Position Description:

Nearly a century of oil exploration in the Los Angeles Basin has built a massive archive of well records. These records are useful far beyond the energy industry--they present an untapped wealth of geological information. Drilling miles down into the earth, well operations pass through millions of years of tectonic history. Often, the well logs contain field engineers' hand-written notes, precisely marking the depths at which certain geological units (rock layers) are observed. These rock depths play a critical role in reconstructing southern California's tectonic history, as well as in characterizing the earthquake hazards facing the nearly 20 million inhabitants of the greater LA metro area today.

The steps of this research will include:

• Gathering the geological data from online archived records

• Logging the data in a specified format

• Learning and using GOCAD software (a 3D CAD tool) to visualize this data within 3D fault models, seismic reflection surveys, and earthquake events

Students will participate in the full process of this project, all aspects of which will be covered in tutorials by PhD student Natasha Toghramadjian.

This project will introduce students to the fields of structural geology and seismology, providing exposure to software tools (GIS, CAD) that are used to characterize faults and assess regional earthquake hazards.

Duration: 3 weeks (January 4 - 22, 2021)

Work Hours: 6-7 hours/week (for a total of 20 hours)

Pay Rate: $15/hour

Numbe of Positions Available: 2

Qualifications/Requirements:

• no prior experience in the field is necessary

• interest in learning about GIS and geologic/geophysical data

• computer

• internet access

• complete a survey at the end of the project

All necessary software, data, and instructions will be provided.

Opportunities to Explore the EPS Department:

Students will participate in weekly meetings with graduate students and research staff, and be invited to participate in meetings of the structural geology research group to explore the range of topics that it studies. Group members will provide brief tutorials on geology and seismology, and be available to discuss EPS courses, future research options, and career paths.

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) welcomes everyone and aims for a diverse and inclusive community. Preferences will be given to rising sophomores and first year students, but we encourage all interested students to apply. Students who are already working with members of the EPS community and non-Harvard students are not eligible for this position.

The application has closed on December 15th, 2020.

Students Hired: Kento Yamada (first year), Annika Huprikar (first year), Tyler Nilson (first year), Tijesunimi Borode (first year)