Research Interests

My research interests lie at the nexus of geohazards and society.

My research aims to advance our understanding and prediction of coastal hazards, particularly tsunami and storm impacts, through numerical modeling, remote-sensing, and field-based studies. My work spans from developing sophisticated numerical models to conducting comprehensive multi-year field campaigns, providing a robust framework for assessing and mitigating risks to coastal communities. This integrated approach enhances the accuracy and reliability of hazard predictions, ultimately contributing to community resilience and safety. See below for examples of this research program.

Modeling Approaches

Local-Fault Tsunami

Dam Failure

Landslide-Generated Tsunami

Storms

Field Approaches

Boulder measurements, ground surveying

Sensor deployments, 3D printing

UAS flights for SfM processed DSMs

Lidar (iPhone, terrestrial)

Communication using Emerging Technology

VR (Headset + WebGL)

1976 Teton Dam Failure

VR (Headset)

Storms Move Coastal Boulders

The image (above) from Int. J. Digital Earth Publication (Spero et al., 2022).

CLICK HERE to access the WebGL version of the Teton Dam simulation

Pre-2020 Previous Research

2019 Viticulture and Terroir Studies Research - Idaho Wineries

This research focused on quantifying the extent of the historic Bonneville flood through cataloging and analyzing soil texture and chemistry from eight vineyards in the Snake River plain. Locally funded research was conducted under the supervision of Dr. David Wilkins.

2019 Wildfire VOC Effects on Urban Communities 2019

This research focused on validating thermal desorption gas chromatography as a method for reliably quantifying smoke tracers in urban environments using Boise, Idaho as a case study city. NOAA-funded research. Worked under Dr. Jaffe (PI), Dr. Praphulla Chandra (Ph.D.), Shabaz Qureshi (Ph.D.), and Andy Nutting (M.S.).

2018 GeoTenerife Summer Technician and Volcanology Intern 2018

I was selected as one of the GeoTenerife interns for 2018. I spent time over on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain studying the geochemical aspects of geothermal degassing of Mt. Tiede volcano. On the left, I am at the tallest point in Spain- the crater of Mt. Tiede sampling a fumarole. Above is the crater of Pico Viejo, a neighboring volcano that consisted of a 10- hour hike! Below is an image at the start of the hike. This opportunity led to international friends and colleagues, presenting research at the EGU 2019 annual conference (European Geosciences Union).

2016-2018 Central Washington Tsunamis and Universal Design Research

This research focused on simulating hypothetical ruptures for local faults (Leech River Fault and Utsalady Point Fault) to better understand the tsunami threats to Port Angeles, Washington. This was NOAA-funded research. See below for a tsunami numerical model animation from my research! I worked with Dr. Breanyn MacInnes and Dr. Naomi Jeffery Petersen.

Published research in the International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (IJURCA - Spero et al., 2021)

Above. This is an animation of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake with the resulting tsunami. The scale bar is in meters and the area is Puget Sound, Washington with my site area in black - Port Angeles, Washington.

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