A messy supply closet with a seismic station box and electrical rack surrounded by scattered electrical work supplies.

Clean supply closet with a seismic station box and an electrical shelf.

Someone in a Pacific Northwest Seismic Network T-shirt working on a computer on top of a seismic station box.

An open seismic station box containing electrical elements and wires.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! Check out all the gear it takes to install a new strong motion site. Tools, equipment, computers, etc. It sure is a lot of stuff! This new strong motion site went into Komachin Middle School in Lacey, WA during spring break. KWOLF is now up and running.

A black and white photograph showing earthquake damage to the cupola of the Legislative Building in Olympia, with wooden braces and rope from the repairs.

A black and white photo showing earthquake damage to the Old Capitol Building in Olympia, with workmen, scaffolding, and a crane visible.

A black and white photograph showing a man working on a truck, a car partially crushed by fallen bricks in front of a large brick smokestack, and a damaged wood-frame building.

A black and white photograph of two boys looking at earthquake damage, including fallen brick and masonry, in front of the New Governor Hotel on Capitol Way in Olympia.

77 years ago—on April 13, 1949—a deep M6.7 earthquake shook up western Washington. Photographs from the Washington State Archives show some of the damage to Olympia. Similar earthquakes struck again in 1965 & 2001, and we are likely to see another in the next few decades: pnsn.org/education/pn...

They are also not at the Axial Seamount Volcano, which has been predicted by others to be nearing an undersea eruption, though they are farther north along the same ridge. Finally, this swarm does NOT pose a hazard to the PNW onshore region. (2/2)

Since around midnight PDT today (April 12, 2026) there's been quite an active swarm of earthquakes at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, about 250mi offshore WA. With 18 detected so far, up to M4.2, the USGS locations show that these are NOT anywhere near the Cascadia Subduction Zone. (1/2)

Cascadia Culture and geoScience Exchange Program - Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center About Program Overview The Cascadia Culture & geoScience Exchange (CCASE) Program is a University of Washington (UW)–based, year-long high school STEM program that grew out of UW Riverways Education…

The CCASE program is funded in part by support from the PNSN, and looks forward to returning next year to Neah Bay!

Curious about the program? Learn more about it, the sister program at Quileute Tribal School, and how to support them here: cascadiaquakes.org/geoscience-e...

The program also hosts several student interns each year, that design projects focused on geohazard communication and community outreach. Last year, interns installed a Raspberry Shake seismometer (check it out here: stationview.raspberryshake.org#/?lat=48.360...) in their own classroom!

Five people stand in a line on a trail leading through a forest. They are standing on a steep wooden staircase while holding garden tools. A sign denoting 160 feet in elevation hangs from a tree next to the trail.

In exchange, the CCASE team had the chance to participate in cultural activities including wood carving, language classes, beadwork and regalia making, visiting the Makah Museum. PNSN director Harold Tobin also joined the team for a day to help maintain a local tsunami trail!

Students also had to opportunity to learn about and implement earthquake engineering tactics in a shake-table demonstration, simulate tsunami generation, and learn from a panel of tsunami researchers and community members involved in geohazard preparedness.

Three people stand at the front of a highschool science classroom, next to a TV. One person speaks towards the class (out of view), while the TV describes "Evidence for 'The Big One': Native Oral Histories" and lists stories about canoes in trees and the earthquake foot.

The CCASE (Cascadia Culture and geoScience Exchange) team worked with students to learn about earthquake & tsunami hazards in their community, how to prepare, and about the seismic history of the area through geologic evidence and native oral histories.

A high school science classroom, with a few rows of students sitting in desks facing the front. At the front, a member of the CCASE team points towards a TV showing seismic activity at Lumen Field during a Seahawks game. Two other team members stand nearby watching.

Six people stand at the side of a forested road smiling and holding garden tools, next to a tsunami evacuation route sign that points towards a trail going into the forest. One man in the foreground stands in a running pose, pretending to run up the trail.

A close up shot of a few students' hands while they work on building structures out of plastic toy building materials. The structures sit on top of a wooden board that is designed to imitate an earthquake when manually shook.

Four people stand around a large map laid out on a school desk in a high school classroom. It is a topographical map of Neah Bay, with tsunami evacuation routes, evacuation time estimates, and tsunami inundation zones outlined.

Happy #Fieldwork Friday! Over UW's spring break, the Cascadia Culture and geoScience Exchange team visited Neah Bay High School to teach a week-long course on geohazards & preparedness. Read below to see how this program highlights the cross section between STEM & Makah culture!

