Danny Brothers
I currently lead a project called "U.S. West Coast and Alaska Marine Geohazards" and I spend about 6-10 weeks per year at sea collecting marine geophysical data.
I received my Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, then moved to Woods Hole, MA, for a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2013, I moved to Santa Cruz, CA, where I currently work as a Research Geophysicist at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center. I grew up in Colorado and spent four years at CU Boulder for undergraduate studies in geophysics.
My research is focused on the following topics:
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Development and application of geophysical approaches to offshore earthquake, landslide and tsunami hazard assessments
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Marine paleoseismology
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Understanding the interplay between tectonic, sedimentary, climatic processes along continental margins
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Combining basic and applied research to study the geomorphic development of continental margins, including substrate fluid flow
News and Outreach
For more recent USGS News stories, click my News tab
February 1, 2016, Anchorage Daily News, "New technology lets scientists pinpoint underwater landslide that triggered deadly 1964 tsunami"
February 2, 2016, FOX NEWS, "USGS discovers source of Alaska tsunami that decimated village in 1964"
January, 2016, USGS Soundwaves, "Investigating the Offshore Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System in Southeastern Alaska, and its Potential to Produce Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Submarine Landslides"
January, 2016, USGS Soundwaves, "Artificial-Gas-Seep Test Produces 3D Images of Bubble Plumes in the Ocean"
August 24, 2014 NY Times, "Methane is discovered seeping from seafloor off East Coast, scientists say"
October, 2011, USGS Soundwaves, "High-Resolution Multibeam Mapping of Mid-Atlantic Canyons to Assess Tsunami Hazards"
July 6, 2011 LA Times, “Scientists tie Colorado River flooding to San Andreas Quakes”
July 3, 2011 San Francisco Chronicle, “Big quake near Salton Sea may be long overdue”
June 29, 2011 Discovery News, “Smaller Salton Sea silences seismic shocks”
June 29, 2011 USA Today, “Salton Sea floods flipped San Andreas earthquake trigger”
January 9, 2010 Nature News, “Floods linked to San Andreas quakes”
July 28, 2009 LA Times feature “More earthquake faults discovered at the Salton Sea”
May 15, 2009 CBS 5, “Lake Tahoe may be due for huge quake, tsunami”
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 41
Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 2018-658-FA between Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino in October of 2018 Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 2018-658-FA between Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino in October of 2018
This data release contains processed high-resolution multichannel sparker seismic-reflection (MCS) data and chirp sub-bottom data that were collected aboard Humboldt State University's R/V Coral Sea in October of 2018 on U.S. Geological Survey cruise 2018-658-FA on the shelf and slope between Cape Blanco, Oregon, and Cape Mendocino, California. MCS data were collected to characterize...
Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection and chirp subbottom data collected offshore Northern California during USGS field activity 2019-643-FA Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection and chirp subbottom data collected offshore Northern California during USGS field activity 2019-643-FA
High-resoulution multichannel seismic-reflection (MCS) and Chirp sub-bottom data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2019 offshore Humboldt County of northern California to expand data coverage along the southern Cascadia Margin. Data were acquired to characterize offshore faults and to study sediment distribution. MCS and Chirp data were collected coincidentally and were...
Geophysical and core sample data collected in lakes and fjords of southcentral Alaska following the 2018 Anchorage earthquake (ver. 2.0, October 2023) Geophysical and core sample data collected in lakes and fjords of southcentral Alaska following the 2018 Anchorage earthquake (ver. 2.0, October 2023)
This dataset includes sub-bottom seismic and sediment core data collected during USGS field activities 2021-612-FA, 2020-625-FA, and 2020-615-FA. Sub-bottom data include Chirp seismic in SEG-Y format with associated navigation tracklines. Core data include photo and computed tomography (CT) scans, and various mineralogical, radiometric, and other sampling data. Users are advised to read...
Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection data collected offshore Glacier Bay National Park during USGS field activity 2015-629-FA Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection data collected offshore Glacier Bay National Park during USGS field activity 2015-629-FA
Multichannel seismic reflection data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in May of 2015 outside of Palma Bay, Alaska. Seismic data were acquired coincidentally with high resolution bathymetry (Dartnell and others, 2022). Data were acquired to map the offshore extension of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault. The fault has produced several significant earthquakes during the...
Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected offshore South East Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2017-621-FA Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected offshore South East Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2017-621-FA
High-resolution multichannel seismic reflection data and chirp sub-bottom data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in July and August 2017 offshore southeast Alaska to expand data coverage along the Queen Charlotte Fault system. Data were acquired to study earthquake hazards, fault mechanics and submarine mass wasting processes along the Queen Charlotte fault system, a 1200 km...
A bathymetric terrain model of multibeam sonar data collected between 2005 and 2018 along the Queen Charlotte Fault System in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska from Cross Sound, Alaska to Queen Charlotte Sound, Canada A bathymetric terrain model of multibeam sonar data collected between 2005 and 2018 along the Queen Charlotte Fault System in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska from Cross Sound, Alaska to Queen Charlotte Sound, Canada
This data publication is a compilation of six different multibeam surveys covering the previously unmapped Queen Charlotte Fault offshore southeast Alaska and Haida Gwaii, Canada. These data were collected between 2005 and 2018 under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The six...
