School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences
Showing 1-50 of 99 Results
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Lauren Abrahams
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe most destructive tsunamis are generated by earthquakes, posing hazard to coastlines around the world. Open questions about these events are, how are they generated, what parameters will cause the most destructive waves, and how do we interpret existing seafloor data to create tsunami and earthquake early warning? To answer these questions, computer simulations (modeling) have been an effective method to study past events and assess a region's potential hazard. Many modelers use an approximate approach for modeling how earthquakes generate tsunamis, but recent events have shown assumptions in these approaches do not hold in all cases. Since these models do not fully describe the physics, they are less effective in predicting future hazards.
A more rigorous full-physics method has been developed by a previous group member that does not approximate tsunami generation, creating a more realistic model of earth/ocean interactions. This full-physics method has only been developed in 2D; however, a 3D model is needed to allow for comparison to real-world data. In collaboration with the University of Munich, I am currently incorporating the full-physics method into the open-source 3D earthquake software. This software will be the first 3D full-physics model for earthquake tsunamigenesis, providing greater insight into tsunami physics and valuable information for tsunami early warning.
In addition to my thesis work, I have focused on two other projects to study hazards. I have completed my starter project studying frictional effects on earthquake behavior and completed my second project working with the US Geological Survey on improving ground motion prediction equations used in the earthquake early warning systems. -
Aakash Ahamed
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics
BioAakash Ahamed (BS, with honors, Franklin and Marshall College; MSc, Boston College; PhD Candidate, Stanford University) is a hydrologist developing scientific methods for satellite and airborne remote sensing measurements with applications to water resources, natural hazards, and agricultural systems. As a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geophysics, his current doctoral project focuses on modeling, monitoring, and forecasting key hydrologic components of the Central Valley Aquifer System in California using techniques in data assimilation and machine learning. Aakash previously worked as a support scientist in the Hydrological Sciences Lab at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he constructed satellite-based models of flood and landslide hazards. He has also developed remote sensing analyses and software at Ceres Imaging, a successful precision agriculture start up based in Silicon Valley, and interned as a GIS analyst at the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in Washington, DC.
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Sarfaraz Alam
Postdoctoral Scholar, Geophysics
BioSarfaraz Alam is a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University, where he is modeling nitrate transport in groundwater and surface water to improve approaches to enforcement. His research integrates hydrologic modeling, contaminant transport, remote sensing, and data science to understand how climate and human-induced changes affect water resources and the environment. Sarfaraz earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from UCLA in 2021.
Sarfaraz received an Outstanding Ph.D. student award, Dissertation Year Fellowship, and Graduate Division Fellowship at UCLA. He authored nine peer-reviewed journal articles and presented his research in over ten international conferences. -
Greg Beroza
Wayne Loel Professor of Earth Science
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEarthquake seismology
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Biondo Biondi
Barney and Estelle Morris Professor
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch
My students and I devise new algorithms to improve the imaging of reflection seismic data. Images obtained from seismic data are the main source of information on the structural and stratigraphic complexities in Earth's subsurface. These images are constructed by processing seismic wavefields recorded at the surface of Earth and generated by either active-source experiments (reflection data), or by far-away earthquakes (teleseismic data). The high-resolution and fidelity of 3-D reflection-seismic images enables oil companies to drill with high accuracy for hydrocarbon reservoirs that are buried under two kilometers of water and up to 15 kilometers of sediments and hard rock. To achieve this technological feat, the recorded data must be processed employing advanced mathematical algorithms that harness the power of huge computational resources. To demonstrate the advantages of our new methods, we process 3D field data on our parallel cluster running several hundreds of processors.
Teaching
I teach a course on seismic imaging for graduate students in geophysics and in the other departments of the School of Earth Sciences. I run a research graduate seminar every quarter of the year. This year I will be teaching a one-day short course in 30 cities around the world as the SEG/EAGE Distinguished Instructor Short Course, the most important educational outreach program of these two societies.
