For those interested in the SCEC Community Stress Model (CSM) project and contributing, this background page offers essential information to get started.
The SCEC Community Stress Model (CSM) is a collaborative effort developed since 2011 by dozens of SCEC scientists to provide a comprehensive understanding of stress and stressing rates within the California lithosphere. Given the fundamental role of crustal stress in earthquake processes—influencing fault slip, ground shaking, and fault interactions—accurate stress characterization is crucial for advancing earthquake system science.
However, directly observing the stress state within the Earth’s crust is exceptionally challenging. This inherent difficulty leads to a wide range of plausible stress estimates in scientific studies, reflecting variations in data, methodologies, and assumptions. To address this uncertainty, the CSM adopted a different approach from other SCEC Community Earth Models: rather than presenting a single consensus model, it compiles a suite of diverse stress and stressing rate models. Stress models simulate the 3-D symmetric stress tensor (6 components), describing forces within a volume of subsurface material. Stressing rate models simulate changes in the 3-D stress tensor over time, such as stress accumulation along a tectonic plate boundary. These models, while covering subregions of California, collectively provide a more robust and nuanced representation of the region’s stress field.
The table below shows all contributed models for the current SCEC CSM. Each model is based on different data types (e.g., focal mechanisms, borehole breakouts, geodetic data), methodologies (e.g., stress inversions, kinematic modeling), and underlying assumptions. We welcome new and updated contributions of stress, stressing rate, or stress observation models. See the SCEC CSM Model Contribution Form to submit new information.
The contributed models are standardized on a common grid across California. Values in the crust (depths ≤ 25 km) are reported every 2 km, at 2 km intervals between 1 – 25 km. Values in the lithosphere (depths ≥ 50 km) are reported every 5 km, at 25 km intervals between 50 – 100 km. Points outside a model’s defined volume are omitted. Some models vary with depth, while others are uniform. Model values are provided at all valid points and depths, even if estimates are consistent across depths.
SCEC Community Stress Model (CSM) (Version v2024) by Luttrell et al. (2025).
Community Stress Model (CSM)
suite of stress and stressing rate models
The CSM provides estimates of stress and stressing rates for various regions of California. The suite of models, derived using a variety of methods and datasets, are presented on a consistent grid.
Community Fault Model (CFM)
3D geometric representations of faults in California
CFM is an object-oriented, 3D representation of active faults in California, including geometries, depths, and slip potential. Explore and download data for use in fault system modeling, seismic hazard analyses, and many other applications.
Unified Community Velocity Model (UCVM)
software for accessing seismic velocity models
A standard interface to multiple seismic velocity models that can be used to create velocity meshes for 3D wavefield simulations. UCVM is used by researchers working with Earth material properties on regional or local scales.
Community Geodetic Model (CGM)
Earth surface displacement from GNSS and InSAR
The CGM integrates high-precision GNSS and InSAR data to provide velocities and time series of Earth’s surface movements. Data comes from a number of contributing researchers, institutions and analysis centers.
Community Rheology Model (CRM)
3D ductile rheology of lithosphere in California
The CRM provides a detailed, physics-based 3D model of ductile rheology (rock flow) for Southern California’s lithosphere. The explorer provides an interface to query temperature, pressure, and rheology data.
Community Thermal Model (CTM)
estimates of temperature and thermal properties
The CTM provides estimates of temperatures and thermal properties of the southern California lithosphere and asthenosphere. Currently, the CTM includes two models, each based on different methods.
Geologic Slip Rate Database (GSRD)
geologic slip rates for CA, NV, and northern Mexico
SCEC’s GSRD centralizes field-derived geologic slip rates crucial for seismic hazard estimates (e.g., NSHM), linked to relevant source publications. As a living archive, it welcomes updates via a user submission form.
Precariously Balanced Rock (PBR) Database
field-derived data for PBRs in California
The database contains photographs, locations, and metadata for PBRs, valuable for constraining seismic hazard estimates and validating ground motion predictions. An interactive map viewer facilitates data exploration and querying.
