This data set contains locations and information on faults and associated folds in the United States that are believed to be sources of M>6 earthquakes during the Quaternary (the past 1,600,000 years). On the website, maps of these geologic structures are linked to a database containing detailed descriptions and references. The database is intended to be the USGS's archive for historic and ancient earthquake sources used in current and future probabilistic seismic-hazard analyses.
Our website presents for the first time a single source that summarizes important information on paleoseismic (ancient earthquake) parameters. These data are compiled from thousands of journal articles, maps, theses, and other documents, as referenced herein. The database is designed to serve a variety of needs, both in terms of the user community and methods of delivering the data.