Max Est. MMI
Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence
Shaking Animations
Simulated bowling pin shaking at each city’s intensity level. Videos appear as they finish rendering. The ground motion behind each video is under Ground Motion Records.
| Location | Type | Intensity at site | Animation | Ground motion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decay: Los Angeles direction | Decay · Tabletop Simulated | Severe(VIII) USGS ShakeMap, 5 km site | Download Produced 2026-10-04T04:47:42.573117Z |
Data files
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| Decay: Los Angeles direction | Decay · Kitchen Simulated | Severe(VIII) USGS ShakeMap, 5 km site | Download Produced 2026-10-03T00:12:29.946723Z |
Data files
|
| Tower 2 | Station · Kitchen Observed | Severe(VIII) station record | Download Produced 2026-10-03T23:49:26.802470Z |
Data files
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| Tower 2 | Station · Tabletop Observed | Severe(VIII) station record | Download Produced 2026-10-04T00:00:48.474164Z |
Data files
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| Ridgecrest | City · Kitchen Simulated | Very Strong(VII) USGS ShakeMap | Download Produced 2026-10-10T02:52:43.996649Z |
Data files
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| Ridgecrest | City · Tabletop Simulated | Very Strong(VII) USGS ShakeMap | Download Produced 2026-10-04T04:58:51.109772Z |
Data files
|
Observed Shaking
Camera footage of this earthquake, beside the simulated animations above. Each clip lists the effects our reviewer saw and the intensity they point to.
Ground Motion Records
The shaking each animation was drawn from: acceleration, velocity and displacement in three directions. The shaded band marks the part the animation shows.
City · Simulated — Ridgecrest, CA
Used by the Kitchen video and Tabletop videoA physics-based simulation of this earthquake (SCEC Broadband Platform) at this site: one realization, not an average.
| Site | PGA (g) | PGV (cm/s) | PGD (cm) | Data files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgecrest, CA | 0.2502 | 30.79 | 10.29 | Acceleration · Velocity · Displacement |
Peak values are horizontal (the larger of north–south and east–west) over the whole record. Time zero: rupture origin time (simulation time 0).
Station · Observed — CI.TOW2 (Tower 2)
Used by the Kitchen video and Tabletop videoRecorded by a seismic station during this earthquake, with the instrument response removed.
| Site | PGA (g) | PGV (cm/s) | PGD (cm) | Data files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CI.TOW2 (Tower 2) | 0.4082 | 50.89 | 25.71 | Acceleration · Velocity · Displacement |
Peak values are horizontal (the larger of north–south and east–west) over the whole record. Time zero: earthquake origin time.
Decay · Simulated — 5 km from the epicenter, 50 km from the epicenter, 100 km from the epicenter
Used by the Kitchen video and Tabletop videoA physics-based simulation of this earthquake (SCEC Broadband Platform) at this site: one realization, not an average.
| Site | PGA (g) | PGV (cm/s) | PGD (cm) | Data files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km from the epicenter | 0.2461 | 29.92 | 3.77 | Acceleration · Velocity · Displacement |
| 50 km from the epicenter | 0.0707 | 7.91 | 2.45 | Acceleration · Velocity · Displacement |
| 100 km from the epicenter | 0.0398 | 4.21 | 1.20 | Acceleration · Velocity · Displacement |
Peak values are horizontal (the larger of north–south and east–west) over the whole record. Time zero: rupture origin time (simulation time 0).
About these files
Each file is plain text in the SCEC Broadband Platform layout. Lines starting with # are a header describing the earthquake, the site, where the motion came from, how it was processed, its peak values, and which part the animation shows. Then come four columns: time (s), north–south, east–west, and up–down. North–south comes before east–west.
Units: acceleration in cm/s², velocity in cm/s, displacement in cm. The zip also contains the plots and a README.
To read a file in Python: t, ns, ew, ud = numpy.loadtxt("file.acc.bbp", comments="#", unpack=True). A spreadsheet can open it as whitespace-delimited text.
