Welcome to the Oregon Hazards Lab
Using Science, Technology, and Community Engagement to Understand, Detect, and Mitigate Multi-Hazards within the Pacific Northwest
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.
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.
News from the Oregon Hazards Lab
University of Oregon Helps Manage Large Network of Wildfire Detection Cameras
OHAZ Director Doug Toomey spoke with Oregon Public Broadcasting about the lab’s wildfire detection camera network. Wildland firefighters across the West now have access to a large network of cameras monitored by artificial intelligence to alert them to wildfires when they start.
Oregon Hazards Lab Newsletter – May 2024
The quarterly OHAZ newsletter provides updates about new wildfire camera deployments, the buildout of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and improvements to the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System.
Wildfire Camera Network Helps Firefighters Prepare for Wildfires
The University of Oregon’s Oregon Hazards Lab’s Western Wildfire Camera Network is the largest of its kind, and helps firefighters detect fires early. But they are about more than just getting a first look at blazes.