Thread: USGS Mendenhall Program Post-doctoral Opportunity on Improving Ground-motion Characterization for the USGS Earthquake Hazard Products

Started: 2022-08-11 15:01:28
Last activity: 2022-08-11 15:01:28
The USGS Mendenhall program has a post-doctoral opportunity (#21-36) for recent graduates, entitled: “Improving ground-motion characterization for the USGS earthquake hazard products: Nonergodic, simulation, machine learning, and intensity-based methods.”

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produces several public-facing products meant to quantify and communicate earthquake hazard, mitigate earthquake risk, and improve post-event situational awareness. These include the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM), the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) system, and ShakeMap. These products all rely on forecasts from ground-motion models (GMMs), and some rely on ground-motion-to-intensity-conversion equations (GMICEs) to convert peak ground shaking into Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for communicating shaking levels to the public. These products could be improved through innovations in the ground-motion modeling components.

We seek Mendenhall Postdoctoral Scholars to investigate and develop models for ground motion with the goal of improving shaking forecasts in USGS hazard products, including the National Seismic Hazard Model, the ShakeAlert EEW system, and ShakeMap. We seek candidates with interest in one or more of four possible topic areas (1) modeling intensity-based ground motions; (2) the use of 3D simulations to improve ground-motion estimates or PSHA; (3) nonergodic approaches to ground-motion modeling; and (4) the use of machine learning in ground-motion modeling. Example research directions that may be addressed by the Fellow are provided for each topic area at:
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/mendenhall-research-fellowship-program/21-36-improving-ground-motion-characterization-usgs
but other research efforts to improve ground-motion characterizations in earthquake hazard products are also encouraged.

Applications are due November 1, 2022, and more information about the program, the opportunity, and how to apply can be found at:
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/mendenhall.

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Research Advisors early in the application process to discuss project ideas.

Proposed duty stations: Moffett Field, California; Pasadena, California; Golden, Colorado.
Research advisors: Grace Parker (gparker<at>usgs.gov), Kyle Withers (kwithers<at>usgs.gov), Annemarie Baltay (abaltay<at>usgs.gov), Morgan Moschetti (mmoschetti<at>usgs.gov), Sara Minson (sminson<at>usgs.gov), Susan Hough (hough<at>usgs.gov), Mark Petersen (mpetersen<at>usgs.gov), Brad Aagaard (baagaard<at>usgs.gov), Robert Graves (rwgraves<at>usgs.gov), Eric Thompson (emthompson<at>usgs.gov), and Bruce Worden (cbworden<at>contractor.usgs.gov)


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