Geologist, Director of Earthquake Studies Office—Professor
Phone: (406) 496-4332
Email: mstickney@mtech.edu
MBMG—Butte
1300 West Park Street
Butte, MT 59701
Mike has been involved with seismic monitoring since 1973, first as a student at the University of Montana, later as a visiting scientist at the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, CA, and then with the MBMG beginning in 1980. He established and operates the Montana Regional Seismograph Network and uses the data it collects to produce a regional earthquake catalog. In addition to seismological studies, Mike has mapped Quaternary faults and related geology, participated in paleoseismological studies, and provides information to the public and state and federal agencies on seismic hazards in Montana.
| Date | Citation |
|---|---|
| 4/28/2022 | Stickney, M.C. 2022. Earthquakes and Seismic Hazards in Montana. Presented to the Montana GeoHazards Workshop, Montana Tech, Butte, MT on 4/28/2022. |
| 4/13/2022 | Stickney, M.C. 2022. Wyoming Seismicity from the Montana Perspective. Presented to Workshop 1 of the Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee level 3 Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee for the Natrium demonstration project in Wyoming, Virtual presentation April 13, 2022. |
| 2/24/2022 | Stickney, M.C. 2022. Historic Earthquakes and Recent Seismicity in Montana. Presented to the Big Sky Post of the Society of American Military Engineers, Great Falls College-Montana State University, Great Falls, MT on 2/24/2022. |
| 4/4/2019 | Stickney, M.C., 2019, Using LiDAR Data to Identify and Analyze Geologic Hazards: Presented at the Big Sky GeoCon Meeting, Butte, Montana, April 4, 2019. |
| 10/15/2018 | Stickney, M.C., 2018, Recent Rumblings 2018: Presented to the Helena Rotary Club, Helena, Montana, October 15, 2018. |
| 3/28/2018 | Stickney, M.C., 2018, Recent Rumblings 2017 Edition: Presented at Butte-Silver Bow Archive Brown Bag Lunch, Butte, Montana, March 28, 2018. |
| 2/15/2018 | Stickney, M.C., 2018, Recent Montana Happenings: Presented at the Basin & Range Provence Earth Quake Working Group, Salt Lake City, Utah, February 15, 2018. |
| 11/15/2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, Shake, Rattle and Roll: Presented at Great Conversations held by Helena Education Foundation, Helena, Montana, November 15, 2017. |
| 11/1/2017 | Stickney, M.C. and Hartline, F., 2017, Shaking It Up: Earthquake Party: Presented at the Science Mine Dig into Science, Butte, Montana, November 1, 2017. |
| 7/11/2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, Recent Rumblings: Presented at the Bozeman Rotary Club, Bozeman, Montana, July 11, 2017. |
| 4/25/2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, Seismic Network Operations and Earthquakes Studies in Montana: Presented to a MSU Geology Class, Butte, Montana, April 25, 2017. |
| 4/3/2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, 35 Years of Seismic Monitoring in Western Montana; Insights and Questions: Presented at University of Montana, Geosciences Department, Missoula, Montana, April 3, 2017. |
| 3/23/2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, Reviving the Libby Dam Seismic Vault—How Hard Could it Be?: MBMG Annual Research Meeting, Butte, Montana, March 23, 2017. |
| 2/15/2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, MBMG Brown Bag Seminar - LiDAR: Presented to MBMG Staff, Butte, Montana, February 15, 2017. |
| 10/21/2016 | Stickney, M.C., 2016, Montana's Historic Earthquakes and Seismic Hazards: Presented to Yellowstone Studies Center's Fall Conference, West Yellowstone, Montana, October 21, 2016. |
| 9/15/2016 | Stickney, M.C., 2016, Recent Rumblings: Presented to the Butte Rotary Club, Butte, Montana, September 15, 2016. |
| 5/19/2016 | Stickney, M.C., 2016, Continuing Seismicity Near Challis, Idaho: Presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting, Rocky Mountain Section, Geological Society of America Meeting, Moscow, Idaho, May 19, 2016. |
| 3/30/2016 | Stickney, M.C., 2016, Historic Earthquakes and Seismic Hazards in Montana: Presented at the Quarterly Meeting of the Montana Indian Nations Working Group, Polson, Montana, March 30, 2016. |
| 11/2/2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Earthworm Seismic Software: Presented, Spokane, Washington, November 2-6, 2015. |
