Research
Photo of the right-lateral Mission Creek fault strand of the San Andreas fault zone in southern California at Thousand Palms. Palm trees show the trace of the fault offsetting channels and alluvial deposits. Photographed by K. Scharer.
My research combines the analysis of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), field mapping, Quaternary geochronology, and computer modeling to quantify the tectonic and climatic controls on landscapes at active continental margins over Quaternary timescales. My present research focuses on understanding the kinematic and mechanical evolution of fault systems, such as the San Andreas. More specifically, I am interested in how deformation within the fault system is partitioned temporally and spatially. This information is important for characterizing the mechanical behavior and interactions of faults, evaluating contrasting hypotheses on whether mechanisms in the upper or lower crust govern long-term fluctuations in deformation rates and for earthquake recurrence models used in assessing seismic hazards.
ORCID# https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0021-0062
ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS
Examining the behavior and evolution of the southern San Andreas fault system, Collaborators: Kate Scharer (USGS), Warren Sharp (BGC) and Roland Bürgmann (UCB)
Investigating strain distribution in the central Walker Lane: Implications for the evolution of an active tectonic plate boundary. Collaborators: Jeff Lee (CWU), Jackie Langille (UNCA), Warren Sharp (BGC).
Determining Long-Term Slip Rate Estimates for the Santa Cruz Mountains section of the Northern San Andreas fault. Collaborators: Katherine Guns (UofA), Carol Prentice (USGS), Steve Delong (USGS), Roland Bürgmann (UCB)
Mid-Quaternary fault behavior of the San Andreas fault through the San Gorgonio Pass. Collaborators: Greg Balco (BGC), Julie Fosdick (UConn), John Stone (UW)
Evaluation of fault geometry, activity, and slip rate, and associated mass wasting along the San Gregorio fault in the Seal Cove area of San Mateo County. Collaborators: Hudson Washburn (SJSU), Bob McLaughlin (USGS), Dennis Woo and Tyler Ladinsky (CGS)
