Philibosian, B., K. Sieh, J.-P. Avouac, D. H. Natawidjaja, H.-W. Chiang, C.-C. Wu, C.-C. Shen, M. R. Daryono, H. Perfettini, B. W. Suwargadi, Y. Lu, and X. Wang (2017). Earthquake supercycles of the Mentawai segment of the Sunda Megathrust in the 17th century and earlier, Journal of Geophysical Research 122, doi:10.1002/2016JB013560.
Belle Philibosian
The focus of my research is to understand the earthquake cycle, using techniques drawn from the fields of active tectonics and paleoseismology. In various projects I have employed imagery- and LiDAR-based fault mapping, paleoseismic trenching, GPS and InSAR observations, and coral microatoll paleogeodesy. I pursue the dual goals of scientific understanding and hazard assessment of earthquakes.
Biography
EDUCATION
2013 Ph.D. Geology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology
2007 M.S. Geological Sciences, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon
2005 B.S. Geology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology
EMPLOYMENT
2019–present Research Geologist, Earthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey
2016–2019 Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Geologist, Earthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey
2015–2016 Columbia Science Fellow, Columbia University
2013–2015 AXA Postdoctoral Researcher, Equipe de Tectonique, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Science and Products
Date published: June 17, 2019
Status: Active Earthquake Geology and Paleoseismology
USGS scientists study active fault zones by mapping faults, excavating trenches, studying landforms offset by earthquakes, and measuring past and current motion of active faults using alignment arrays, global positioning systems (GPS), and airborne, terrestrial and mobile laser scanning technology.
By excavating trenches across active faults, USGS geologists and collaborators are...
Attribution: Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards Program
Faults and Earthquake Geology
To understand the risk that different areas of the U.S. face for earthquake hazards, we need to know where faults are and how they behave. We know a fault exists only if it has produced an earthquake or it has left a recognizable mark on the earth’s surface. Once a fault has been identified, the next step is to determine how it behaves.
Year Published: 2021
Creep on the Sargent Fault over the past 50 yr from alignment arrays with implications for slip transfer between the Calaveras and San Andreas Faults, California
The 55‐km‐long Sargent fault connects the creeping Calaveras fault with the locked San Andreas fault through the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Gilroy, California. The position of the Sargent fault between these two faults may have implications for slip transfer and strain accumulation between a creeping and locked fault. The detection and...
Mongovin, Daniel; Philibosian, Belle
Year Published: 2020
Documentation of Surface Fault Rupture and Ground‐Deformation Features Produced by the 4 and 5 July 2019 Mw 6.4 and Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence
The Mw">MwMw 6.4 and Mw">MwMw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence occurred on 4 and 5 July 2019 within the eastern California shear zone of southern California. Both events produced extensive surface faulting and ground deformation within Indian Wells Valley and Searles Valley. In the weeks following the earthquakes, more...
Ponti, Daniel J.; Blair, James Luke; Rosa Carla M; Thomas, Kate; Pickering, Alexandra; Akciz, Sinan; Angster, Stephen J.; Avouac, Jean-Philipe; Bachhuber, Jeffrey; Bacon, Steven; Barth, Nicolas C.; Bennett, S.; Blake, Kelly; Bork, Stephan; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Bullard, Thomas; Burgess, Paul A.; Chupik, Colin; Dawson, Timothy E.; DeFrisco, Michael; Delano, Jaime E.; DeLong, Stephen B.; Dolan, James D.; Donnellan, Andrea; Duross, Christopher; Ericksen, Todd; Frost, Erik; Funning, Gareth J.; Gold, Ryan D.; Graehl, Nicholas A; Gutierrez, Carlos; Haddon, Elizabeth; Hatem, Alexandra Elise; Helms, John; Hernandez, Janis; Hitchcock, Christopher S.; Holland, Peter; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; Kendrick, Katherine J.; Koehler, Richard D; Kozaci, Ozgur; Ladinsky, Tyler C.; Leeper, Robert; Madugo, Christopher; Mareschal, Maxime; McDonald, James; McPhillips, Devin; Milliner, Christopher; Mongovin, Daniel; Morelan, Alexander; Nale, Stephanie; Nevitt, Johanna; O'Neal, Matt; Olsen, Brian J.; Oskin, Michael; Padilla, Salena; Patton, Jason; Philibosian, Belle; Pierce, Ian; Pridmore, Cynthia; Roth, Nathaniel; Sandwell, David ; Scharer, Katherine; Seitz, Gordon G.; Singleton, Drake; Smith-Konter, Bridget; Spangler, Eleanor; Swanson, Brian J.; Jobe, Jessica Thompson; Treiman, Jerome; Valencia, Francesca; Vanderwal, Joshua; Williams, Alana; Xu, Xiaohua; Zachariasen, Judith; Zimmerman, Jade; Zinke, Robert
Year Published: 2020
Evidence of previous faulting along the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake ruptures
The July 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence in southeastern California was characterized as surprising because only ~35% of the rupture occurred on previously mapped faults. Employing more detailed inspection of pre-event high-resolution topography and imagery in combination with field observations, we document evidence of active faulting in the...
Thompson Jobe, Jessica; Philibosian, Belle; Chupik, Colin; Dawson, Timothy E.; Bennett, Scott E. K.; Gold, Ryan D.; Duross, Christopher; Ladinsky, Tyler C.; Kendrick, Katherine J.; Haddon, Elizabeth; Pierce, Ian; Swanson, Brian J.; Seitz, Gordon G.