Three people in kayaks along a muddy riverbank with spruce forest above. USGS scientist Brian Atwater stands on the bank by tree debris embedded in the mud and marked with bright tape (UW Photo).

Close-up of the mudbank strata revealing a dark-brown layer of forest debris and a gray layer of silt above, marked with thin lines of sand. A gloved hand is pointing at the boundary (UW Photo).

Close-up of a chunk of cedar wood showing tree-ring layers held in a woman's hand (UW Photo).

A group of about 20 people in muddy outdoor gear standing around and above a riverbank. A portion of the bank has been cleared to expose the strata of sediment layers (UW Photo).

Happy #FieldworkFriday! PNSN staff joined colleagues from @waDNR & @waEMD for a canoe trip in the Willapa Bay estuary to view evidence of past Cascadia Subduction Zone tsunamis. We saw sand deposits in the tidal flats, cedar stumps, and tree ring samples—and got very muddy.

Cat being pet on a bench.

Cat on someone's lap while they enjoy their lunch with a water veiw.

Windsock blowing in a field with the sunset in the background.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! Station visits in the San Juan Islands are always a treat. This week's visit was made even better by a surprise welcome committee: a friendly ferry terminal café cat on Orcas Island. Coffee, pastry, and a purr-fect start to a long day in the field.

PNSN, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and emergency managers in WA & OR work everyday to educate the public and monitor the tsunami hazard on our coastline. Follow evacuation signs if you ever feel shaking, receive an automated alert message, or hear a tsunami warning siren.

Picnic bench with laptop. sign and dune grass in background with ocean and cloudy blue sky in distance.

Park sign depicting Washington geology and tsunami education information.

Vertical evacuation structure, metal and concrete structure with stairs leading up to platform. Trees and grey sky in the background.

Tsunami evacuation route sign, trees and blue sky in the background.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! On the coast we just so happened to post up right next to an interpretive display at Pacific Beach State Park to fill out site visit documentation on the same day we visited a site near this Tsunami Vertical Evacuate Structure in Tokeland WA.

Poster for a job opening at the Oregon Hazard Lab as a Communications Manager. Candidate skills include strategic communications, public & government relations, public engagement, ShakeAlert coordination, and wildfire technology outreach. More information and application found by scanning a QR code in bottom right, or at bit.ly/OHAZComms

The Oregon Hazards Lab at UO is hiring a Communications Manager! Seeking a skilled communicator and organizer to join the OHAZ multi-hazards environmental monitoring team that works with PNSN on ShakeAlert earthquake early warning outreach and more: careers.uoregon.edu/en-us/job/53...

A black UTV with rolling snow tracks for tires is parked perpendicular to a very snowy trail through a forest.

A wide open field is covered in a thick layer of snow. At the top sits a seismic station, with a large antenna and radio tower to the left.

An antenna and radio tower stands in a snowy field, caked in ice. Behind it in the distance is a large mountain.

Two field staff stand in a snowy field next to a radio tower and a seismic station.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! The mountains around here are finally getting some snow! So when a critical relay station for Mt. St. Helens needed work, we had to bring out the big toys. It took a UTV with snow tracks (and a little bit of snow shoeing) to get to REDMT.

Map with a star marker for the magnitude 3.065 earthquake located 26.7 km NNE from Olympia, WA

PRELIM Earthquake: M3.1, 26.7 km NNE from Olympia, WA at 2026/03/11 03:49 PDT
http://www.pnsn.org/event/62232776
Did You Feel It?: https://zpr.io/YYYThx2ZCQMi

Map with a star marker for the magnitude 3.311 earthquake located 52.7 km W from Lakeview, OR

PRELIM Earthquake: M3.3, 52.7 km W from Lakeview, OR at 2026/03/09 22:52 PDT
http://www.pnsn.org/event/62232326
Did You Feel It?: https://zpr.io/b3SCBNZ9Zvpc

A wooden frame holds a metal box, both covered in snow standing in a clearing within a forest. A tall metal framed tower extends upwards behind it.

One of the PNSN field staffers stands in front of the station. It is nighttime, and a bright light from within the metal box of the station shines outwards onto his face, making him glow.

A white catamaran sits next to a dock in a lake on a bright sunny day.

A PNSN field staffer looks inside a metal box suspended on a wooden frame. He is wearing a large, brown puffer coat, green beanie, and a headlamp. It is dark outside.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! Site DREAM is, well... exactly that, a dream. Stehekin although hard to get to, only accessible by ferry, is beautiful no matter the season. With less than a day to work we went into the dark of night & made a final check in the morning after a fresh snow.