| 10/15/2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Historic Earthquakes: Presented at the Butte Silver Bow Archives Brown Bag Series, Butte, Montana, October 15, 2015. |
| 10/14/2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Learn What Past Major Earthquakes and Small Recent Earthquakes Can Tell Us About Future Threats and Our Current Understanding of Seismic Hazards in Montana: Presented at the Butte Archives, Butte, Montana, October 14, 2015. |
| 5/14/2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Earthquakes and Mountain Building: Presentation and Demonstration to 6th Grade Students at the US Forest Service Bear Creek Field Station Located Southeast of Ennis, Montana, May 14, 2015. |
| 1/12/2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Presented at the Basin and Range Seismic Hazards Summit III Workshop, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 12-17, 2015. |
| 12/14/2014 | Stickney, M.C., Pankow, K.L., Koper, K.D., and Whidden, K.M., 2014, The 2014 Challis, Idaho Earthquake Swarms: Poster Presentation at the Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, California, December 14-19, 2014. |
| 7/3/2014 | Stickney, M.C., 2014, Earthquakes: Presented at the BSB Public Library, July 3, 2014. |
| 6/6/2014 | Stickney, M.C., 2014, Historic Montana Earthquakes: Presented at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, June 6, 2014. |
| 6/2/2014 | Stickney, M.C., 2014, Montana Seismograph Network: Presented to the Advanced National Seismograph Systems Network Implementation Committee Meeting, Golden, Colorado, June 2-4, 2014. |
| 5/23/2014 | Stickney, M.C., 2014, Earthquake Geology visible from Earthquake Lake Visitor Center: Presented at the Grand Re-Opening of the newly remodeled Earthquake Lake Visitor's Center, May 23, 2014. |
| 5/7/2014 | Stickney, M.C., 2014, Seismic Monitoring in Montana near Yellowstone National Park: Presented at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Meeting, Mammoth, Wyoming, May 7-9, 2014. |
| 9/25/2013 | Stickney, M.C., 2013, Insights into 2005 Dillon Earthquake and its Aftershocks: Presented to the Montana Geological Society, Billings, Montana, September 25, 2013. |
| 4/17/2013 | Stickney, M.C., 2013, The 2005 Dillon Montana Earthquake; a Moderate-Sized Intermountain Seismic Belt Earthquake on a Blind Normal Fault and its Effects on Local Seismicity Rates: Presented at the Seismological Society of America Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 17, 2013. |
| 4/9/2013 | Stickney, M.C., 2013, Southwest Montana Seismicity and Earthquake Hazards: Presented to BLM Personnel, Dillon, Montana, April 9, 2013. |
| 3/1/2013 | Stickney, M.C., 2013, Montana Earthquakes - Standing: Presented at the Montana Aeronautics Convention, Butte, Montana, March 1, 2013. |
| 1/30/2013 | Stickney, M.C., 2013, Seismic Hazards in the Deerlodge Valley: Presented at the Warm Springs Pond Emergency Action Plan Meeting, Anaconda, Montana, January 30, 2013. |
| Stickney, M.C., 2014, New Lidar Data Reveals Late Quaternary Geology Details in the Bitterroot Valley, Western Montana: Presented at the Annual Joint Meeting, Rocky Mountain and Cordilleran Section, Geological Society of America Meeting. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Gavillot, Y., Lonn, J., Stickney, M., and Hidy, A., 2023, Quaternary slip rates and most recent surface rupture of the Bitterroot fault, western Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 142, 44 p. |
| 2023 | Stickney, M., and Rossi, A., 2023, Geohazards research at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Fact Sheet 4, 4 p. |
| 2022 | Stickney, M., for Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, 2022, Using modern tools to look at past earthquakes: How lidar data help to better understand the 1959 Hebgen Lake event: USGS News, available at https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/using-modern-tools-look-past-earthquakes-how-lidar-data-help-better. |
| 2022 | Stickney, M.C., 2022, MBMG earthquake catalog, January 1982-August 2015: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 753, 3 p. |
| 2022 | Stickney, Michael C., 2022, Earthquakes and seismographic monitoring in Montana, in Metesh, J.J., and Gammons, C.H., eds., Geology of Montana-Special Topics: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 122, v. 2, 50 p. |