These records explain what the animations show. A single simulation, one station’s record, or a synthetic scaled to one value is not an engineering estimate of ground motion at a site.
Engineering Ground Motion Parameters
GMPE predictions provide an independent check on the ShakeMap interpolated intensities above.
ShakeMap relies on seismic station recordings; in areas with sparse station coverage — or
for large teleseismic events and earthquakes outside dense West Coast networks — ShakeMap
MMI can be inaccurate. A significant difference between ShakeMap and GMPE estimates is a signal
that the ShakeMap result should be treated as preliminary.
Also includes site Vs30 values and raw ground motion parameters (PGA/PGV).
Show ▼
Engineering Ground Motion Parameters
GMPE predictions provide an independent check on the ShakeMap interpolated intensities above. ShakeMap relies on seismic station recordings; in areas with sparse station coverage — or for large teleseismic events and earthquakes outside dense West Coast networks — ShakeMap MMI can be inaccurate. A significant difference between ShakeMap and GMPE estimates is a signal that the ShakeMap result should be treated as preliminary. Also includes site Vs30 values and raw ground motion parameters (PGA/PGV).
Est. Vs30 Values
Estimated shear-wave velocity in the upper 30 m used in GMPE calculations. Ref. column shows the 760 m/s rock-site reference for comparison.
| Location | Ref. (760 m/s) | Est. Vs30 (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
|
Ridgecrest
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
China Lake Acres
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Searles Valley
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Inyokern
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Adelanto
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Weldon
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Lake Isabella
CA |
760 | 357 |
|
Lucerne Valley
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Fort Irwin
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Mojave
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Silver Lakes
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Kernville
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
East Porterville
CA |
760 | 343 |
|
Bodfish
CA |
760 | 710 |
|
Barstow
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Barstow Heights
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Wofford Heights
CA |
760 | 667 |
|
Death Valley
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Mountain View Acres
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Rosamond
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Piñon Hills
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Boron
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Phelan
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Lenwood
CA |
760 | 363 |
|
Victorville
CA |
760 | 482 |
|
Ivanhoe
CA |
760 | 326 |
|
Farmersville
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Littlerock
CA |
760 | 379 |
|
Arvin
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
North Edwards
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Weedpatch
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Lamont
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Lancaster
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Bell
CA |
760 | 231 |
|
Canyon Country
CA |
760 | 293 |
|
Spring Valley Lake
CA |
760 | 346 |
|
Cudahy
CA |
760 | 231 |
|
Richgrove
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Maywood
CA |
760 | 233 |
|
Apple Valley
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Exeter
CA |
760 | 344 |
|
Porterville
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Loma Linda
CA |
760 | 350 |
|
Desert View Highlands
CA |
760 | 365 |
|
Tulare
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Greenfield
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Matheny
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
South Gate
CA |
760 | 293 |
|
Reseda
CA |
760 | 226 |
|
Santa Clarita
CA |
760 | 289 |
|
Tehachapi
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
California City
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Mecca
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Thermal