Year Published: 2020
Segmentation and supercycles: A catalog of earthquake rupture patterns from the Sumatran Sunda Megathrust and other well-studied faults worldwide
After more than 100 years of earthquake research, earthquake forecasting, which relies on knowledge of past fault rupture patterns, has become the foundation for societal defense against seismic natural disasters. A concept that has come into focus more recently is that rupture segmentation and cyclicity can be complex, and that a characteristic...
Philibosian, Belle; Meltzner, Aron J.
Year Published: 2020
Surface displacement distributions for the July 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake ruptures
Surface rupture in the 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence occurred along two orthogonal cross faults and includes dominantly left‐lateral and northeast‐striking rupture in the Mw">Mw 6.4 foreshock and dominantly right‐lateral and northwest‐striking rupture in the Mw">Mw 7.1 mainshock. We present >...
Duross, Christopher; Gold, Ryan D.; Dawson, Timothy E.; Scharer, Katherine; Kendrick, Katherine J.; Akciz, Sinan; Angster, Stephen J.; Bachhuber, Jeffery; Bacon, Steven; Bennett, Scott E. K.; Blair, Luke; Brooks, Benjamin A.; Bullard, Thomas; Burgess, W. Paul; Chupik, Colin; DeFrisco, Michael; Delano, Jaime; Dolan, James D.; Frost, Erik; Graehl, Nick; Haddon, Elizabeth; Hatem, Alexandra Elise; Hernandez, Janis; Hitchcock, Christopher S.; Hudnut, Kennth; Thompson Jobe, Jessica; Koehler, Richard D; Kozaci, Ozgur; Ladinsky, Tyler C.; Madugo, Christopher; McPhillips, Devin; Milliner, Christopher; Morelan, Alexander; Olson, Brian; Patton, Jason; Philibosian, Belle; Pickering, Alexandra J.; Pierce, Ian; Ponti, Daniel J.; Seitz, Gordon G.; Spangler, Eleanor; Swanson, Brian J.; Thomas, Kate; Treiman, Jerome; Valencia, Francesca; Williams, Alana; Zinke, Robert
Year Published: 2020
Coupling of Indo-Pacific climate variability over the last millennium
The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) impacts climate and rainfall across the world, and most severely in nations surrounding the Indian Ocean1-4. The frequency and intensity of positive IOD events increased during the 20th Century5 and may continue to intensify in a warming world6; however, confidence in future IOD changes is limited by known biases in...
Abram, Nerilie J.; Wright, Nicky M.; Ellis, Bethany; Dixon, Bronwyn C.; Wurtzel, Jennifer B.; England, Matthew H.; Ummenhofer, Caroline C.; Philibosian, Belle; Cahyarini, Sri Yudawati; Yu, Tsai-Luen; Shen, Chuan-Chou; Cheng, Hai; Edwards, R. Lawrence; Heslop, David
Year Published: 2011
San Andreas fault earthquake chronology and Lake Cahuilla history at Coachella, California
The southernmost ~100 km of the San Andreas fault has not ruptured historically. It is imperative to determine its rupture history to better predict its future behavior. This paleoseismic investigation in Coachella, California, establishes a chronology of at least five and up to seven major earthquakes during the past ~1100 yr. This chronology...
Philibosian, B.; Fumal, T.; Weldon, R.View Citation
San Andreas fault earthquake chronology and Lake Cahuilla history at Coachella, California; 2011; Article; Journal; Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America; Philibosian, B.; Fumal, T.; Weldon, R.
Year Published: 2009
Photomosaics and Logs of Trenches on the San Andreas Fault near Coachella, California
Valley in southern California east of Dillon Road and south of Avenue 44. Three benched trenches, a total of more than 950 m, were excavated across the fault zone as part of an Alquist-Priolo fault investigation study. These trenches exposed a thick section of latest Holocene lacustrine, fluvial, and shoreline deposits. Only the central and...
Philibosian, Belle; Fumal, Thomas E.; Weldon, Ray J.; Kendrick, Katherine J.; Scharer, Katherine M.; Bemis, Sean P.; Burgette, Reed J.; Wisely, Beth A.View Citation
Photomosaics and Logs of Trenches on the San Andreas Fault near Coachella, California; 2009; OFR; 2009-1039; Philibosian, Belle; Fumal, Thomas E.; Weldon, Ray J., II; Kendrick, Katherine J.; Scharer, Katherine M.; Bemis, Sean P.; Burgette, Reed J.; Wisely, Beth A.
Pre-USGS Publications
Philibosian, B., K. Sieh, J.-P. Avouac, D. H. Natawidjaja, H.-W. Chiang, C.-C. Wu, H. Perfettini, C.-C. Shen, M. R. Daryono, and B. W. Suwargadi (2014). Rupture and variable coupling behavior of the Mentawai segment of the Sunda megathrust during the supercycle culmination of 1797 to 1833, Journal of Geophysical Research 119, doi: 10.1002/2014JB011200.
Philibosian, B., K. Sieh, D.H. Natawidjaja, H.-W. Chiang, C.-C. Shen, B.W. Suwargadi, E.M. Hill, and R.L. Edwards (2012). An ancient shallow slip event on the Mentawai segment of the Sunda Megathrust, Sumatra. Journal of Geophysical Research 117, B05401, doi:10.1029/2011JB009075.
Philibosian, B., and M. Simons (2011). A survey of volcanic deformation on Java using ALOS PALSAR interferometric time series. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 12, Q11004, doi:10.1029/2011GC003775.