| 2021 | Smith, E. M., Martens, H. R., and Stickney, M. C., 2021, Microseismic Evidence for Bookshelf Faulting in Western Montana; Seismological Research Letters 92, p. 802-809, doi: 10.1785/ 0220200321. |
| 2020 | Stickney, M., 2020, Hanging wall rocks of the Bitterroot detachment fault exposed west of Victor, Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 47, p. 57-62 |
| 2020 | Stickney, M., 2020, Late Quaternary fault scarps near Como Lake, Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 47, p. 71-76. |
| 2019 | McMahon N.D., Yeck, W.L., Stickney, M.C., Aster R.C., Martens, H.R. and Benz, H.M., 2019, Spatiotemporal analysis of the foreshock- mainshock-aftershock sequence of the 6 July 2017 Mw 5.8 Lincoln, Montana, earthquake: Seismological Research Letters, v. 90, pp. 131-139; doi https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180180. |
| 2019 | Pankow, K.L., Stickney, M., Ben-Horin, J.Y., Litherland, M., Payne, S., Koper, K.D., Bilek, S.L., and Bogolub, K., 2019, Regional Seismic Network Monitoring in the Eastern Intermountain West, Seismological Research Letter, 17 p., doi: 10.1785/0220190209 |
| 2018 | McMahon, N.D., Yeck, W.L., Stickney, M.C., Aster, R.C., Martens, H.R., and Benz, H.M., 2018, Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Foreshock–Mainshock–Aftershock Sequence of the 6 July 2017 Mw 5.8 Lincoln, Montana, Earthquake: Seismological Research Letters, doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180180 |
| 2018 | Stickney, M.C., and Lonn, J.D., 2018, Investigation of Late Quaternary fault scarps along the Bitterroot Fault in western Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Report of Investigation 24, 16 p., 2 plates. |
| 2017 | Schmeelk, D., Bendick, R., Stickney, M., and Bomberger, C., 2017, Kinematic Evidence for the Effect of Changing Plate Boundary Conditions on the Tectonics of the Northern U.S. Rockies, Tectonics, 36, 1090-1102, doi:10.1002/2016TC004427. |
| 2017 | Stickney, M.C., 2017, Maps Made with Light Show the Way: USGS.gov, January 23, 2017: https://www.usgs.gov/news/maps-made-light-show-way [Accessed 6/29/2017]. |
| 2017 | Stickney, M.C., and Vuke, S.M., 2017, Geologic map of the Helena Valley, west-central Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File Report 689, 10 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:50,000. |
| 2016 | Kobayashi, D., Sprenke K., Stickney, M., and Phillips, W., 2016, Seismotectonic Interpretation of the 2015 Sandpoint, Idaho, Earthquake Sequence: Idaho Geological Survey, Staff Report 16-1, 30 p., August 2016. |
| 2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Geologic Setting of the Rockfall along the Stillwater River: Submitted Short Report to Stillwater County Officials, September 11, 2015. |
| 2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Revised and Edited Lewis and Clark County Earthquake Annex, December 8, 2015. |
| 2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Seismic Recurrence Relation From Instrumental Earthquake Catalog for Broadwater County: Provided to Tetra Tech for Inclusion in the County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan, November 17, 2015. |
| 2015 | Stickney, M.C., 2015, Seismicity Within and Adjacent to the Eastern Lewis and Clark Line, West-Central Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 44, p. 19-36. |
| 2014 | Ruleman, C.A., Larsen, M., Stickney, M.C., 2014, Neotectonics and Geomorphic Evolution of the Northwestern Arm of the Yellowstone Tectonic Parabola: Controls on Intra-Cratonic Extensional Regimes, Southwest, Montana: in Shaw, C.A., and Tikoff, B., eds., Exploring the Northern Rocky Mountains: Geological Society of America Field Guide 37, p. 65-87, doi: 10.1130/2014.0037(03). |
| 2012 | D’Alessandro, A., and Stickney, M., 2012, Montana Seismic Network Performance: An Evaluation Through the SNES Method: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 102, p. 73-87, doi:10.1785/0120100234. |
| 2012 | Stickney, M.C., 2012, Road Log for the Hebgen Lake Earthquake Area: Northwest Geology, v. 41, p. 71-82. |
| 2011 | Bakun, W.H., Stickney, M.C., and Rogers, G.C., 2011, The 16 May 1909 Northern Great Plains Earthquake: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 2011, v. 101, p. 3065-3071, doi:10.1785/0120110054. |