Professional Activities
2007 SEG/EAGE Distinguished Instructor Short Course (2007); co-director, Stanford Exploration Project (1998-present); founding member, Editorial Board of SIAM Journal on Imaging Sciences (2007-present); member, SEG Research Committee (1996-present); chairman, SEG/EAGE Summer Research Workshop (2006) -
Jef Caers
Professor of Geological Sciences and, by courtesy, of Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on the exploration & exploitation of geological resources, from data acquisition to decision making under uncertainty and risk assessment.
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Jon Claerbout
Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Geophysics, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsReflection Seismology
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Eliza Dawson
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am investigating how changes in the thermal regime at the ice-bed interface could force the Antarctic ice sheet to evolve. My approach combines large scale ice sheet modeling, regional airborne ice-penetrating radar sounding analysis, and the synthesis of the two. Currently, I am using the Ice-sheet and Sea-level system model (ISSM) to learn about basal thaw processes that could drive mass loss and ultimately contribute to sea level rise.
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Eric Dunham
Associate Professor of Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPhysics of natural hazards, specifically earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. Computational geophysics.
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William Ellsworth
Professor (Research) of Geophysics
BioMy research interests can be broadly defined as the study of active faults, the earthquakes they generate and the physics of the earthquake source. A major objective of my work is to improve our knowledge of earthquake hazards through the application of physics-based understanding of the underlying processes. As Co-Director of the Stanford Center for Induced and Triggered Seismicity, my students, postdocs and I conduct multi-disciplinary studies into the causes and consequences of anthropogenic earthquakes in a wide variety of settings. I have also long been committed to earthquake risk reduction, specifically through the transfer of scientific understanding of the hazard to people, businesses, policymakers and government agencies. Before coming to Stanford in 2015, I was a research geophysicist at the U. S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California for more than 40 years where I focused on problems of seismicity, seismotectonics, probabilistic earthquake forecasting, and earthquake source processes
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Meredith Goebel
Postdoctoral Scholar, Geophysics
BioMeredith Goebel primary interests center on the application of geophysical methods for addressing problems surrounding the evaluation and management of groundwater resources. She currently serves as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford University, developing methods for integrating new datasets into groundwater models to improve their accuracy and utility, specifically in California’s Central Valley. In addition to this work, she is also involved in number of projects investigating new tools for groundwater recharge site assessment in the Central Valley.
Meredith completed her PhD in Geophysics at Stanford University, working with electrical and electromagnetic geophysical methods to map and monitor saltwater intrusion at both the lab and field scale. The field scale research for her PhD was conducted along the coast of the Monterey Bay, mapping the distribution of fresh and salt water in the subsurface both onshore and offshore along the bay. Prior to starting at Stanford she got her BA in Geophysics from UC Berkeley, and interned in the seismology group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. -
Stephan Graham
Transition Vice-Dean, Chester Naramore Dean of the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, Welton Joseph and Maud L¿Anphere Crook Professor of Applied Earth Sciences & by courtesy, of Geophysics & of Energy Resources Engineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsSedimentary basin analysis; petroleum geology
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Lucia Gualtieri
Assistant Professor of Geophysics
BioLucia Gualtieri is an Assistant Professor of Geophysics at Stanford University. Before joining Stanford, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. Lucia earned her Ph.D. in Geophysics in 2014, as a dual degree from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (France) and the University of Bologna (Italy). She obtained her M.Sc. in Geophysics in 2010 and her B.Sc. in Physics in 2008, both at the University of Bologna. Lucia is interested in a variety of research topics, and in tackling them under a theoretical, computational and observational point of view. Lucia’s main research interests are in solving problems related to emerging fields in seismology, like ambient seismic noise and seismic signals due to mass-wasting events. She is also interested in using seismic waves to scan the interior of our planet and in gaining insights on how the Earth's structure affects seismic records.
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Jerry Harris
The Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor in Geophysics, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBiographical Information
Jerry M. Harris is the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Geophysics and Associate Dean for the Office of Multicultural Affairs. He joined Stanford in 1988 following 11 years in private industry. He served five years as Geophysics department chair, was the Founding Director of the Stanford Center for Computational Earth and Environmental Science (CEES), and co-launched Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP). Graduates from Jerry's research group, the Stanford Wave Physics Lab, work in private industry, government labs, and universities.
