Broadly speaking, I am interested in seismic tomography and seismic wave propagation. In many aspects, these topics go hand-in-hand: by using an accurate representation of seismic wave propagation (the forward problem) in a seismic tomography study (the inverse problem), it should be possible to obtain accurate and well-resolved images of the Earth's interior. In collaboration with Jeroen Tromp and Qinya Liu, we have implemented an adjoint method into 2D and 3D spectral-element method (SEM) codes. I have applied this technique in southern California to obtain a significantly improved 3D model of the crust; please follow the links here for details.

I am pursuing similar efforts in Alaska, with the goal of developing a 3D reference model of the crust and upper mantle. This project also involves assessment and improvement of the seismic moment tensor catalog for Alaska. Here are links to some of my research projects:

• Geometry of seismic moment tensors and moment tensor space, here.

• Observational evidence of earthquake nucleation and very-low-frequency earthquakes in central Alaska, 2013epsl and 2018natgeo

• Simulations of 2016 Mw 7.1 Iniskin earthquake, here

• Earthquake simulations and other movies on youtube, here.

Previous projects:

• PhD thesis, Caltech, Seismic Tomography of Southern California Using Adjoint Methods, here

• Multiscale representation of GPS velocity fields and strain-rate fields, here

• Master's thesis, University of Oxford, Waves on a Spherical Membrane, here

• Faults and fault rock in the vicinity of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, here

• Tides and tidal sedimentation, here

• Mirages, here (pdf).