Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
Home

 

 

FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramLinkedIn     Donate

Search form

  • Minerals
    • Mining in Arizona
    • King Copper
    • Gold Prospecting
    • Industrial Minerals
    • Mineral Rights
    • Mining Scams
    • Potash Case Study
    • Ask a Geologist
  • Publications
    • All Publications
    • Recent Publications
    • Document Repository
    • Map & Database Services
    • Geologic Report Index
    • Geologic Map Index
    • AZGS GeoBib Database
    • Photo Gallery
  • Center for Natural Hazards
    • All Natural Hazards
    • Earth Fissures & Ground Subsidence
    • Landslides & Debris Flows
    • Floods
    • Severe Weather
    • Problem Soils
    • Volcanism
    • Earthquakes
    • Radon
    • Homeowner's Guide
    • Ask a Geologist
    • Arizona Council on Earthquake Safety
  • Outreach & Geoheritage
    • Arizona Geoheritage
    • Educator Outreach
    • Public Resources
    • Ask a Geologist
    • Photo Gallery
  • Energy
    • Energy Resources
    • Geothermal
    • National Geothermal Data System
  • Basin Analysis
  • About
    • About AZGS
    • Projects
    • Events
    • News
    • Contact
    • Ask a Geologist
    • Staff
    • Services
    • Employment
    • Partners & Funders
  1. Home
  2. Center for Natural Hazards

Homeowner's Guide to Geologic Hazards in Arizona

The Arizona landscape is a beautiful and bedazzling collage of mountains, valleys, canyons, plateaus, mesas, rivers, washes, and volcanoes. But the natural features that make Arizona so magnificent are rife with geologic hazards that threaten Arizonans and their property. To assist homeowners – and home buyers – in understanding the nature and scope of geologic hazards throughout the State, the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) is providing free a suite of publications that we refer to as “The Homeowner's Online Guide to Geologic Hazards in Arizona.”

In 2002, AZGS geoscientists, Ray Harris and Phil Pearthree, set out to identify geologic hazards that threaten Arizona property. They explored the geologic literature, examined maps, and conducted field investigations. Their efforts resulted in, A Home Buyer’s Guide to Geologic Hazards in Arizona, describing the geologic hazards common to Arizona: floods, earth fissures and subsidence, earthquakes, debris flows, landslides, karst formations, swelling or collapsing soils, and even volcanic eruptions.

The Home Buyer’s Guide is one of three AZGS publications comprising this online compendium of resources. The second, “Radon: A Geologic Hazard in Arizona,” was published in 1992 by AZGS Senior Geoscientist, Jon Spencer. It is a marvelous primer on the origin and hazards of radon gas, which is second only to tobacco as a cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Spencer uses maps, graphs, and descriptive text to finger radon hot spots in Arizona.

The third publication, “Land Subsidence and Earth Fissures in Arizona” was written by geologist Steven Slaff. Subsidence is a growing problem in the valleys of south-central Arizona. Slaff draws on maps, photos, line drawings, and an easy-to-read text to illustrate how and why subsidence occurs. If you want to understand this anthropogenic-caused geologic problem, and its byproduct – earth fissures, this is the place to start.

This online guide is part of our continuing effort to inform the Arizona public about geologic hazards that could impact their lives. These publications, now available as PDF downloads, describe Arizona’s major geologic hazards and include maps to show where these hazards are prevalent.

We hope this information assists homeowners, home buyers, builders/developers, real estate agents, and others.

Natural Hazards in Arizona

Interactive map highlights fissures, floods, fires, earthquakes, and fault lines in Arizona.

AZGS Hazard Viewer

Go to the Viewer

 

Homeowners Guides

Home Buyer's Guide to Geologic Hazards in AZ
Radon Gas: A geologic hazard in Arizona
Land Subsidence & earth fissures in Arizona
Sedona Sinkholes & groundwater flow, Coconino & Yavapai Counties

Share This On

  • email
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • google+

FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagramLinkedIn


520.621.2352 | 1955 East 6th Street, P.O. Box 210184, Tucson, AZ 85721

The maps, reports, and other information and content on this website are provided as a public service for informational purposes only.  Accuracy is not guaranteed, and the information contained or linked on this website should not be relied on except as general information.  The University makes no warranties or representations of any kind, and specifically disclaims all warranties including the warranty of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.  Users are responsible for verification of all facts and information to their own satisfaction.


© 2023 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.