What It's Like To Be... A Seismologist
Oct 7, 2025
Join seismologist Lucy Jones, a pioneer in earthquake science from Southern California, as she explores the intricacies of monitoring seismic activity and advocates for earthquake preparedness. She shares her unique approach to counting waves during tremors and explains how a nuclear test ban treaty inadvertently advanced seismic research. Discover why earthquakes are inevitable as LA inches toward Alaska and learn about her compelling strategies for engaging communities in disaster readiness through vivid scenarios and storytelling.
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Early Memory Shapes Career
- Lucy Jones's first memory is of an earthquake at age two when her mother sheltered the children in a hallway.
- That childhood moment seeded her lifelong connection to seismology and public safety.
Estimating Quake Size By Counting
- Lucy woke nursing her baby during the 1992 Landers quake and estimated its size by counting shaking duration.
- She judged safety for her household and went to work while coordinating child care after the quake.
Earthquakes Are Constant And Scale Predictably
- Southern California never goes more than 12 hours without an earthquake at instrumented levels.
- Small quakes vastly outnumber large ones in a consistent base-10 relationship.
