Research

The Department conducts research in a wide variety of areas that are mostly related, but not restricted, to applied geophysics. Candidates interested in the current research activities of specific faculty members are encouraged to contact faculty members directly to gain insight into their scholarship

Research Focus Areas

Climate Geophysics

Description: Investigating the complex interactions between the ocean, cryosphere, atmosphere, and freshwater systems and their collective impact on the Earth’s climate.

Researchers: Eric Anderson, Bia Villas Bôas, Richard Krahenbuhl, Yaoguo Li, Eileen Martin, Gwendal Marchal, Manika Prasad, Matthew Siegfried, Jeffrey Shragge, Tasha Snow

Research Groups and Centers: Glaciology Research Group

Labs and Resources: Distributed Fiber-optic Sensing (DFOS) Laboratory, Fluid and Ocean Waves Laboratory (FLOW), Glaciology Laboratory

 

 

 

Computational Geophysics

Description: Simulating Earth processes to predict what could happen and analyzing geophysical data to understand what is observed.

Researchers: Eric Anderson, Aaron Girard, Ge Jin, Eileen Martin, Jeffrey Shragge

Research Groups and Centers: CWP, Reservoir Characterization Project

 

Energy and Natural Resources Geophysics

Description: Exploring and understanding the Earth in order to find resources that can be useful in everyday life.

Researchers: Aaron Girard, Ge Jin, Yaoguo Li, Eileen Martin, Manika Prasad, Paul Sava, Jeffrey Shragge, Jim Simmons, Ilya Tsvankin, Ali Tura

Research Groups and Centers: CASERM, Center for Wave Phenomena, Reservoir Characterization Project 

Labs and Resources: Distributed Fiber-optic Sensing (DFOS) Laboratory

 

 

Geomechanics

Description: Studying the mechanical state of rocks caused by changes in stress and pressure.

Researchers: Eric Anderson, Brandon Dugan, Yaoguo Li, Manika Prasad, Kamini Singha

Research Groups and Centers: Center for Rock and Fluid Multiphysics

Labs and Resources: Hydrology and Geomechanics Laboratory, Adsorption Laboratory, Fluids Laboratory, Nuclear LaboratoryPoroelastic Laboratory

 

 

Near Surface Geophysics and Society

Description: Using geophysics to explore and understand the complex interactions and often conflicting demands that communities have with the near-surface environment.

Researchers: Aaron Girard, Richard Krahenbuhl, Matthew Siegfried, Elizabeth Reddy, Jeffrey Shragge

Research Groups and Centers

Labs and Resources: Distributed Fiber-optic Sensing (DFOS) Laboratory, Ken Larner Geomaker Space

 

 

Space and Planetary Geophysics

Description: Exploring, monitoring and understanding the geophysics of planets and planetary bodies

Researchers: Ebru, Bozdağ, Paul Sava, Matthew Siegfried

Research Groups and Centers: Computational and Global Seismology Group

Learn more

 

 

Faculty Interests and Specializations

World-renowned faculty produce cutting-edge research in a wide range of geophysics topics.

Eric Anderson

Eric Anderson researching on ocean

Hydrodynamic modeling

Coastal and freshwater ice

Meteotsunamis

Real-time forecasting

Earth’s largest lakes

Ebru Bozdağ

Global and computational seismology

Seismic tomography

Full-waveform inversion

3D seismic wave simulations

Interpretation of Earth’s and other planetary interiors and their dynamics.

Brandon Dugan

Brandon Dugan

Marine geology and geophysics

Borehole geophysics

Geomechanics and fluid flow

Freshwater resources

Natural hazards

John Bradford

 

