Research and Projects

Ongoing Project

Ground Motions and Basin Effects in 

Po-Basin, Italy

Collaborators: Rashid Shasms, Prof. Buka Nweke, Emel Seyhan (RMS) and Balaji (RMS)

This work is being carried out as part of USC-RMS's external research collaboration. We aim to uncover basin amplification mechanism in Emilia-Romgna Region and greater Po-Basin (largest basin in Italy).

Ongoing Project

From Felt Reports to Hazard Estimate: Can Did You Feel It? (DYFI) Data Inform Seismic Hazard?: A Case Study for Kolkata City, India

Collaborators: Rashid Shams and Prof. William Mohanty

Work carried out in collaboration with Prof. William Mohanty (IIT-KGP)

Completed Project

Uncertainty-Aware Bayesian Neural Network-based Peak GMMs for Seismic Hazard Applications in Northeast India (NEI)

Collaborators: Rashid Shams, ICED-Hazard Team and Prof. M.L. Sharma

Shams, R., et al. (under submission in BEE)

Work carried out in collaboration with ICED-IIT-Roorkee

Completed Project

Data-Driven Insights into Basin Effects and Site Response in San Francisco Bay Area

Collaborators: Rashid Shasms, Devjyoti Mitra (RMS) and Ritu Raj (RMS)

Shams, R., Mitra Devjyoti, Nath Ritu (2026), A data-driven framework for basin delineation and site response characterization using spatial clustering and Bayesian modeling: A case study for the San Francisco Bay area, Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 208, 110380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2026.110380

This work was carried out at Moody's RMS for my research internship (paper published in SDEE). In this work, we carried out a data-driven study to delineate basic structures in the San Francisco Bay Area employing multi-parameter spatial clustering and bayesian modelling of site response.

Completed Project

Investigating High Resolution Spatial Variability of Site Response in Los Angeles Basin using CSN Data

Collaborators: Rashid Shams (USC), Chukwuebuka C. Nweke (USC), Grace A. Parker (USGS), Monica D. Kohler (Caltech)

Rashid Shams, Chukwuebuka C. Nweke, Grace A. Parker, Monica D. Kohler (2026). Investigating high-resolution spatial variability of site response in the Los Angeles Basin using a dense sensor network (to be submitted in TSR)

This study characterises seismic site response across the Los Angeles Basin using dense Community Seismic Network (CSN) and ANSS station data. Results show strong agreement in short-period site residuals, while dense CSN coverage reveals localized amplification and basin-edge effects, including PSA amplifications up to ~2× near the northeastern basin edge and systematic cross-fault contrasts linked to subsurface structure and lithologic variations. 

Completed Project

Sub-Regional Site Response for San Francisco Bay Area

Funded by : USGS, Ongoing project (2024 -2025)  

Collaborators: , Prof. Stewart (UCLA), Shako Mohammad (UCLA), Prof. C.C. Nweke (USC), Prof. Scott Brandenberg (UCLA) and Dr. Bukeries (Post-Doc, UCLA)

Report : GIRS-2025-06: Sub-Regional Site Response of San Francisco Bay Area — The B. John Garrick Institute for the Risk Sciences 

Completed Project

NGA-West3 Database and Site Metadata Development

   Ongoing project (June 2023 -)  

Collaborators: Prof. C.C. Nweke (USC), Prof. Scott Brandenberg (UCLA), Prof. Stewart (UCLA), Prof Nweke (USC) and, Dr. Bukeries (Post-Doc, UCLA)

Ongoing Project

Understanding Basin Effects and the Impact on Structural Response and Damage through Causal Lens

Ongoing project (Oct 2023 -)  

Collaborators: Prof. C.C. Nweke (USC), Prof. Henry Burton (UCLA)

Completed Project

Sub-Basins and Spatial Distribution of Ground Motion Amplification in the Southern California Region

Ongoing project (Oct2023 - Oct 2025)  

Collaborators: PI: Prof. C.C. Nweke (USC), Dr. G.A. Parker (USGS)

Completed Project

Geometric Parameterization of Sedimentary Basins in Southern California

Completed project (Jan 2023 - May 2024) funded by USGS. 

Collaborators: PI : Prof. C.C. Nweke (USC), Dr. G.A. Parker (USGS)

Shams R, Nweke CC, Parker GA, (2026), Site Response Models based on Geometric Parameter for Southern California Sedimentary Basins California, Earthquake Spectra, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp4.70027  

Completed Project

Assessment of Usable Parameter Ranges for CSN and CSMIP Ground Motion Data to Support Ground Motion Modelling and Emergency Response Applications

 (Aug 2023 - March 2024) funded by CGS

Collaborators: PI: Prof. Stewart (UCLA), Prof Nweke (USC), Prof Kohler (Caltech), Prof Bozognia (UCLA), Dr. Bukeries (Post-Doc, UCLA), Shako (PhD Student, UCLA)

Mohammed S, Shams R, Nweke CC, et al. Usability of Community Seismic Network recordings for ground-motion modeling. Earthquake Spectra. 2024;0(0). doi:10.1177/87552930241267749 

Report :

Stewart, JP, Mohammad S, Nweke CC, Shams R, Buckreis TE, Kohler MD, Bozorgnia Y (2023). Usability of ground motions recorded by Community Seismic Network, Garrick Institute for Risk Sciences, UCLA Samueli Engineering. DOI: 10.34948/N36K5M.

Completed Project

Classification Algorithms for Sedimentary Basins in Southern California

Aug 2022 - Jan 2023

Collaborators: Prof. C.C. Nweke (USC)

Journal Paper 

Nweke, Chukwuebuka; Shams, Rashid; Southern California Basin Classification Algorithm for Ground Motion Site Amplification Models, Earthquake Spectra, https://doi.org/10.1177/87552930241293568