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What's going on in Parkfield?

Ah, Parkfield. For a small town (population 36), it is extremely well known in geophysical circles. The primary reason, of course, is that Parkfield is the site of the first prediction experiment in the United States.

In 1985, the USGS, the CDMG, and the State of California initiated the Parfield Prediction experiment. Based on the analysis of historical seismicity, the USGS "predicted" that an earthquake of ~M6 would occur in Parkfield between 1987 and 1993.

In 2004, a M6 earthquake occurred in Parkfield.

Parkfield Earthquakes

More information on the Parkfield Prediction Experiment - from the USGS

Studies at Parkfield

Publications on Parkfield

  • A UCB Bibliography on Parkfield

  • Bakun, W. H., et. al., Parkfield, California, earthquake prediction scenarios and response plans, USGS Open-File Report 87-192, 1987.

  • Bakun, W., Historic Seismicity of the Parkfield Area, California Geology, 41, 1988.

  • The Parkfield Opportunity - from California Geology, 1988

  • National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council Working Group to evaluate the Parkfield Prediction Experiment, Earthquake research at Parkfield--1993 and beyond, USGS Open-File Report 93-622, 1993.

  • Roeloffs, E., The earthquake prediction experiment at Parkfield California, Reviews of Geophysics, v32, 315-336, 1994.

  • Lindh, A. G. and M. Lim, A clarification, correction, and updating of Parkfield, California, earthquake prediction scenarios and response plans, USGS Open-File Report 95-695, 1995.

  • Michael, A. J., and L. M. Jones, A reevaluation of the seismicity alert probabilities at Parkfield, California, USGS Open-File Report 95-630, 1995.

  • Kagan, Y., Statistical aspects of Parkfield earthquake sequence and Parkfield prediction experiment, Tectonophysics, 270, 207-219, 1996.

Earthquake Prediction

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Berkeley Seismological Lab
215 McCone Hall, UC Berkeley
Berkeley CA 94720-4760
www@seismo.berkeley.edu

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Last modified: Wed Sep 17 09:20:44 PDT 2008