Research: Our group focuses on understanding the imprint of crustal deformation on landscapes, primarily through study of active faults and folds that uplift and displace Quaternary landforms - often during large earthquakes. This work is largely field-based, replying on geologic mapping, structural analysis, surveying, and paleoseismic trenching. These tools are complemented by lab-based techniques including GIS analysis of high-resolution topographic data, geodesy, and a variety of Quaternary dating methods.
Current Projects
Plate boundary evolution in central Aoteoroa New Zealand
This project focuses on deformation in North Canterbury, near the southern terminus of the Hikurangi subduction margin. Our work aims to shed light on how crustal deformation associated with the transition from subduction to oblique collision manifests over multiple earthquake cycles. This project combines neotectonic characterization of active structures in the epicentral region of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake with longer-term bedrock exhumation from low temperature thermochronology. As part of this work, we are also developing an international university seminar series focused on exploring bicultural approaches to weaving indigenous knowledge and geoscience research. This work is collaborative with Dr. Nathan Niemi (Michigan), Dr. Tim Stahl (U Canterbury) and Dr. Clare Wilkinson (NIWA), and is funded under NSF Award #2312490
A community fault model for Cascadia
I am involved as senior personnel on the newly funded CRESCENT (Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center) project. Our goal is to create a comprehensive 3D representation of fault geometries in Cascadia, including the megathrust and on and off-shore upper plate crustal faults. Other senior personnel on this project include Dr. Emily Roland (WWU), Dr. Ashley Streig (PSU), Dr. Andrew Meigs (OSU), and Dr. Harold Tobin (UW).
Figure from Dr. Brendan Crowell, UW - CRESCENT NSF Proposal
Active tectonics and earthquake geology of the Olympic Mountains, WA State
I have been involved with several projects to identify and characterize active faults and prehistoric surface ruptures for faults bounding the Olympic Mountains. Goals of this work generally are to define the rate and kinematics of active fault slip, the timing of past earthquakes, and possible connections between crustal faults and the megathrust earhtquake cycle. Collaborators in this work past and present include Dr. Liz Schermer (WWU), Dr. Brian Sherrod (USGS), Dr. Jack Loveless (Smith), Dr. Tammy Rittenour (USU), and Dr. Steve Angster (USGS). Funding for this work has come primarily through the USGS and EdMap programs.