Quaternary Fault Lines

ISO-19139 Metadata

Metadata Information

Metadata character set: utf8

Last update:

Metadata contact:

Scope of the data described by the metadata: dataset

Scope name: dataset

Name of the metadata standard used: ISO 19139 Geographic Information - Metadata - Implementation Specification

Version of the metadata standard: 2007

Metadata identifier: 9e54ca2e1f514687a6d06433ce6beb71

Data Identification Information

Resource citation:

Title: Quaternary Fault Lines

Date:

Reference date - creation: 2024-03-12T17:21:37

Date:

Reference date - revision: 2025-04-08T19:54:41

Descriptive keywords:

Keyword type not provided

Keywords: USGS, Geologic Hazards Science Center, GHSC, Earthquake Hazards Program, earthquake hazard, seismology, seismic hazard, earth science, geophysics, Quaternary, Fault, Natural Hazards, USGS, HIFLD, Feature Service, SDI, NSDI, Open Data, FGDC, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Planning, Infrastructure

Abstract: The Quaternary Fault and Fold Database contains the results of thousands of scientific assessments of faults and associated folds in the United States that demonstrate geologic evidence for coseismic surface deformation in the Quaternary (the past 1,600,000 years). The Quaternary Fault and Fold Database includes information on the age of the most recent coseismic surface deformation, relative rates of activity, fault geometry, sense of movement, and citations of pertinent literature. Much of the information in the database is based on paleoseismology, which is the geologic study of prehistoric earthquakes. Paleoseismology combines well-established geologic practices such as trenching with archeological-style analysis to determine the time and magnitude of ancient earthquakes. These studies extend the historical earthquake record by hundreds of thousands of years and are indispensible in calculating future seismic hazard posed by the thousands of faults in the United States. The data are accessed through search pages or an interactive map service. The work of the USGS and its cooperators in developing this database is only one part of the ongoing USGS efforts to protect lives and property from future earthquakes throughout the United States.

Purpose: This database is used to create the fault-source characterization in the National Seismic Hazard Model. Simplified representations of the geometry and the behavior of the fault, based on geologic interpretation, are used to calculate the potential for future ground shaking.

Dataset language:

Dataset character set: utf8

Resource constraints:

General constraints:

Limitations of use: None (Public Domain Information)

Credits: U.S. Geological Survey

Distribution Information

Distribution format:

Format name: Feature Service

Format version:

Transfer options:

Online distribution information:

Online location: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/haz/Qfaults/MapServer/21