I am a solid-earth geophysicist with a math, geology, and computer-science background. Specifically, I have mostly been working in active- and passive-source seismology, investigating tectonophysics and geodynamic problems at a variety of scales. Recently I have grown a branch into the intruging world of infrasound and optical fiber sensor technologies. For more information, see my current research page.

I was originally exposed to geophysics while downloading NASA images of the terrestrial planets during my first year as an undergraduate student. After countless hours comparing these images and various geophysical data, I became fixated on the deformation of the Earth and other terrestrial planets, and realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life studying tectonics and geodynamics. The next day, I signed up for the University of Delaware Geophysics program.

A few years later, after being impressed with the ability of GPS studies to measure active plate deformation, I often thought if a method existed to similarly measure active mantle deformation, the benefit to tectonics and geodynamics research would be enormous. Then, as a graduate student at Stanford, I learned how deformation, stress, and heterogeneity can lead to seismic velocity anisotropy, and how measurements of shear-wave splitting can be used to constrain the geometry/magnitude of anisotropy. The application quickly became clear--observations of teleseismic splitting can be used to measure the geometry/magnitude of active and past mantle deformation. For example, I found during my Ph.D. research that in regions of thin lithosphere, such data provides a window into the asthenosphere, and therefore, the current processes that govern lithosphere/asthenosphere interaction. In regions of thicker lithosphere, the method can be used to measure the coherence and magnitude of anisotropy being generated by active processes or inherited from previous orogenic events, useful data in testing models of lithospheric creation, modification, and preservation processes. Splitting can also be used to provide insight into the current state of stress in the crust, which can help constrain models of fault loading and earthquake dynamics. Then, there is transition-zone and lower-mantle anisotropy, and how it might relate to rheology, geochemistry, and convection...the potential applications of this technique excite me to no end, and I often wonder just how far these data will take us, especially when combined with other types of data.

For more information, check out the following links to my past research and current research.

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Revised: Thursday, 01-May-2008 12:46:21 PDT