ewirth@usgs.gov
2019-10-16 09:06:05
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Opportunity 18-2: Earthquake ground motions and seismic hazard in the
Pacific Northwest
Open Until: Jan. 6, 2020
Location: Seattle, Washington
Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest are a significant hazard to major
population centers in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver,
British Columbia. We seek a candidate to conduct research on earthquake
ground motions in the Pacific Northwest, for the purpose of improving
seismic hazard estimates and increasing public safety.
Ground motions depend upon the characteristics of the earthquake source,
the seismic velocity structure that the seismic waves traverse, and the
near-surface site conditions; therefore, scientific research relevant to
any of these topics is encouraged. A wide range of research questions may
be explored, including but not limited to:
- *3-D Earthquake Simulations (Kinematic or Dynamic)*: What is the
expected ground shaking during megathrust, intraslab, or crustal
earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest? How do characteristics of the
earthquake source and rupture process impact the resulting ground motions?
What physical conditions dictate the extent of earthquake rupture? How can
observations of global earthquakes be used to inform models for earthquakes
in the Pacific Northwest?
- *Amplification of Ground Motions in Sedimentary Basins*: How do
sedimentary basins in the Pacific Northwest amplify earthquake ground
shaking? How is ground motion amplification impacted by additional
complexities, such as rupture directivity, traversing multiple sedimentary
basins, or non-linearity?
- *Analyses of Observed Local Earthquakes*: How does the character
(e.g., stress drop, rupture directivity) of local seismicity vary with
depth and tectonic setting? How does propagation through the crust and
upper mantle affect recorded ground motions? How are ground motions from
local earthquakes amplified by shallow soils, such as fill and alluvium, at
individual sites throughout the Pacific Northwest?
- *Constraining 3-D Seismic Velocity Structure*: What is the seismic
velocity and attenuation structure of the Pacific Northwest as informed
from full waveform tomography? How can converted seismic phases be used to
constrain sharp impedance contrasts that may impact earthquake ground
shaking?
The Mendenhall Fellow will be stationed at the Earthquake Science Center’s
field office in Seattle, Washington, on the University of Washington
campus. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the
Research Advisor(s) early in the application process to discuss project
ideas.
Research Advisor(s): Erin Wirth, ewirth<at>usgs.gov; Arthur Frankel,
afrankel<at>usgs.gov; alex grant, agrant<at>usgs.gov; Morgan Moschetti,
mmoscheti<at>usgs.gov; William Stephenson, wstephens<at>usgs.gov
Further details and how to apply can be found at:
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/mendenhall/18-2-earthquake-ground-motions-and-seismic-hazard-pacific-northwest
Erin Wirth (Moriarty)
Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Washington, Box 351310
Seattle, WA 98195-1310
E-mail: emoriarty<at>usgs.gov ewirth<at>usgs.gov
Office: (206) 685-7563
https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/erin-wirth-moriarty
Opportunity 18-2: Earthquake ground motions and seismic hazard in the
Pacific Northwest
Open Until: Jan. 6, 2020
Location: Seattle, Washington
Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest are a significant hazard to major
population centers in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver,
British Columbia. We seek a candidate to conduct research on earthquake
ground motions in the Pacific Northwest, for the purpose of improving
seismic hazard estimates and increasing public safety.
Ground motions depend upon the characteristics of the earthquake source,
the seismic velocity structure that the seismic waves traverse, and the
near-surface site conditions; therefore, scientific research relevant to
any of these topics is encouraged. A wide range of research questions may
be explored, including but not limited to:
- *3-D Earthquake Simulations (Kinematic or Dynamic)*: What is the
expected ground shaking during megathrust, intraslab, or crustal
earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest? How do characteristics of the
earthquake source and rupture process impact the resulting ground motions?
What physical conditions dictate the extent of earthquake rupture? How can
observations of global earthquakes be used to inform models for earthquakes
in the Pacific Northwest?
- *Amplification of Ground Motions in Sedimentary Basins*: How do
sedimentary basins in the Pacific Northwest amplify earthquake ground
shaking? How is ground motion amplification impacted by additional
complexities, such as rupture directivity, traversing multiple sedimentary
basins, or non-linearity?
- *Analyses of Observed Local Earthquakes*: How does the character
(e.g., stress drop, rupture directivity) of local seismicity vary with
depth and tectonic setting? How does propagation through the crust and
upper mantle affect recorded ground motions? How are ground motions from
local earthquakes amplified by shallow soils, such as fill and alluvium, at
individual sites throughout the Pacific Northwest?
- *Constraining 3-D Seismic Velocity Structure*: What is the seismic
velocity and attenuation structure of the Pacific Northwest as informed
from full waveform tomography? How can converted seismic phases be used to
constrain sharp impedance contrasts that may impact earthquake ground
shaking?
The Mendenhall Fellow will be stationed at the Earthquake Science Center’s
field office in Seattle, Washington, on the University of Washington
campus. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the
Research Advisor(s) early in the application process to discuss project
ideas.
Research Advisor(s): Erin Wirth, ewirth<at>usgs.gov; Arthur Frankel,
afrankel<at>usgs.gov; alex grant, agrant<at>usgs.gov; Morgan Moschetti,
mmoscheti<at>usgs.gov; William Stephenson, wstephens<at>usgs.gov
Further details and how to apply can be found at:
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/mendenhall/18-2-earthquake-ground-motions-and-seismic-hazard-pacific-northwest
Erin Wirth (Moriarty)
Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
University of Washington, Box 351310
Seattle, WA 98195-1310
E-mail: emoriarty<at>usgs.gov ewirth<at>usgs.gov
Office: (206) 685-7563
https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/erin-wirth-moriarty
