode: laist.com/shows/airtal...
40 years of AirTalk
Today on AirTalk, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the very first live airing of AirTalk with Larry Mantle. Join us on a journey through the ages as we look back at the show's history and ho...
laist.com
April 2, 2025 at 12:11 AM
#AirTalk with Larry Mantle celebrates 40 years on air, with leading voices joining to help listeners better understand the many facets of L.A.—from science to politics to history. Hear from guests, including seismologist @drlucyjones.bsky.social in this special episode: laist.com/shows/airtal...
Reposted by Lucy Jones
After the fires, the only person I wanted to talk to was @drlucyjones.bsky.social. I was so thrilled to be able to sit down with her for this interview for Dwell. Our conversation about LA's future was, at times, painfully honest — but ultimately very hopeful
“We’re Going to Have Something Worse”: What Dr. Lucy Jones Says Will Make L.A. More Fire Resilient
The city’s seismologist turned climate disaster expert wants better building codes but isn’t waiting around for them.
www.dwell.com
April 1, 2025 at 7:32 PM
After the fires, the only person I wanted to talk to was @drlucyjones.bsky.social. I was so thrilled to be able to sit down with her for this interview for Dwell. Our conversation about LA's future was, at times, painfully honest — but ultimately very hopeful
This is an excellent post, summarizing the scientific data from the Myanmar earthquake. The long fault and close proximity to major cities indicate a high level of damage and we should expect the death toll to rise. But the ongoing civil war near Mandalay suggests we may never know.
🧪⚒️
Two days after the M7.7 earthquake in Myanmar, what have we learned?
Rapid seismological analyses shared by scientists suggest that the rupture was both longer and faster than expected - two factors that could have increased damage.
Read more: earthquakeinsights.substack.com/p/updates-on...
Two days after the M7.7 earthquake in Myanmar, what have we learned?
Rapid seismological analyses shared by scientists suggest that the rupture was both longer and faster than expected - two factors that could have increased damage.
Read more: earthquakeinsights.substack.com/p/updates-on...
Updates on the M7.7 Myanmar earthquake
An unusually long, possibly supershear rupture
earthquakeinsights.substack.com
March 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
This is an excellent post, summarizing the scientific data from the Myanmar earthquake. The long fault and close proximity to major cities indicate a high level of damage and we should expect the death toll to rise. But the ongoing civil war near Mandalay suggests we may never know.
This could be devastating. This is strike-slip mechanism on a plate boundary, much like the 1906 quake on the San Andreas. The rupture length is at least 300km. The capital, Yangon, is near the fault, but I can’t yet see if the fault ruptured towards Yangon or away from it
March 28, 2025 at 7:02 AM
This could be devastating. This is strike-slip mechanism on a plate boundary, much like the 1906 quake on the San Andreas. The rupture length is at least 300km. The capital, Yangon, is near the fault, but I can’t yet see if the fault ruptured towards Yangon or away from it
The Malibu quakes: There have now been 12 M≥3.0 quakes in approximately the same location north of Malibu since February 2024. In comparison, the previous 25 years had 7 M≥3s in the same location. A couple are clear aftershocks (within a few hours of a larger event), but the others are spread out
March 17, 2025 at 4:42 AM
The Malibu quakes: There have now been 12 M≥3.0 quakes in approximately the same location north of Malibu since February 2024. In comparison, the previous 25 years had 7 M≥3s in the same location. A couple are clear aftershocks (within a few hours of a larger event), but the others are spread out