| 2011 | Stickney, M.C., 2011, The Alberton-Frenchtown Seismic Zone: Northwest Geology, v. 40, p. 71-77. |
| 2010 | Bakun, W.H., Stickney, M.C., Rogers, G., and Ristau, J., 2010, Modified Mercalli Intensity Assignments for the May 16, 1909, Northern Plains Earthquake: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1185, 96 p., https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20101185 [Accessed 4/12/2017] |
| 2009 | Bartholomew, M.J., Greene, R.A., Wasklewicz, T.A., and Stickney, M.C., 2009, Alluvial Fans: Sensitive Tectonic Indicators of Fault-Segmentation and Stress-Field Partitioning Along the Red Rock Fault, Southwestern Montana, USA: Northwest Geology, v. 38, p. 41-65. |
| 2007 | Sprenke, K.F., Stickney, M.C., and Peterson, J.L., 2007, The 2005 Alpha Earthquake Swarm, Valley County, Idaho: Idaho Geological Survey Staff Report, S-07-3, 47 p. |
| 2007 | Stickney, M.C., 2007, Historic Earthquakes and Seismicity in Southwestern Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 36, p. 167-186. |
| 2005 | Zeiler, C.P., Stickney, M.C., and Speece, M.A., 2005, Revised Velocity Structure of Western Montana: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 95, p. 759-762. |
| 2004 | Wong, I., Olig, S., Dober, M., Wright, D., Nemser, E., Lageson, D., Silva, W., Stickney, M., Lemieux, M., and Anderson, L., 2004, Probabilistic Earthquake Ground Motion Hazard Maps for Montana: Proceedings of the Basin and Range Province Seismic Hazards Summit II, 2004, p. 158-162. |
| 2004 | Wong, I., Olig, S., Dober, M., Wright, D., Nemser, E., Lageson, D., Silva,W., Stickney, M., Lemieux, M., and Anderson, L., 2004, Earthquake Ground Shaking Hazard Maps of the State of Montana: 13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, CD-Rom. |
| 2003 | Denton, D., Stickney, M.C., Williams, T., and Langston, R., 2003, Remote Monitoring of Mine Seismicity and Earthquakes Using Radio Telemetry, Computers and the Internet: in Singhal, R., Fytas, K., and Chiwetelu, C., Editors; Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Computer Applications in the Minerals Industries (CAMI2003), published on CD (URL http://www.mpes-cami-swemp.com/ordercd.html). |
| 2002 | Bartholomew, M.J., Stickney, M.C., Wilde, E.M., and Dundas, R.G., 2002, Late Quaternary Paleoseismites: Syndepositional Features and Section Restoration Used to Indicate Paleoseismicity and Stress-Field Orientations During Faulting Along the Main Lima Reservoir Fault, Southwestern Montana: Geological Society of America Special Papers, 359 p., p. 29-47. |
| 2002 | Sprenke, K.F., White, B.G., Rohay, A.C., Whyatt, J.K., and Stickney, M.C., 2002, Comparison of Body Wave Displacement with Damage Observations of a Rockburst, Coeur d'Alene Mining District, Idaho: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America v. 92, p. 3321-3328. |
| 2002 | Stickney, M.C., and Lageson, D.R., 2002, Seismotectonics of the 20 August 1999 Red Rock Valley, Montana Earthquake: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 92, p. 2449-2464. |
| 2000 | Lageson, D.R., and Stickney, M.C., 2000, Seismotectonics of Northwest Montana, USA: Montana Geological Society 50th Anniversary Symposium, Montana/Alberta Thrust Belt and Adjacent Foreland, R.A. Schalla and E.H. Johnson eds., v. 1, p. 109-126. |
| 1999 | Bartholomew, M.J., Lewis, S.E., Russell, G.S., Stickney, M.C., Wilde, E.M. and Kish, S.A., 1999, Late Quaternary History of the Beaverhead Canyon, Southwestern Montana in S.S. Hughes and G.D. Thackary, eds, Guidebook to the Geology of Eastern Idaho: Idaho Museum of Natural History, p. 237-250. |
| 1997 | Stickney, M.C., Breckenridge, R.M., and K.F. Sprenke, 1997, Seismic Potential of the Lewis and Clark Zone, Montana and Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Final Report: 1434-94-G-25 15, 13 p. |
| 1996 | Stickney, M.C., Steinmetz, J.C., and Brown, M., 1996, Western States Seismic Policy Council Field Excursion: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Western States Seismic Policy Council, v. 18, p. 201-208. |
| 1994 | Sprenke, K.F., Stickney, M.C., and Breckenridge, R.M., 1994, The Draney Peak Earthquake Sequence Southeastern Caribou County, Idaho, January 30 - April 12: Idaho Geological Survey Staff Report 94-2, 21 p. |