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Mayflower Village
CA |
760 | 302 |
|
Walnut Park
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Lone Pine
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Northridge
CA |
760 | 293 |
|
Patterson Tract
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Palmdale
CA |
760 | 358 |
|
Winnetka
CA |
760 | 291 |
|
Van Nuys
CA |
760 | 292 |
|
Vista Santa Rosa
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Willowbrook
CA |
760 | 302 |
|
Hesperia
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Fillmore
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Golden Hills
CA |
760 | 392 |
|
Huntington Park
CA |
760 | 295 |
|
Oak Hills
CA |
760 | 388 |
|
Alta Sierra
CA |
760 | 710 |
|
Shafter
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Terra Bella
CA |
760 | 355 |
|
Wrightwood
CA |
760 | 478 |
|
Muscoy
CA |
760 | 317 |
|
Vincent
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Glendale
CA |
760 | 378 |
|
Lynwood
CA |
760 | 229 |
|
Visalia
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Paramount
CA |
760 | 233 |
|
Studio City
CA |
760 | 281 |
|
Pahrump
NV |
760 | 359 |
|
Burbank
CA |
760 | 377 |
|
North El Monte
CA |
760 | 307 |
|
Sun Village
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Colton
CA |
760 | 292 |
|
Hawaiian Gardens
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Florence-Graham
CA |
760 | 229 |
|
Canoga Park
CA |
760 | 279 |
|
North Hills
CA |
760 | 306 |
|
Running Springs
CA |
760 | 704 |
|
Walnut Village
CA |
760 | 292 |
|
Bell Gardens
CA |
760 | 239 |
|
Coachella
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Twentynine Palms
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Cypress
CA |
760 | 262 |
|
North Hollywood
CA |
760 | 297 |
|
Piru
CA |
760 | 384 |
|
Wasco
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Big Bear Lake
CA |
760 | 309 |
|
Oasis
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Santa Paula
CA |
760 | 333 |
|
Atwater Village
CA |
760 | 359 |
|
Channel Islands Beach
CA |
760 | 227 |
|
Fountain Valley
CA |
760 | 219 |
|
Bakersfield
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Earlimart
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Oxnard
CA |
760 | 229 |
|
Port Hueneme
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Val Verde
CA |
760 | 351 |
|
Stevenson Ranch
CA |
760 | 397 |
|
Woodlake
CA |
760 | 345 |
|
East Rancho Dominguez
CA |
760 | 232 |
|
Garden Grove
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Highland
CA |
760 | 403 |
|
El Camino Real
CA |
760 | 293 |
|
Laguna Hills
CA |
760 | 359 |
|
Duarte
CA |
760 | 355 |
|
Hollywood
CA |
760 | 458 |
|
Valley Glen
CA |
760 | 310 |
|
Los Angeles
CA |
760 | 355 |
|
Downey
CA |
760 | 232 |
|
East Pasadena
CA |
760 | 343 |
|
Fullerton
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Quartz Hill
CA |
760 | 322 |
|
Valencia
CA |
760 | 314 |
|
La Palma
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Midway City
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Niland
CA |
760 | 293 |
|
West Hollywood
CA |
760 | 375 |
|
Westpark
CA |
760 | 293 |
|
Commerce
CA |
760 | 253 |
|
El Monte
CA |
760 | 282 |
|
La Quinta
CA |
760 | 352 |
|
Mid-City
CA |
760 | 282 |
|
Sherman Oaks
CA |
760 | 289 |
|
Artesia
CA |
760 | 230 |
|
Beverly Hills
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Chino
CA |
760 | 294 |
|
Goshen
CA |
760 | 228 |
|
Norwalk
CA |
760 | 234 |
|
Bellflower
CA |
760 | 231 |
|
Echo Park
CA |
760 | 357 |
|
Encino
CA |
760 | 348 |
|
Kingsburg
CA |
760 | 328 |
|
Koreatown
CA |
760 | 322 |
|
La Puente
CA |
760 | 398 |
MMI vs Distance — Default Vs30 (760 m/s)
All methods using the 760 m/s rock-site reference. ShakeMap values are independent of Vs30.
MMI vs Distance — Est. Vs30
GMPEs use the Est. Vs30 values shown in the table above. ShakeMap values are independent of Vs30.
GMPE Residual — Observed − Predicted MMI
Signed residual at each seismic station. Positive values mean the GMPE underestimated shaking; negative values mean it overestimated. The dashed line at zero indicates perfect agreement.
GMPE Predicted vs. Observed MMI at Seismic Stations
Each point is one seismic station. Points on the dashed 1:1 line indicate perfect agreement; above the line = GMPE underestimated shaking; below = overestimated.