USGS Community Internet Intensity Map showing 11033 Did You Feel It? responses from the Orcas Island M4.5 earthquake

Phone screen showing Emergency Alert with text reading "Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself. -USGS ShakeAlert"

A year ago, Washington got its first ShakeAlert warning for a M4.5 beneath Orcas Island. Thousands of people received an earthquake early warning alert—and over ten thousand reported feeling shaking! The alert system is working and ready for the next one: www.washington.edu/research-mak...

Nisqually Earthquake 25th Anniversary KING 5 brings you back to Feb. 28, 2001, the day Washington state experienced one of its most powerful earthquakes yet.

The 25th Anniversary Special on the Nisqually Earthquake aired this weekend on @KING5Seattle, featuring an interview with PNSN Director Harold Tobin. Revisit the 2001 quake and look ahead at how experts and community leaders are preparing for the next major quake.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FIS...

Experts discuss 25th anniversary of WA's Nisqually quake We're three days away from the 25th anniversary of the Nisqually Earthquake.

25 years ago this weekend, western Washington was shaken up by the Nisqually earthquake. Experts from PNSN and UW explain what we’ve learned since—and what we need to do to get ready for the next one:
www.fox13seattle.com/video/fmc-jg...

25 years after Nisqually quake, expert warns 'it will happen again' The City of Seattle marked the anniversary of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Thursday by discussing ongoing contingency plans for another powerful quake.

Today is Nisqually Earthquake Awareness Day! “Prepare, don’t despair”—that’s our message on the 25th anniversary of the 2001 M6.8 earthquake. Learn more in this clip: www.king5.com/article/news...

Before the next earthquake hits WA, we need to fix our bricks | Op-Ed An earthquake like the 2001 Nisqually quake will strike again, and it could be more damaging. What is certain is that we can make structures safer.

“If Washington has the will, we certainly have the means to make our state safer and better before the next time an earthquake strikes.” Read this op-ed from PNSN director @haroldtobin@bsky.social in today’s Seattle Times about how we can #FixtheBricks: www.seattletimes.com/opinion/befo...

Chunks of lawn displaced due to ground shaking.

A small yellow house with a chimney that is split in half, with the top half shifted to the left.

The roof of a brick building has caved in on itself, and the walls have fallen causing large piles of bricks on the street.

A person stands in a hole in the ground at the Boeing field airport with their arms out wide.

Happy throwback #FieldworkFriday! Fieldwork isn't just maintaining our stations - sometimes we must record the effects that earthquakes have on landscapes and built environments.

Here are some images collected by PNSN and fellow researchers after the Nisqually EQ 25 years ago.

Map with a star marker for the magnitude 3.163 earthquake located 9.4 km S from Snohomish, WA

PRELIM Earthquake: M3.2, 9.4 km S from Snohomish, WA at 2026/02/24 05:42 PST
http://www.pnsn.org/event/62228281
Did You Feel It?: https://zpr.io/DNxqHsCqx2kg

25 years ago this week, the Nisqually earthquake shook up the Pacific Northwest—including the UW Engineering Library! Join us tomorrow evening for a panel and Q&A with earthquake experts about what we’ve learned since 2001, and how to prepare for the next big one: www.eventbrite.com/e/25-years-s...

PNSN will be participating in the Pacific Science Center’s Engineering Day tomorrow afternoon—come check out our interactive Make-A-Quake seismometer demo, real seismic instruments, and live earthquake displays showing ground motion as it happens! pacificsciencecenter.org/events/engin...

Scan of the front page of The Daily from March 1st, 2001, showing a photo of PNSN seismologists under a headline reading 'Seattle shakes, seismologists roll into action.'

25 years ago, PNSN seismologists rolled into action to respond to the M6.8 Nisqually earthquake. Join us on Feb 24, 6:30-8 PM for a discussion and Q&A with earthquake experts on what we’ve learned since—and what we need to do to get ready for the next one: www.eventbrite.com/e/25-years-s...

A green pasture is filled with a flock of white geese, with many more flying overhead.

A plump green frog sits on a metal ledge inside of the station's enclosure.

A deer stands in a pasture, looking towards the camera.

The station sits in a meadow, with its solar panels resting on a metal frame and facing towards the sun, which hangs in a slightly cloudy sky.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! Frogs, deer, and geese, oh my! PNSN field staff found many animals this week at site HILL, where they replaced the solar charge controller. The frogs at the station are still seismologists-in-training, but we're "hopping" they can help next week, too!