The Earth Science Colloquium Series presents:
Illuminating earthquakes with satellite radar and airborne lidar remote sensing.
Dr. Edwin Nissen, Professor, University of Victoria.
Earthquakes are amongst the deadliest natural hazards worldwide, the worst of them killing tens of thousands of people and with global tolls of 1–2 million possible this century. Anticipating their locations, magnitudes, frequencies, and other important characteristics is therefore one of the grand challenges of geophysics. The overarching research theme of the UVic Earthquakes group is to better understand earthquake mechanics through precise observations of real seismic sequences, with the goal of informing better rupture forecast models and improved societal resilience. Key tools in this work include state-of-the-art active remote sensing techniques that illuminate Earth’s surface using radar or laser pulses from a satellite, airplane or drone, and map surface deformation or topography from the back-scatter. After introducing these techniques, I will highlight some recent observations of earthquakes in Turkey, New Zealand and elsewhere that challenge some of the common assumptions made in probabilistic seismic hazard models.
Host: Meredith Nettles, Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES).
The Earth Science Colloquium Series, sponsored by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia University Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES), provides a lively forum for discussing a wide variety of topics within the Earth sciences and related fields. Colloquia are attended by the full range of scientific and technical staff at LDEO. Colloquium attendance is required of all pre-orals DEES graduate students. The Colloquium Series supports the Lamont Seminar Diversity Initiative.
