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.
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
Interaction between climate and tectonics in the northern Lesser Antilles inferred from the last interglacial shoreline on Barbuda island
Photomosaics and logs associated with study of West Napa Fault at Ehlers Lane, north of Saint Helena, California
20th-century strain accumulation on the Lesser Antilles megathrust based on coral microatolls
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
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
Evidence of previous faulting along the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake ruptures
Segmentation and supercycles: A catalog of earthquake rupture patterns from the Sumatran Sunda Megathrust and other well-studied faults worldwide
Surface displacement distributions for the July 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake ruptures
Coupling of Indo-Pacific climate variability over the last millennium
San Andreas fault earthquake chronology and Lake Cahuilla history at Coachella, California
Photomosaics and logs of trenches on the San Andreas Fault near Coachella, California
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Earthquake Geology and Paleoseismology Overview
Lidar point cloud, GNSS, and raster data from near St. Helena, CA, March 30 and August 1, 2017
Pre-existing features associated with active faulting in the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence
2017b high resolution seismic imaging of the West Napa Fault Zone, St. Helena, California
2017 seismic imaging of the West Napa Fault Zone, St. Helena, California
Science and Products
- Publications
Interaction between climate and tectonics in the northern Lesser Antilles inferred from the last interglacial shoreline on Barbuda island
In the context of increasing evidence of plate interface coupling variability in subduction zones, there is a need to extend the short time window given by instrumental data and to gather data over multiple time and spatial scales. We hence investigated the long-term topography on Barbuda island, located in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, west of the Caribbean subduction zone. FollowingPhotomosaics and logs associated with study of West Napa Fault at Ehlers Lane, north of Saint Helena, California
The West Napa Fault has previously been mapped as extending ~45 kilometers (km) from northern Vallejo to southern Saint Helena, California, dominantly running along the western edge of Napa Valley. A zone of fault strands (some previously unmapped) along a ~15-km section of the fault ruptured during the 2014 magnitude 6.0 South Napa earthquake, illustrating the need for further investigation of th20th-century strain accumulation on the Lesser Antilles megathrust based on coral microatolls
The seismic potential of the Lesser Antilles megathrust remains poorly known, despite the potential hazard it poses to numerous island populations and its proximity to the Americas. As it has not produced any large earthquakes in the instrumental era, the megathrust is often assumed to be aseismic. However, historical records of great earthquakes in the 19th century and earlier, which were most liCreep 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 measurement of creep on the Sargent fault would indicate wheDocumentation 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 MwMw 6.4 and 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 than six dozen scientists from government, academia, and the private sector carefullyEvidence 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 landscape along the entire fault system. Scarps, deSegmentation 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 earthquake model is too simple to adequately describSurface 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 6.4 foreshock and dominantly right‐lateral and northwest‐striking rupture in the Mw 7.1 mainshock. We present >650 field‐based, surface‐displacement observations for these ruptures and synthesize our resultsCoupling 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 model representations of the IOD7 and the lack of inSan 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 yields a range of average recurrence intervals betweenPhotomosaics and logs of trenches on the San Andreas Fault near Coachella, California
The Coachella paleoseismic site is located on the San Andreas Fault along the northeast edge of the Coachella 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, fNon-USGS Publications**
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.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.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Science
Earthquake Geology and Paleoseismology Overview
The goals of USGS earthquake geology and paleoseismology research are 1) to make primary observations and develop ideas to improve our understanding of the geologic expression of active faulting, and 2) to acquire data that will improve the National Seismic Hazard Model. Geological research allows us to characterize faults, including the identification of secondary seismogenic structures, to study... - Data
Lidar point cloud, GNSS, and raster data from near St. Helena, CA, March 30 and August 1, 2017
Text files: These data are text files of GNSS survey points collected along a trace of the West Napa Fault Zone near Ehler?s Lane north of St. Helena, California. Data were collected to aid in paleoseismic investigation of the suspected fault strand and to characterize local geomorphology. Data were collected on March 31, and August 1, 2017 using a Leica Viva GS15 survey grade GPS. The data are dePre-existing features associated with active faulting in the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence
This dataset is composed of linear active tectonic and other relevant features (scarps, deflected drainages, and lineaments and contrasts in topography, vegetation, and ground color) mapped based on high-resolution topography, aerial/satellite imagery, and field observations. The mapping covers the area surrounding the 2019 Ridgecrest, California earthquake surface ruptures. Point locations of fie2017b high resolution seismic imaging of the West Napa Fault Zone, St. Helena, California
In September 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired high resolution P- and S-wave seismic data across the suspected trace of the West Napa Fault zone in St. Helena, California, approximately 70 m north of the previous seismic survey conducted in April 2017 (Chan et al., 2018). We acquired seismic reflection, refraction, and guided-wave data along a 75-m-long profile across the expected trend of2017 seismic imaging of the West Napa Fault Zone, St. Helena, California
In April 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired high resolution P- and S-wave seismic data across the suspected trace of the West Napa Fault zone in St. Helena, California. We acquired seismic reflection, refraction, and guided-wave data along a 215-m-long profile across the expected trend of the West Napa Fault zone. To acquire the reflection and refraction data, we co-located shots and geopho - Multimedia