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The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake also provided an opportunity to advance seismic monitoring. Most of the instrumentation in northern California at that time represented 1960s-age technology and the sensors were limited in their ability to record the full range of ground motion. In particular, the network lacked the ability to continue operating when local power was disrupted, and to record data locally when telecommunications failed. As a consequence, only the most distant stations operated by the Seismographic Stations recorded the Loma Prieta earthquake with fidelity. Communication links and power failed at several sites, resulting in loss of data. The Seismographic Stations provided a preliminary location and magnitude of the Loma Prieta earthquake within 30-45 minutes, but could provide little additional information to emergency response operators and the press.

The Loma Prieta earthquake provided both challenges and opportunities for the Seismological Laboratory. Since 1991, primarily with funding provided by the University of California at Berkeley, the Seismographic Stations has been able to upgrade and expand its monitoring efforts in northern California. Additional support has been provided by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through the USGS, the National Science Foundation, and the California Office of Emergency Services. The efforts can be categorized in terms of enhanced instrumentation, improved monitoring and analysis, and expanded archives for long-term research. Although there has been much progress, there is still much to do.

Today, the BSL operates several different networks and has expanded into a broader range of geophysical monitoring. Data from these geophysical networks are recorded digitally and are archived at the Northern California Earthquake Data Center, which is located at the Berkeley Seismological Lab. Researchers from around the world use data from the BSL. In addition to their use in earthquake studies, these data are useful for rapid notification of earthquakes. Together with the USGS Menlo Park, the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory reports earthquake information within a few minutes of occurrence.

Today, Holden's proposal of the California System is becoming a reality in the California Integrated Seismic Network. UC Berkeley and the USGS Menlo Park have joined in collaboration with the California Geological Survey, Caltech, the USGS Pasadena, and the California Office of Emergency Services to create a statewide monitoring system.