GMPE Performance — Station Observations
Statistics computed by comparing each GMPE's predicted MMI against ShakeMap observed MMI at seismic stations. Bias = mean(observed − predicted). Lower RMSE indicates better overall agreement with instrumental measurements.
| GMPE | Bias | Sigma | RMSE |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASK14 | +1.41 | 0.94 | 1.69 |
| BSSA14 | +1.36 | 0.91 | 1.63 |
| CY14 | +1.13 | 0.83 | 1.40 |
| CB14 | +1.52 | 0.88 | 1.76 |
Peak Ground Motion — Seismic Station Observations
Recorded PGA and PGV at seismic stations, sorted by highest PGA. Top 25 stations shown. MMI (PGA) and MMI (PGV) are independent conversions via Worden et al. (2012) GMICE.
| Station | PGA (g) | MMI (PGA) | PGV (cm/s) | MMI (PGV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Canyon China Lake (CI.CCC) | 0.5691 | Strong(VI) | 74.781 | Extreme(X) |
| Tower 2 (CI.TOW2) | 0.4287 | Strong(VI) | 54.124 | Violent(IX) |
| Lakeland Street, Ridgecrest Ca (CI.Q0072) | 0.3219 | Strong(VI) | 32.567 | Violent(IX) |
| Snort (CI.SRT) | 0.3112 | Strong(VI) | 41.913 | Violent(IX) |
| Nine Mile Canyon (CI.WNM) | 0.2249 | Moderate(V) | 8.614 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Laurel Mtn (CI.LRL) | 0.1950 | Moderate(V) | 12.702 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Volcano Peak 2 (CI.WVP2) | 0.1831 | Moderate(V) | 18.262 | Severe(VIII) |
| Bird Springs (CI.WBS) | 0.1646 | Moderate(V) | 9.537 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Shoshone (CI.SHO) | 0.1185 | Moderate(V) | 7.320 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Hanning Flat (CI.WHF) | 0.1036 | Moderate(V) | 5.436 | Strong(VI) |
| Rose Valley 2 (CI.WRV2) | 0.0996 | Moderate(V) | 14.864 | Severe(VIII) |
| Lucerne Valley 2 (CI.LUC2) | 0.0948 | Moderate(V) | 12.090 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Onyx Ranch (CI.WOR) | 0.0923 | Moderate(V) | 5.332 | Strong(VI) |
| Newberry Springs - I15 & Kathy (CE.22519) | 0.0915 | Moderate(V) | 7.468 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Rodman Mountain (CI.RMM) | 0.0886 | Moderate(V) | 7.168 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Harper Dry Lake bed (CI.HAR) | 0.0866 | Moderate(V) | 11.508 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Adelanto Receiving (CI.ADO) | 0.0759 | Moderate(V) | 10.102 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Fort Irwin - North Loop & Barstow Rd (CE.32207) | 0.0672 | Light(IV) | 5.645 | Strong(VI) |
| Helendale - Helendale & Vista (CE.23957) | 0.0653 | Light(IV) | 4.897 | Strong(VI) |
| Wilsona 2 (CI.WLS2) | 0.0643 | Light(IV) | 3.861 | Strong(VI) |
| Apollo (CI.APL) | 0.0610 | Light(IV) | 5.741 | Strong(VI) |
| Mccloud Flat (CI.WMF) | 0.0594 | Light(IV) | 9.080 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Barstow Service Center (CI.RRX) | 0.0592 | Light(IV) | 12.322 | Very Strong(VII) |
| Victorville (CI.VTV) | 0.0588 | Light(IV) | 4.879 | Strong(VI) |
| Olancha - North Haiwee Reservoir Grounds (CE.43158) | 0.0582 | Light(IV) | 6.255 | Strong(VI) |
Ground Shaking Intensities — Interpolated ShakeMap MMI
146 sitesSeismic Station Observed MMI
MMI values are derived directly from observed ground motion measurements at seismic stations and are not spatially interpolated.