Understanding if earthquakes of different sizes start in the same way and whether the growth process of the rupture of a large earthquake is predictable are fundamental questions in earthquake source physics, with practical implications for Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems and probabilistic forecasting. I am working to identify the differences between large and small earthquakes by analyzing large seismic datasets. Specifically, I use seismic waveform analysis to explore the factors that may influence the size of different earthquakes
How do faults respond to stress changes?
Whether the seismicity is correlated with the solid Earth tides has been a long-standing problem, and the findings remain ambiguous. The response of seismicity to the solid earth tides sheds light on the physical properties and processes controlling earthquake triggering. The surge in earthquake data and advanced detection techniques provides an opportunity to explore this problem in detail. We utilize a long-term catalog to explore the tidal modulation in Southern California. We find that the correlations between earthquakes and tides vary with location.
How do we identify and characterize the physical processes of complex earthquake sequences?
Earthquake sequence dynamics influence our understanding of the physical forces within the Earth. The spatial-temporal seismicity patterns reveal a rich history of their driving physical mechanisms. I developed an enhanced seismicity catalog for the 2017 Mw6.5 Jiuzhaigou earthquake catalog that led to the discovery of a fault portion with ‘weak strength’ near the main shock hypocentre which is characterized by limited coseismic slips, concentrated afterslip, low aftershock activities, high b-value and high sensitivity to stress changes. Fault frictional properties can explain these phenomena at conditional stable sliding status, which may be related to the localized high pore-fluid pressure produced by the fluid intrusion. Our innovative algorithms in seismic catalog building provide unprecedented detail to study their underlying driving processes and mechanical properties of fault zones.