My research uses Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), seismometers, and signal-processing tools to study earthquake source processes and volcanic systems. I am especially interested in how dense seismic observations can improve earthquake catalogs, source characterization, directivity analysis, volcano monitoring, and subsurface imaging.

Research Areas

Earthquakes

I study earthquake source properties using DAS for small and moderate earthquakes, with a current focus on Cook Inlet, Alaska. I estimate source parameters such as moment, corner frequency, and stress drop, and investigate earthquake directivity using dense wavefield observations.

Volcanoes

I apply DAS and traditional seismic observations to volcanic environments, focusing on microearthquake detection, catalog completeness, monitoring, and imaging the subsurface to investigate volcanic and hydrothermal plumbing systems.

Current Projects

Mount Rainier - Dark Fiber

2023-2024

We deployed DAS along a dark fiber route on the southern flank of Mount Rainier. I am working on detecting microearthquakes using template matching and validating detections with local seismic networks.

A manuscript from this project is currently under review in Seismica. A preprint is available through ESS Open Archive.

Cook Inlet, Alaska - Offshore Earthquake Source Studies

2024

Using subsea DAS data, I analyze offshore earthquakes to estimate source parameters such as moment, corner frequency, and stress drop.

Cordón Caulle, Chile - Hydrothermal System Imaging

2026

We deployed DAS in the Cordón Caulle hydrothermal system, where shallow magmatic and hydrothermal processes shape the volcanic landscape. I am using ambient-noise imaging to characterize the subsurface and investigate the structure of the volcanic plumbing system.

Methods

  • Template matching and cross-correlation
  • Lag time estimation between DAS and seismometers
  • Earthquake source parameter estimation (stress drop, corner frequency)
  • Earthquake directivity analysis
  • Ambient-noise imaging
  • DAS data analysis in Python and ObsPy

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