Understanding the dynamics of earthquakes and faulting, and the associated geohazards, requires a systems-level approach.
The Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) collaborates with academic, government, industry, and other organizations to advance earthquake science, community resilience, and education by: (1) Gathering and analyzing data from field observations and laboratory experiments. (2) Developing system-level models and simulations of earthquake processes to synthesize knowledge as a physics-based understanding of seismic hazard. (3) Communicating that understanding to expand knowledge and reduce earthquake risk.
Building Community Earth Models (CEM) for California
SCEC CEMs are collaborative platforms that provide community-contributed data, models, and tools to study key geophysical features of the San Andreas Fault System.
Developing Advanced Modeling Frameworks
SCEC develops physics-based models and advanced modeling frameworks to simulate earthquake processes and the evolution of faults and earthquakes more realistically.
Increasing California’s Resilience to Earthquakes
SCEC provides the scientific foundation for earthquake risk-reduction by integrating observations within a system science modeling framework to quantify seismic hazard.
Using Artificial Intelligence in Earthquake Science
By applying AI methods across earthquake science, SCEC is exploring its potential in fault mapping, ground motion simulations, earthquake forecasting, and more.
Each year, SCEC solicits proposals for research, workshops, and trainings through a competitive process, typically attracting hundreds of investigators to contribute to the Center’s programs. The 2024 Science Plan emphasized new opportunities enabled by a geographic scope that now includes the entire transform plate boundary system of California. It also provides a roadmap on how to distribute research efforts in southern, central, and northern California to achieve the Center’s science goals.
SCEC Research Highlights
Co-Director and SSC Chair Greg Beroza (Stanford) and PRC Chair Alice Gabriel (UCSD) present research highlights from the Statewide California Earthquake Center at 2025 SCEC Annual Meeting.
SCEC Workshop: Bay Area Fault-Creep
March 3-6, 2026
SCEC UNREST Workshop
June 1-3, 2026
SCEC Parkfield 2.0 Workshop
June 10-11, 2026
SCEC Workshop: Tandem Training
June 22-24, 2026
2026 SCEC Annual Meeting
August 30 – September 2, 2026
SCEC prioritizes investigator-driven, interdisciplinary research, fostering connections with scientific, engineering, and community stakeholders. This collaborative approach sustains basic and applied earthquake science research, enabling exploration of new avenues, welcoming new investigators, and providing a global platform for multidisciplinary research, workforce development, and community engagement. SCEC fosters an inclusive and diverse professional culture that maximizes the contributions of future earthquake scientists.
SCEC’s Science Steering Branch guides research by identifying promising new research directions, and engaging the broader scientific community. A Science Steering Committee sets annual science goals and solicits proposals aligned with them. A Proposal Review Committee evaluates these proposals and recommends the portfolio of projects to the Directors and Board for annual funding.
Greg Beroza
Stanford
Science Steering
Committee Chair
Lisa Grant Ludwig
UCI
Science Steering
Committee Member
Mike Floyd
MIT
Science Steering
Committee Member
Nadia Lapusta
Caltech
Science Steering
Committee Member
Philip Maechling
USC
Science Steering
Committee Member
Morgan Moschetti
USGS
Science Steering
Committee Member
Morgan Page
USGS
Science Steering
Committee Member
Patricia Persaud
U Arizona
Science Steering
Committee Member
Belle Philibosian
USGS
Science Steering
Committee Member
Alice Gabriel
UCSD
Science Steering
Committee Vice-Chair
Science Steering Committee (SSC)
Monitors research progress, identifies priorities, and sets Center science goals. With input from the SCEC community and leadership, they cultivate new research ideas, and develop the annual science plan guiding proposal submissions to SCEC’s research program.
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Alice Gabriel
UCSD
Proposal Review
Committee Chair
Ramon Arrowsmith
ASU
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Domniki Asimaki
Caltech
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Nick Beeler
USGS
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Scott Callaghan
USC
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Roby Douilly
UCR
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Wenyuan Fan
UCSD
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Gareth Funning
UCR
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Ashley Griffith
Ohio State
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Jeanne Hardebeck
USGS
Proposal Review
Committee Member
George Hilley
Stanford
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Evan Hirakawa
USGS
Proposal Review
Committee Member
William Holt
Stony Brook U
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Yihe Huang
Michigan
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Kathryn Materna
UC Boulder
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Laurent Montesi
Maryland
Proposal Review
Committee Member
John Naliboff
NMMT
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Brian Olson
CGS
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Kim Olsen
SDSU
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Mike Oskin
UC Davis
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Arben Pitarka
LLNL
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Christie Rowe
UNR
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Max Werner
Bristol
Proposal Review
Committee Member
Greg Beroza
Stanford
Proposal Review
Committee Vice-Chair
Proposal Review Committee (PRC)
24-30 expert reviewers (representing 12 disciplinary and interdisciplinary focus areas) who evaluate proposals submitted to SCEC, and recommend the annual portfolio of research proposals, trainings, and workshops to fund to the Board, Center Directors, and sponsors to act on.
VIEW CHARTER
The SCEC Community may register any recently published journal article, book, chapter, presentation, and more in the SCEC Publications Database. These publications may be results partially or entirely funded by SCEC.
The SCEC Annual Meeting brings together 400-500 participants worldwide to share breakthroughs, assess progress, and chart a collaborative path for earthquake science. All of the Center activities are presented, analyzed, and woven into a set of priorities for SCEC to pursue in the future.
Documents published by the SCEC community, including journal articles, books, chapters, presentations, etc. are collected in the SCEC publications database. Each record is identified by its SCEC Contribution Number, that can be used to acknowledgement of SCEC funding support.
