Reducing Disaster Risks

Understanding threats and reducing risks to human wellbeing

Thousands of lives and billions of dollars have been lost in recent natural disasters such as the 2010 Haiti and 2015 Nepal earthquakes and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Not to mention the hurricanes that struck Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Geohazards have shaped and reshaped the planet for millennia. Now climate change is adding to the threats, even as urban centers are expanding and more people are living in vulnerable locations.

We study Earth processes—what causes them and how to predict where and when they will happen—but we also seek to reduce the risks to human wellbeing, especially in increasingly populated and vulnerable cities worldwide. Our expertise in both subsurface-originating hazards and the surface changes brought about by shifts in climate and land use provides a unique vantage point from which to analyze a new breed of potential hazards and risks.

Jenny Suckale

Assistant Professor of Geophysics

Simon Klemperer

Professor of Geophysics

Tiziana Vanorio

Assistant Professor of Geophysics

Greg Beroza

Professor of Geophysics

Eric Dunham

Associate Professor of Geophysics

Howard Zebker

Professor of Geophysics and Electrical Engineering

Paul Segall

Professor of Geophysics

See all faculty

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Foundations of Contemporary Geophysics

Reflection Seismology

Disasters, Decisions, Development in Sustainable Urban Systems

Physical Volcanology

Earthquake Seismology, Deformation, and Stress

Predicting Volcanic Eruptions

Man vs Nature: Coping with Disasters Using Space Technlogy

Crustal Deformation and Fault Mechanics

Earthquake Seismology

Crustal Geophysics

Stanford Center for Induced and Triggered Seismicity

Rock Physics Lab

A "billion sensors" earthquake observatory with optical fibers

The same optical fibers that deliver high-speed internet and HD video to our homes could one day double as seismic sensors for monitoring and studying earthquakes.

New tool to reduce risk of triggering manmade earthquakes

A new software tool can help reduce the risk of manmade earthquakes by calculating the probability that oil and gas injection activities will trigger slip in nearby faults.

News related to Reducing Disaster Risks

Could climate change bring more landslides to High Mountain Asia?

Researchers used satellite estimates and modeled precipitation data to show warming temperatures will cause more intense rainfall in some areas of the High Mountain Asia region, and this could lead to increased landslide activity in the border region of China and Nepal.

Water flowing from eroded spillway of dam

More rain and less snow means increased flood risk

By analyzing more than two decades of data in the western U.S., scientists have shown that flood sizes increase exponentially as a higher fraction of precipitation falls as rain, offering insight into how flood risks may change in a warming world with less snow.

Setting fires to avoid fires

Despite having proven effective at reducing wildfire risks, prescribed burns have been stymied by perceived and real risks, regulations and resource shortages. A new analysis highlights ways of overcoming those barriers, offering solutions for wildfire-ravaged landscapes.

Q&A: How wildfires threaten water quality

Stanford hydrologist Newsha Ajami, an appointee to California’s regional water quality board, discusses how wildfires affect water quality, and how we can better prepare for and react to the challenges.