Earthquakes and Geophysics

The KGS Earthquakes and Geophysics (E&G) Team conducts field investigations, collects seismic data, and disseminates information on issues related to earthquakes and subsurface characterizations to the benefit of Kentucky through collaborations within KGS, at the University of Kentucky (UK), and beyond. The E&G Team supports KGS’s mission to build Kentucky’s resilience through relevant, innovative, and high-impact research that assists with mitigating natural hazards that the Commonwealth faces. The team also distributes seismic data globally in real-time and provides earthquake information and research products to the research community, the public, the media, and to stakeholders, as well as providing student research opportunities on the UK campus. 

The Team’s primary research tool, the Kentucky Seismic and Strong-Motion Network (KSSMN), supports the Team’s main focus: earthquake hazards research. The KSSMN, which began in 1980, is based and operated out of the Mining and Mineral Resources Building on the University of Kentucky’s main campus. Network stations, distribute across the Commonwealth, are constantly being upgraded and new stations are occasionally established to improve network coverage. Using the KSSMN and other geophysical tools, the E&G Team also deploys temporary seismic arrays and conducts research in characterizing subsurface properties and resources such as near-surface geological layers and groundwater. The Team also explores uses of KSSMN data to detect the occurrence of other natural hazards such as extreme weather events. To be successful in its research endeavors, the E&G Team collaborates with researchers in other KGS teams and departments at UK, and at other institutions. In the next two to five years, to make additional contributions to KGS’s mission and to enhance collaborations at KGS and UK, the E&G Team plans to expand its research to include near-surface projects involving geophysical techniques and tools beyond seismic.