Stanford geophysicist Paul Segall discusses the Fagradalsfjall volcano currently erupting 20 miles southwest of Reykjavík, Iceland. (Source: Stanford News)

A new analysis of the 2018 collapse of Kīlauea volcano’s caldera helps to confirm the reigning scientific paradigm for how friction works on earthquake faults. The model quantifies the conditions necessary to initiate the kind of caldera collapse that sustains big, damaging eruptions of basaltic volcanoes like Kīlauea and could help to inform forecasting and mitigation.

Because foreshocks precede larger quakes, they have long presented the tantalizing prospect of warning of potentially damaging earthquakes. But to date, they have only been recognized in hindsight, and scientists for decades have sought to understand the physical processes that drive them. Computer modeling by Stanford geophysicists finds answers in the complex geometry of faults.

A collection of research and insights from Stanford experts on where and how earthquakes happen, why prediction remains elusive, advances in detection and monitoring, links to human activities, how to prepare for "The Big One," and more.

Paul Segall used ground deformation measurements to create a simplified model of caldera collapse that can explain several surprising features observed in the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.

Stanford Earth's Paul Segall comments on a new, cheaper way to track crustal movements on the ocean floor. The method would replace expensive ships with ocean-going drones.

Reflecting on the 30th anniversary of Loma Prieta this week, earthquake experts recently shared their perspectives on how the event impacted them, the Bay Area and the research community at large.

Stanford geophysicist Paul Segall explains key differences between recent eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala, and why some volcanoes pose far greater hazard to life than others.

Stanford Earth professor Paul Segall explains what Kilauea volcano's latest violent episode taught us about eruptions, how scientists determine when a dormant volcano will rumble to life  and more.

Geophysicist and volcanologist Paul Segall describes Hawaii's most active volcano and the science behind the latest eruptions.