| 1994 | Sprenke, K.F., Stickney, M.C., and Breckenridge, R.M., 1994, The Hoyt Mountain Earthquakes, Shonshone County, Idaho, March 7 and June 3: Idaho Geological Survey Staff Report 94-4, 20 p. |
| 1994 | Stickney, M.C., 1994, Montana and Adjacent Areas Earthquakes 1986: in Stover, C.W. and Brewer, L. Editors, USGS Bulletin 2089, p. 189-192. |
| 1993 | Hill, D.P., Reasenberg, P.A., Michael, A., Arabasz, W.J., Beroza, G., Brumbaugh, D., Brune, J.N., Castro, R., Davis, S., DePolo, D., Ellsworth, W.L., Gomberg, J., Harmsen, S., House, L., Jackson, S.M., Johnston, M.J.S., Jones, L., Keller, R., Malone, S., Munguia, L., Nava, S., Pechmann, J.C., Sanford, A., Simpson, R.W., Smith, R.B., Stark, M., Stickney, M.C., Vidal, A., Walter, S., Wong, I., and Zollweg, J., 1993, Seismicity Remotely Triggered By the Magnitude 7.3 Landers, California, Earthquake: Science, v. 260, p. 1617-1623. |
| 1993 | Stickney, M.C., 1993, Seismicity of the Tobacco Root Mountains and Surrounding Region, Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 22, p. 49-54. |
| 1993 | Stickney, M.C., and Sprenke, K.F., 1993, Seismic Events With Implosional Focal Mechanisms in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District, Northern Idaho: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 90, p. 6523-6528. |
| 1992 | Stevens, G.R., Stickney, M.C., Sprenke, K.F., and Jung, S.J., 1992, Seismicity in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District, Northern Idaho: Proceedings of the Symposium on Engineering Geology and Geotechnical Engineering, v. 28, p. 266-271. |
| 1992 | Stickney, M.C., and Sprenke, K.F., 1992, A Microseismic Study of the Coeur d’Alene Mining District, Northern Idaho: Rock Mechanics, Proceedings of the 33rd U.S. Symposium, v. 33, p. 1087-1091. |
| 1991 | Sprenke, K.F., Stickney, M.C., Dodge, D.A., and Hammond, W.R., 1991, Seismicity and Tectonic Stress in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 81, p. 1145-1156. |
| 1990 | Bartholomew, M.J., Stickney, M.C., and Wilde, E.M., 1990, Late Quaternary Faults and Seismicity in the Jefferson Basin: Rocky Mountain Friends of the Pleistocene, August 15-19, 1990, Field Trip Guidebook, p. 238-244. |
| 1988 | Bartholomew, M.J., Stickney, M.C., and Henry, J., 1988, Perspective 28 Years After the August 18, 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake in Hayes, W.W., (ed.), A Review of Earthquake Research Applications in the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program: 1977-1987: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 88 13 A, p. 155-167. |
| 1987 | Stickney, M.C., and Bartholomew, M.J., 1987, Seismicity and Late Quaternary Faulting of the Northern Basin and Range Province, Montana and Idaho: Seismological Society of American Bulletin, v. 77, no. 5, p. 1602-1625. |
| 1987 | Witkind, I.J., and Stickney, M.C. 1987, The Hebgen Lake Earthquake Area, Montana and Wyoming: Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide, Rocky Mountain Section, p. 89-94. |
| 1985 | Stickney, M.C., 1985, P-Wave Travel Times and Crustal Structure of SW Montana From Aftershocks of the October 28, 1983, Borah Peak, Idaho, Earthquake in Proceedings of Workshop XXVIII on the Borah Peak, Idaho, Earthquake: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-290, p. 672-679. |
| 1984 | Sheriff, S.D., and Stickney, M.C., 1984, Crustal Structure of SW Montana and East Central Idaho Results From a Reversed Refraction Line: Geophysical Letters Review, v. 11, p. 299-302. |
| 1983 | Qamar, A.I., Kogan, J., and Stickney, M.C., 1983, Tectonics and Recent Seismicity Near Flathead Lake, Montana: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 72, p. 1591-1599. |
| 1981 | Bufe, C.G., Marks, S.M., Lester, F.W., Ludwin, R.S., and Stickney, M.C., 1981, Seismicity of the Geysers-Clear Lake Region; in: Research in the Geysers-Clear Lake Geothermal Area, Northern California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1141, pp. 129-137. |
| 1980 | Stickney, M.C, 1980, Seismicity and Gravity Studies of Faulting in the Kalispell Valley, Northwestern Montana: Master's Thesis, University of Montana, 82 p. |
| 1979 | Stickney, M.C., 1979, The Fort Ross Earthquake Sequence, March and April, 1978: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 69, pp. 1841-1850. |
| 1978 | Stickney, M.C., 1978, Seismicity and Faulting of Central Western Montana: Northwest Geology, v. 7, p. 1-9. |