Stanford University

Reducing Disaster Risks

Photo by Alberto Garcia

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.

Meet some of the faculty involved in Reducing Disaster Risks

Jenny Suckale
Jenny Suckale

Assistant Professor of Geophysics

Simon Klemperer
Simon Klemperer

Professor of Geophysics

Tiziana Vanorio
Tiziana Vanorio

Assistant Professor of Geophysics

greg beroza
Greg Beroza

Professor of Geophysics

Eric Dunham
Eric Dunham

Associate Professor of Geophysics

Howard Zebker
Howard Zebker

Professor of Geophysics and Electrical Engineering

Paul Segall
Paul Segall

Professor of Geophysics

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.

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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.

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News related to Reducing Disaster Risks

New approach estimates long-term coastal cliff loss

A new method for estimating cliff loss over thousands of years in Del Mar, California, may help reveal some of the long-term drivers of coastal cliff loss in the state. (Source: Stanford News)

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Oil-sand wastewater triggered large Alberta earthquake

New research reveals wastewater injected underground by fossil fuel operators caused a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in November 2022 in the Peace River area of Alberta’s oil sands region. This is the first study to link seismicity in the area to human activity. (Source: Stanford News)

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A Burning Issue: Stanford scholar testifies on rising costs of wildfire

Stanford climate and energy policy expert Michael Wara addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget about the economic risks of climate-fueled wildfire. (Source: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment)

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Zombie forests

Researchers created maps showing where warmer weather has left trees in conditions that don’t suit them, making them more prone to being replaced by other species. The findings could help inform long-term wildfire and ecosystem management in these “zombie forests.” (Source: Stanford News)

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