CEMs are collaborative platforms featuring community-contributed data, models, and tools for earthquake system analysis. CEMs enable 3D visualization, data exploration, sharing, and integrated analyses.
| Contributed Model (for current SCEC CSM) | Model Type | What is the model based on? | Depth Range (km) | Orientation meaningful | Magnitude meaningful | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson-Hearn K. Johnson, E. Hearn | Stressing rate | Interpolation-based estimate of strain-rate | 1 - 15 | Yes* (horizontal only) | Yes | 8/22/2024 |
| Kreemer-Hearn C. Kreemer, Z. Young, E. Hearn | Stressing rate | Interpolation-based estimate of strain-rate | 1 - 15 | Yes* (horizontal only) | Yes | 8/12/2024 |
| Zeng-Hearn Y. Zeng, E. Hearn | Stressing rate | block model estimate of strain-rate | 1 - 15 | Yes* (horizontal only) | Yes | 12/17/2024 |
| PH03_NorCal A. Provost, H. Houston | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 13 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
| HM04_NorCal_ClusterBased J. Hardebeck, A. Michael | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 13 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
| HM04_NorCal_FaultBased J. Hardebeck, A. Michael | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 13 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
| SHS23_MtLewis R. Skoumal, J. Hardebeck, D. Shelly | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 13 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
| PH01_Creeping_Table1 A. Provost, H. Houston | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 13 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
| PEZW02_LongValley S. Prejean, W. Ellsworth, M. Zoback, F. Waldhauser | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 15 | Yes | No | 8/14/2024 |
| H2020_Ridgecrest J. Hardebeck | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 15 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
| FlatMaxwell P. Bird | Stress | forward physics-based modeling of tectonic loading | 1 - 75 | Yes | Yes | 03/20/2015 |
| SHELLS P. Bird | Stress | forward physics-based modeling of tectonic loading | 1 - 100 | Yes | Yes | 09/06/2012 |
| LovelessMeade J. Loveless, B. Meade | Stressing rate | block model estimate of strain-rate | 1 - 100 | Yes | Yes | 09/26/2012 |
| NeoKinema P. Bird, E. Hearn | Stressing rate | forward physics-based modeling of tectonic loading | 1 - 15 | Yes | Yes | 01/02/2013 |
| UCERF3_ABM K. Johnson | Stressing rate | block model estimate of strain-rate | 1 - 15 | Yes | Yes | 12/01/2012 |
| Zeng Y. Zeng, Z. Shen | Stressing rate | forward physics-based modeling of tectonic loading | 1 - 15 | Yes | Yes (horizontal only) | 05/20/2013 |
| SAFPoly3D M. Cooke | Stressing rate | forward physics-based modeling of tectonic loading | 1 - 17 | Yes | Yes | 08/01/2015 |
| Hardebeck_FM J. Hardebeck | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 25 | Yes | No | 09/20/2012 |
| YH14-K T. Becker | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism Kostrov summation | 1 - 25 | Yes | No | 10/01/2016 |
| YHSM-2013 E. Hauksson, W. Yang | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 19 | Yes | No | 10/22/2012 |
| Luttrell-2017 K. Luttrell, B. Smith-Konter | Stress | deviatoric stress required to support topography | 5 | Yes | Yes (deviatoric only) | 07/31/2017 |
| PH01_Creeping_Table2 A. Provost, H. Houston | Stress | earthquake focal mechanism inversion | 1 - 13 | Yes | No | 6/11/2024 |
The Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) prioritizes access to its software tools and data by both the scientific community and the public. Through open-source software and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data practices, we strive for SCEC software and data to remain discoverable, usable, and citable for future research.
To ensure proper credit for the development and use of SCEC Community Earth Models, we kindly request that you cite the specific model(s) you utilize in your research or for other applications. This helps track usage and acknowledge the contributions of the many model developers and researchers, who have invested significant effort and expertise to advance SCEC Community Earth Models.
Most models have Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) on Zenodo. Use the links below to find the appropriate citation:
The citation is typically located in a gray box labeled “Citation” on the right side of the Zenodo page. For example:
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