Welcome to the Oregon Hazards Lab
Using Science, Technology, and Community Engagement to Understand, Detect, and Mitigate Multi-Hazards within the Pacific Northwest
Support the Oregon Hazards Lab!
The Oregon State Legislature is considering a bill that would provide state funding to our program. This bill would help OHAZ continue monitoring natural disasters and delivering life-saving alerts to Oregonians.
223+
Seismic Monitoring Stations
63+
Wildfire Detection Cameras
$22M+
Funding Since 2020
2018
Year OHAZ Was Founded
28
OHAZ Staff
8
Student Researchers
The Oregon Hazards Lab is a research lab within the University of Oregon's Department of Earth Sciences. We currently partner in these efforts:
Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
Along with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington, we monitor ground motion to better understand earthquake and volcano hazards and their impacts on communities in Oregon and Washington.
ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System
Since 2014, the Oregon Hazards Lab has been an instrumental partner in building and promoting the U.S. Geological Survey’s earthquake early warning system.
Wildfire Detection Cameras
With hundreds of mountaintop cameras installed throughout the western United States, this high-speed wildfire detection network provides firefighters and first responders a new way to spot and track wildfires.
Wildfire Smoke Sensors
As part of a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, we deployed 30 smoke sensors across Western Oregon in 2023 and tested their effectiveness at detecting emerging wildfires.
Sage Continuum
We are building a continent-spanning network of smart sensors to improve the flow of information between scientists and the natural world.
News from the Oregon Hazards Lab
Roundhouse Foundation Donation Enables Development of Portable Wildfire Cameras
Sometimes wildfires spark far from the nearest wildfire camera, making it hard for firefighters to monitor the blaze. To help solve this challenge, the Oregon Hazards Lab is designing a new mobile camera kit that can be rapidly deployed in response to new ignitions. This project was made possible by a donation from the Roundhouse Foundation.
University of Oregon Earthquake Scientists Help Prepare for the Next “Big One”
On January 26, 1700, a massive earthquake erupted along the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the West Coast of the United States. It’s now 325 years later, and earthquake scientists say we’re overdue for another similarly large quake to hit the Pacific Northwest. At the University of Oregon, researchers are working from many angles to make sure people across the Cascadia region are as prepared as possible.
Rumblings Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion on Jan. 26
January 26 is the 325th anniversary of the last Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. Join us at the Art House to watch Rumblings, a documentary that explores the threat of another large earthquake and Oregon’s extensive preparations. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director and earthquake preparedness specialists.