Fault creep rates in the San Francisco Bay Area
Date: March 3-6, 2026
Location: San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
Workshop Organizers: Elizabeth Madden (SJSU), Christie Rowe (UNR)
SCEC Award: 26025
Application deadline: February 4, 2026.
Attendance limited to 40 in-person participants. Accepted applicants will be notified by February 10.
The San Francisco Bay Area is cut by a network of faults, many of which are creeping. Creep has been measured since the 1970s by survey measurements of 89 alignment arrays and this extraordinary dataset provides evidence for creep transients, some triggered by regional earthquakes, which propagate along strike over days to years. Currently there is no plan for continuing alignment array measurements, a time-consuming task which may be best shared across the research community. In addition, considering these data alongside alternative methods for observing creep is critical to advance understanding of loading conditions and stress transfer patterns in space and time that underlie fault mechanics, seismic cycling and earthquake rupture dynamics. Limited understanding of how creep influences seismic hazard further underscores the need to focus collaborative research in this area and reconsider long term monitoring of creep. With the expansion to Northern California, the Statewide California Earthquake Center is well positioned to facilitate this collaboration. Workshop goals:
We welcome applications from individuals interested in the interaction of transient and long-term fault creep on seismic hazard, the use of creep observations to constrain timescales of locking and slip, stress transfer, and fault interactions, geodetic, geophysical and geologic methods for constraining fault creep and understanding its mechanisms, and those interested in expanding an interdisciplinary consortium for longer term monitoring in northern and central California.
The workshop registration fee is $150, covering meals and transportation during the field trip on March 4. Costs to participants may also include meals on other days (not included in the registration fee) transportation to/from San Jose (SJC), and parking at SJSU.
For out-of-town participants, lodging will be arranged at the Signia Hotel walking distance to the meeting room on San Jose State’s campus. Additional SCEC travel support may be available based on financial need, with priority given to students, early-career researchers, and those without institutional funding. Additional support may cover the registration fee only or may include additional travel expenses.
Applicants should complete the travel support section carefully when applying. Accepted participants will be notified by February 10, 2026, with details on registration payment, hotel reservations, and additional travel support if applicable.
All times are Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8).Â
| Time | Description | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1: Creep and creep measurements Clarify what we do we know about Bay Area creep. Identify what we should know about Bay Area creep to advance fundamental science and better mitigate seismic hazard. | ||
| 12:30 - 13:00 | Introduction | |
| 13:00 - 13:20 | Discovery of creep | |
| 13:20 - 13:40 | History of the alignment arrays | |
| 13:40 - 14:00 | Other datasets measuring creep | |
| 14:00 - 14:20 | Current collection methods | |
| 14:20 - 14:40 | Technology advancements | |
| 14:40 - 15:00 | Break | |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | Participant mini talks presenting and motivating applications for expanded creep datasets. | |
| 16:00 - 16:40 | Breakout 1
| |
| 16:40 - 17:30 | Reconvene in larger group to share reflections and meet objectives. | |
| 17:30 | Adjourn Day 1 |
| Time | Description | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| Session 2: Measuring Creep in the Field Ensure that all participants understand the current creep monitoring technology and discuss its limitations, advantages and future. Discuss new/potential creep assessment tools. | ||
| 08:30 | Meet for all day field trip | |
| Site 1 | Visit first alignment array and take measurements | |
| Site 2 | Visit second alignment array and take measurements | |
| Site 3 | Visit Gallegos Winery in Fremont, location of creepmeter CFW and a subsurface in-place inclinometer system across the Hayward fault. | |
| Site 4 | LiDAR hands-on session & discussion of potential technological improvements | |
| 18:00 | Workshop Dinner (San José) |
| Time | Description | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| Session 3: Deep dive on comparison of alignment arrays and other monitoring methods Critique current creep dataset. Consider alternative/complementary monitoring strategies (microseismicity, remote sensing, creepmeters, structure from motion, lidar, etc) | ||
| 09:00 - 09:30 | Introduction & field trip review | |
| 09:30 - 09:50 | Review of each location, aperture and history for alignment array data. | |
| 09:50 - 10:10 | Technical discussions of alternative measurement methods. | |
| 10:10 - 10:30 | Define required spatial and temporal resolutions provided by current and alternative methods. | |
| 10:30 - 10:50 | Break | |
| 10:50 - 11:30 | Breakout 2
| |
| 11:30 - 12:00 | Reconvene in larger group to share reflections and meet objectives. | |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Lunch | |
| Session 4: Planning for the future of creep monitoring Build plans for maintaining current alignment array collection including criteria for measurement site priorities and benchmarks for site abandonment. Considering needed spatial and temporal collection scales, plan replacement or integration with other measurement methods. Plan for post-seismic measurements and operationalizing afterslip forecasting. | ||
| 13:00 - 13:20 | Community Geodetic Model | |
| 13:20 - 13:40 | TBD | |
| 13:40 - 14:00 | TBD | |
| 14:00 - 14:20 | TBD | |
| 14:20 - 14:40 | TBD | |
| 14:40 - 15:00 | Break | |
| 15:00 - 15:40 | Breakout 3
| |
| 15:40 - 16:20 | Reconvene in larger group to share reflections and meet objectives. |
| Time | Description | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 - 12:00 | Session 5: Workplan writing Define community goals for data continuity in time and space that would allow replacement of alignment array measurements with other more efficient methods. Plan for draft report summarizing state of the art in measurement approaches and hazard applications for fault creep. | |
| 12:00 | Workshop Adjourns |
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