Research

Research Overview (use the Research drop-down menu at the top of the page to see information on different projects)

If you're a student and find this sort of work interesting, then let me know (email works great: michael dot bunds at uvu dot edu) and we can chat about opportunities for you to get involved (or to work with someone else in the department if your interests lie elsewhere in geoscience!)!

I am a geologist/geophysicist and teacher who studies faulting in the Earth's crust and has also investigated landslide and tsunami processes. I'm particularly interested in where, when, and why faults form, slip, and cause earthquakes.

My research has used a variety of tools from structural geology, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics, and most recently photogrammetry and high resolution topography to investigate the mechanics of faulting, the effects of fluids and water-rock reactions on faulting, and the earthquake behavior of faults. In recent years I've developed a focus on making highly detailed and accurate digital topographic maps (high resolution topography) that I and colleagues use to measure surface displacements from earthquakes and active creep on faults. The surface displacements help us determine when past earthquakes happened, the length of fault that ruptured in pre-historic earthquake(s), and how much the fault slipped. All of this helps us better understand future earthquake hazard. We also make and use these super high resolution maps to detect and measure movement of landslides and to investigate deposits of boulders we hypothesize were formed by tsunamis and thus might be a tool to better identify and assess the risk tsunamis pose to coastal populations.

Mentoring students on research projects is a big focus of my work at Utah Valley University. Nearly every study that I've worked on while at UVU has directly involved students, and I'm always excited to meet and talk to students who want to do their own research or help with an existing investigation. To learn about ongoing and recent research by my students and me, go to the Research page. I should add that most professors in the Dept. of Earth Science have a vigorous program mentoring our majors in exciting research - which is a great reason to major in Geology, Geography, or Environmental Science in our department!