Welcome to the Oregon Hazards Lab
Using Science, Technology, and Community Engagement to Understand, Detect, and Mitigate Multi-Hazards within the Pacific Northwest
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 monitoring 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 our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, we are deploying 30 smoke sensors across Western Oregon and testing 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.
Willamette Watershed Project
The Oregon Hazards Lab is developing resilient communications infrastructure for the Santiam, Sisters, and McKenzie River corridors that will support a natural disaster monitoring and alerting network.
219
ShakeAlert Seismic Stations
45
Wildfire Detection Cameras
30
Wildfire Smoke Sensors
2018
Year OHAZ Was Founded
27
Full-Time Staff
7
Student Researchers
News from the Oregon Hazards Lab
ShakeAlert Celebrates Three Years of Offering Lifesaving Alerts to Oregonians
March 11 marks three years since the ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System went live in Oregon. ShakeAlert can save lives and reduce injuries by giving people seconds to take protective action, such as Drop, Cover and Hold On, or to move away from hazardous areas if they feel shaking or get an alert.
Oregon’s ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System Marks Three Years Since Going Live
Monday marked three years since the ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System went live in Oregon. The earthquake detection tool, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey, uses science and technology to detect significant earthquakes so alerts can be delivered to people on their cell phones before damaging shaking arrives at their location.
Oregon Marks Three Years Since the Launch of ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System
If a major earthquake were to strike today, do you have a plan? If you have your phone set up to receive ShakeAlert warnings, you might just have an few extra moments to put that plan into action before the ground starts to move. The ShakeAlert system went live in Oregon on March 11, 2021, a decade after a devastating quake rocked Japan.