Research

I am a structural geologist with a focus on earthquake hazards.

I am broadly curious about Earth processes, studying geophysical problems ranging in scale from the hazards of an individual fault to the construction of the Tibetan Plateau. My goal is to understand how faults behave over a range of timescales, from seconds to millions of years, and how different datasets can contribute to our understanding of these processes. Much of my research involves constructing realistic geometric and kinematic 3D fault models in order to understand how long-term geology is related to short-term processes.

My work expands further where tectonics and earthquakes interact with other Earth processes. Earthquakes drive tsunamis; sediments record deformation history; stratigraphy controls fault growth; erosion modulates mountain building.

Because of the breadth of my interest, I incorporate a wide range of datasets into my research, including seismic reflection data, well logs, surface geology, rupture maps, relocated seismicity, InSAR, GPS, geochronology, and numerical modeling.

My work currently focuses primarily on South and Southeast Asia, a region with high population density and significant exposure to Earth hazards. Thus, I have conducted research - both fieldwork and remote sensing work - in Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Myanmar. At the Earth Observatory of Singapore, we aim to use our research to help make communities in this region more sustainable, and I am always looking for ways to interact with local communities, draw connections to impacts and actions, and find new ways to study Earth hazards.

For details on past work, see my publication list, or the summaries of my publications. I also use twitter to share thoughts about research papers I'm reading or publishing, or ideas about recent earthquakes. This has been especially helpful since COVID has prevented most in-person meetings.

Current projects:

• How and why is the the Main Frontal Thrust in the Himalaya segmented? Links to sediments and great earthquakes.

• Sediment records in the Nepal foreland track tectonics and monsoonal cycles.

• Finding the missing geologic shortening in the HImalaya: using structural methods to estimate inelastic shortening.

• Dynamic earthquake patterns in the Himalaya: the impact of hanging wall evolution.

• Recent extension behind the Main Himalayan Thrust in Nepal and links to the earthquake cycle.

• Seismic deployment in Bangladesh: investigating the seismicity and structure of the Bangladesh fold-and-thrust belt.

• A hazardous backarc thrust fault: tsunami hazard around the Indonesian islands of Bali and Lombok due to the Flores thrust.

• Linking climate and tectonics: using growth strata from the Sumatran foreland basic to track glacial sea level cycles.

• 3D fault modeling in seismically active regions.