Research
My research interests address the physics and dynamics of seismic and electromagnetic waves in complex media. My approach to these problems includes theory, numerical simulation, laboratory methods, and the analysis of field data. My group, collectively known as the Stanford Wave Physics Laboratory, specializes on high frequency borehole methods and low frequency labratory methods. We apply this research to the characterization and monitoring of petroleum and CO2 storage reservoirs.
Teaching
I teach courses on waves phenomena for borehole geophysics and tomography. I recently introduced and co-taught a new course on computational geosciences.
Professional Activities
I was the First Vice President of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists in 2003-04, and have served as the Distinguished Lecturer for the SPE, SEG, and AAPG. -
Seogi Kang
Postdoctoral Scholar, Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTo construct basis of groundwater sustainability plan in California, we develop an effective workflow that can map 3D hydrogeology of the subsurface by using airborne electromagnetic data that can cover large area fast.
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Simon Klemperer
Professor of Geophysics and, by courtesy, of Geological Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI study the growth, tectonic evolution, and deformation of the continents. My research group undertakes field experiments in exemplary areas such as, currently, the Tibet plateau (formed by collision between Indian and Asia); the actively extending Basin-&-Range province of western North America (the Ruby Range Metamorphic Core Complex, NV, and the leaky transform beneath the Salton Trough, CA). We use active and passive seismic methods, electromagnetic recording, and all other available data!
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Rosemary Knight
The George L. Harrington Professor in the School of Earth Sciences and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEnvironmental geophysics
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Alexandra Konings
Assistant Professor of Earth System Science and, by courtesy, of Geophysics & Center Fellow, by courtesy, at the Woods Institute for the Environment
BioAlexandra Konings leads the Remote Sensing Ecohydrology group, which studies interactions between the global carbon and water cycles. That is, her research studies how changes in hydrological conditions change ecosystems, and how this in turn feeds back to weather and climate. These interactions include studies of transpiration and root water uptake, photosynthesis, mortality, and fire processes, among others. To address these topics, the groups primarily uses the tools of model development and remote sensing (satellite) data, especially microwave remote sensing data of vegetation water content. Alex believes that a deep understanding of remote sensing techniques and how they can be used to create environmental datasets enables new opportunities for scientific insight and vice versa.
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Robert Kovach
Professor of Geophysics, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEarthquake seismology, natural hazards, and ancient earthquakes and archaeology
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Mathieu Lapôtre
Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences and, by courtesy, of Geophysics
BioProf. Lapôtre leads the Earth & Planetary Surface Processes group. His research focuses on the physics behind sedimentary and geomorphic processes that shape planetary surfaces (including Earth's), and aims to untangle what landforms and rocks tell us about the past hydrology, climate, and habitability of planets.
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Matthew Edward Lees
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics
BioI work on using geophysics to monitor and interpret hydrologically-induced surface deformation in and around California's Central Valley. My research focuses on improving our understanding of land subsidence induced by groundwater extraction, as well as more subtle surface deformation due to hydrologic loading. I have additional interest in sustainable groundwater management around the world, and how geophysics can be used to help tackle pressing hydrologic issues of the 21st century.
Before coming to Stanford, I studied a Masters in Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge (2013-17) and spent time as a hydrogeologist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD (2017).
Additional information about my research can be found on the GEM-Center site: https://gemcenter.stanford.edu/link-between-groundwater-pumping-and-subsidence -
Haipeng Li
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics
BioHaipeng Li will become a member of the Stanford Exploration Project (SEP) as a Ph.D. student in the fall of 2022. His research interests include numerical solutions to the seismic wave equations, reverse time migration, and full-waveform inversion.
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Ethan Lopes
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics
Program Assistant, School of Earth, Energy and Environmental SciencesBioEthan is an experimental geophysicist interested in using paleomagnetism to elucidate questions pertaining to ancient Mars's magnetic field. As a PhD candidate, his current work involves the study of magnetic mineral production via fluid-rock interactions.
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Rachael Madison
Assistant Director of Student Services, Department of Geophysics - Geophysics
Current Role at StanfordAssistant Director of Student Services, Department of Geophysics