Ground-penetrating radar

Reflection seismology

Wavefield modeling

Reflection imaging

Waveform attribute analysis

Material property estimation

Ge Jin

Jin Ge

Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing applications

Machine learning and data mining applications in Geophysics

Advanced seismic imaging methods

Richard Krahenbuhl

Richard Krahenbuhl Resarch

Gravity and Magnetics

Time-lapse monitoring

Archaeological Geophysics

Volcanic Studies

Humanitarian Geoscience

Jeffrey Lee

Jeffrey Lee Structure and tectonics

Yaoguo Li

Inverse theory

Gravity

Magnetics

Electromagnetics

Reservoir monitoring

Geology differentiation

Eileen Martin

Eileen Martin in Alaska

Near-surface, engineering, environmental and urban geophysics

Analysis of large sensor networks

Fiber-optic sensing, including distributed acoustic sensing

Signal processing, imaging, and inverse problems

Data-intensive high-performance computing

Passive seismic methods

Manika Prasad

Manika Prasad

Rock physics / rock mechanics

Petrophysics

Acoustic imaging / micro-CT imaging

Gas adsorption

NMR, poroelastic and flow properties for reservoir characterization

Seismic monitoring

CO2 storage

Resource evaluation

Elizabeth Reddy

Elizabeth Reddy in field

Earthquake Early Warning

Environmental anthropology

Science and technology studies S

Seismic hazard

Disaster risk mitigation

Engineering and science education

Danica Roth

Hillslope and fluvial surface processes
Environmental seismology and distributed acoustic sensing
Post-wildfire hydrology, erosion and hazards
Sediment transport mechanics

Paul Sava

Paul Sava Research

Seismic & radar wave propagation

Wavefield imaging and tomography

Inverse problems & numeric optimization

Exploration geophysics

Planetary geophysics and space resources

Jeffrey Shragge

Jeff Shragge

3D/4D Seismic
3D acoustic and elastic wave propagation, 3D/4D velocity inversion, 3D/4D Reverse-time migration (RTM), wave-equation migration, rock physics, computational geometry and differential meshing

Near-surface
Ground penetrating radar, magnetics, conductivity mapping, resistivity profiling, seismic reflection/refraction; instrument design

Computing
Parallel Programming (OpenMP, MPI); General Purpose GPU computing, CUDA; micro-controller devices (e.g., Raspberry Pi)

Matthew Siegfried

Matthew Siegfried Research

Physical processes of glaciers and ice sheets

Interactions between ice, ocean, and solid Earth

Adapting field geophysical methods for ice-sheet applications

Independent validation of remotely sensed observations

Kamini Singha

Hydrogeophysics

Physical processes controlling solute and contaminant mass transport

Integration of geophysical imaging with flow and transport modeling

Groundwater-surface water exchange

Groundwater-evapotranspiration connections

Roel Snieder

Western Part of the Oakland Bay Bridge

Extracting the mechanical response from structures such as buildings or bridges from the recordings of ambient noise or of earthquake signals.

Ilya Tsvankin

Ilya Tsvankin ResearchSeismic wave propagation

Inversion and processing for anisotropic media

Multicomponent and time-lapse seismic

Characterization of fractured reservoirs

Seismic monitoring of CO2 sequestration

Ali Tura

Ali Tura Research

Integrated reservoir characterization and monitoring

Research topics in fiber optics

Machine learning

Land seismic data acquisition

Bia Villas Bôas

Bia Villas Boas

Physical oceanography

Remote sensing

Air-sea interactions

Ocean surface waves

Coupled modeling of winds, currents, and waves

Scientific computing education

Mengli Zhang

Centers and Projects

Research Sponsors

The Department of Geophysics gratefully acknowledges our partners in industry, government, and academia who provide support for our students, centers and consortia, and research projects:

  • ActeQ
  • Aramco Services
  • Bayswater
  • BGP International
  • BHP Billiton
  • BP America
  • CGG
  • Chevron Corporation
  • Civitas
  • ConocoPhillips
  • Dawson Geophysical
  • Earth Science Analytics
  • EOG Resources
  • Equinor
  • ExxonMobil
  • Fervo Energy
  • Geophysical Insights
  • Geoscientists without Borders
  • GeoSoftware
  • Great Western Oil and Gas
  • Halliburton
  • HighPoint Resources
  • Hess Corporation
  • IKON Science
  • Instituto Mexicano Del Petroleo
  • JOGMEC
  • Kuwait Oil Co.
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Lundin Energy Norway
  • Nanoseis
  • National Aeronautics & Space Administration
  • National Science Foundation
  • New Mexico Institute of Technology
  • Newmont Mining Corporation
  • Nexen Energy
  • OptaSense
  • Oxy USA
  • PDC Energy
  • Petrobras
  • Petrophysical Solutions
  • PGS
  • Pioneer Natural Resources
  • Seitel
  • Shearwater Reveal
  • Shell Exploration & Production
  • SINOPEC
  • TGS-NOPEC
  • Total E&P
  • Unified Geosystems
  • University of Utah
  • US Air Force
  • US Department of Energy
  • US Geological Survey
  • Vale, Brazil