How to Navigate the Caltech Seismological Laboratory Website for Research and Data

Updated

The Caltech Seismological Laboratory site (seismolab.caltech.edu) is organized around a small set of top-level sections—research, people, publications, and data/observatory information—so the fastest route is to start from the main navigation menu, then use the site search or sitemap if a section has moved. Because the available site record contains no captured headings or page text, treat the labels below as the conventional structure for this site and confirm against what you actually see when you land on the page.

Start with the main navigation

Open the homepage and scan the primary menu (usually a horizontal bar at the top, sometimes collapsed behind a menu icon on mobile). Look for these section names or close variants:

  • Research — descriptions of the lab's seismology and earthquake science programs.
  • People / Personnel / Faculty — researchers, staff, and contact information.
  • Publications — papers, reports, and annual or technical outputs.
  • Data / Observatories / Networks — seismic data, station information, and monitoring resources.
  • News / Events / Seminars — talks and announcements.

If a menu item opens a dropdown, the sub-items usually split a broad topic (e.g., "Research") into specific projects or regions.

Find research content

  1. Click the research-related menu entry.
  2. Scan for project or theme listings rather than expecting one long page.
  3. Follow individual project links for detail; these often sit on separate pages or subdomains.
  4. If you need a specific scientist's work, cross-check the People section and their linked profile.

Expected result: you reach a page describing a research area, with links to related publications or data where the lab provides them.

Locate data and observational information

Seismic data is typically not on the homepage. Try, in order:

  • A Data, Observatory, or Networks menu item.
  • Links in the footer, which often hold data portals and external network references.
  • The site search box (see below) using terms like "data," "stations," or "network."

Note that some data may live on a separate portal or partner site rather than under seismolab.caltech.edu itself. If a link leaves the domain, that is expected for data access.

Use search and the sitemap

  • Site search: enter a keyword (a researcher's name, a region, a network name) in the search field, usually top-right or in the footer.
  • Sitemap: try /sitemap or /sitemap.xml appended to the domain, or a "Sitemap" link in the footer, to see all indexed pages at once.
  • Browser search: press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) on a long listing page to jump to a name or term.

Common snags

  • Labels differ from expectations. "Data" might appear as "Observatories" or sit under "Research."
  • Structure changes. Navigation and page locations are updated over time, so a link that worked previously may redirect or 404.
  • Content on subdomains. Some resources are hosted outside the main site; follow the link rather than assuming it is missing.
  • No captured page text available. The site record used here has no stored headings or excerpt, so verify each label on the live page before relying on it.

If a section is not where you expect, the search box and sitemap are the two most reliable fallbacks.