Kentucky Seismic and Strong-Motion Network

The Geologic Hazards Section operates and maintains the Kentucky Seismic and Strong-Motion Network, or KSSMN, which monitors earthquakes in and around the commonwealth. The network consists of 24 permanent seismic and strong-motion stations. The network’s recordings from 14 seismic stations are shared with the neighboring seismic network operated by the University of Memphis and with the Data Management Center at Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, who archives the recordings and makes them available for use by other researchers. Each year, hundreds of gigabytes of KSSMN data are downloaded from IRIS by researchers around the globe.

Jon Schmidt was hired as a geologist in March 2020 to assist with network operations and research. Jon has a strong background in network seismology, seismic instrumentation, and earthquake source analysis, developed in both the public and private sectors.

Jon Schmidt works on seismic station EK32 in Breathitt County.