Geodesy and Earth Mechanics Lab
Jeremy Maurer @ Missouri S&T
Announcements
In the GEMLab, we use a broad range of statistical and computational techniques to combine observations, principally geodetic and remote sensing measurements, with mechanical and probabilistic models to solve problems in earthquake science.
Check out the announcements above and our current Research Projects!
We are a part of the Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Department at Missouri S&T in Rolla, MO.
Recent News
Seismic stations installed in Guatemala
Dr. Maurer is a Co-I on a project with Dr.'s Obrist-Farner and Stephen Gao, both faculty at S&T, involving installing seismic stations to study faulting and earthquakes in Guatemala. The project is part of a larger effort that Dr. Obrist is leading to understand past earthquakes and seismicity in the region.
Dr. Maurer Co-I on the ICDP-funded LIBRE project
Dr. Maurer is a Co-I on an ICDP project recently approved for drilling a deep borehole in the Lake Izabal basin in eastern Guatemala. This is just one of several new projects we have ongoing in Guatemala in collaboration with other institutions in the US and Guatemala. You can read more about the LIBRE and related projects here.
Dr. Maurer was recently in Guatemala holding a training workshop for Guatemalan scientists at INSIVUMEH and the University of San Carlos on GNSS data acquisition and modeling. He will be traveling to Guatemala again next year to fly lidar along several major fault segments in collaboration with Dr. Obrist-Farner at Missouri S&T and Dr. Christoph Grützner at the Institute of Geological Sciences, Jena University, Germany. The lidar surveys will be used to identify locations for trenching along the Polochic and Motagua Faults.
A recent news article about using drones for precision agriculture
Dr. Maurer and Dr. Katherine Grote received a grant from the state of Missouri to develop courses on using drones and satellite remote sensing for precision agriculture applications.
https://news.mst.edu/2023/05/st-researchers-aim-to-educate-missouri-farmers-on-drone-technology/
A recent news article about our work on the 2021 Haiti earthquake
Older News
New paper from GEMLab on Induced Seismicity in Oklahoma
Induced earthquakes in Oklahoma have increased well above their historic rates. In this study, Maurer et al. look at how the choice of declustering algorithm, a particular type of data processing applied to seismicity, can impact earthquake hazard.
New Research Article on the maximum magnitude of fluid-induced earthquakes
Earthquakes can be induced or triggered by fluid injected deep underground, if the fluid encounters faults. We found using numerical simulations that earthquakes once triggered may grow as large as natural earthquakes, except under specific conditions. Earthquakes stop where pre‐existing conditions are unfavorable for continued rupture, such as restraining bends. Check out the article for more information!
GEMLab receives collaborative research grant with IU to study strain rate in southern California
We will be using statistical methods and elastic models to infer surface strain rates from GPS data. The work is done in collaboration with Kaj Johnson at Indiana University.