Filter Total Items: 54
Recency of faulting and subsurface architecture of the San Diego Bay pull-apart basin, California, USA Recency of faulting and subsurface architecture of the San Diego Bay pull-apart basin, California, USA
In southern California, plate boundary motion between the North American and Pacific plates is distributed across several sub-parallel fault systems. The offshore faults of the California Continental Borderland (CCB) are thought to accommodate ~10-15% of the total plate boundary motion, but the exact distribution of slip and the mechanics of slip partitioning remain uncertain. The...
Authors
Drake Singleton, Jillian Maloney, Daniel Brothers, Shannon Klotsko, Neal W. Driscoll, Thomas Rockwell
Systematic characterization of morphotectonic variability along the Cascadia convergent margin: Implications for shallow megathrust behavior and tsunami hazards Systematic characterization of morphotectonic variability along the Cascadia convergent margin: Implications for shallow megathrust behavior and tsunami hazards
Studies of recent destructive megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis along subduction margins in Japan, Sumatra, and Chile have linked forearc morphology and structure to megathrust behavior. This connection is based on the idea that spatial variations in the frictional behavior of the megathrust influence the tectono-morphological evolution of the upper plate. Here we present a...
Authors
Janet Watt, Daniel Brothers
Focused fluid flow and methane venting along the Queen Charlotte fault, offshore Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada) Focused fluid flow and methane venting along the Queen Charlotte fault, offshore Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada)
Fluid seepage along obliquely deforming plate boundaries can be an important indicator of crustal permeability and influence on fault-zone mechanics and hydrocarbon migration. The ~850-km-long Queen Charlotte fault (QCF) is the dominant structure along the right-lateral transform boundary that separates the Pacific and North American tectonic plates offshore southeastern Alaska (USA) and...
Authors
Nancy Prouty, Daniel Brothers, Jared Kluesner, J. Vaughn Barrie, Brian Andrews, Rachel Lauer, Gary Greene, James Conrad, Thomas Lorenson, Michael Law, Diana Sahy, Kim Conway, Mary McGann, Peter Dartnell
Morphology, structure, and kinematics of the San Clemente and Catalina faults based on high-resolution marine geophysical data, southern California Inner Continental Borderland Morphology, structure, and kinematics of the San Clemente and Catalina faults based on high-resolution marine geophysical data, southern California Inner Continental Borderland
Catalina Basin, located within the southern California Inner Continental Borderland (ICB), is traversed by two active submerged fault systems that are part of the broader North America-Pacific plate boundary: the San Clemente fault (along with a prominent splay, the Kimki fault) and the Catalina fault. Previous studies have suggested that the San Clemente fault (SCF) may be accommodating...
Authors
Maureen Walton, Daniel Brothers, James Conrad, Katherine Maier, Emily C. Roland, Jared Kluesner, Peter Dartnell
Structural controls on slope failure within the western Santa Barbara Channel based on 2D and 3D seismic imaging Structural controls on slope failure within the western Santa Barbara Channel based on 2D and 3D seismic imaging
The Santa Barbara Channel, offshore California, contains several submarine landslides and ample evidence for incipient failure. This region hosts active thrust and reverse faults that accommodate several mm/yr of convergence, yet the relationships between tectonic deformation and slope failure remain unclear. We present 3‐D and 2‐D multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) data sets...
Authors
Jared Kluesner, Daniel Brothers, Alexis Wright, Samuel Y. Johnson
Submarine canyons, slope failures and mass transport processes in southern Cascadia Submarine canyons, slope failures and mass transport processes in southern Cascadia
The marine turbidite record along the southern Cascadia Subduction Zone has been used to interpret paleoseismicity and suggest a shorter recurrence interval for large (>M7) earthquakes along this portion of the margin; however, the sources and pathways of these turbidity flows are poorly constrained. We examine the spatial distribution of sediment storage, downslope transport, and slope...
Authors
Jenna Hill, Janet Watt, Daniel Brothers, Jared Kluesner
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.
Filter Total Items: 13
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 41
Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 2018-658-FA between Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino in October of 2018 Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 2018-658-FA between Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino in October of 2018
This data release contains processed high-resolution multichannel sparker seismic-reflection (MCS) data and chirp sub-bottom data that were collected aboard Humboldt State University's R/V Coral Sea in October of 2018 on U.S. Geological Survey cruise 2018-658-FA on the shelf and slope between Cape Blanco, Oregon, and Cape Mendocino, California. MCS data were collected to characterize...
Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection and chirp subbottom data collected offshore Northern California during USGS field activity 2019-643-FA Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection and chirp subbottom data collected offshore Northern California during USGS field activity 2019-643-FA
High-resoulution multichannel seismic-reflection (MCS) and Chirp sub-bottom data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2019 offshore Humboldt County of northern California to expand data coverage along the southern Cascadia Margin. Data were acquired to characterize offshore faults and to study sediment distribution. MCS and Chirp data were collected coincidentally and were...
Geophysical and core sample data collected in lakes and fjords of southcentral Alaska following the 2018 Anchorage earthquake (ver. 2.0, October 2023) Geophysical and core sample data collected in lakes and fjords of southcentral Alaska following the 2018 Anchorage earthquake (ver. 2.0, October 2023)
This dataset includes sub-bottom seismic and sediment core data collected during USGS field activities 2021-612-FA, 2020-625-FA, and 2020-615-FA. Sub-bottom data include Chirp seismic in SEG-Y format with associated navigation tracklines. Core data include photo and computed tomography (CT) scans, and various mineralogical, radiometric, and other sampling data. Users are advised to read...
Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection data collected offshore Glacier Bay National Park during USGS field activity 2015-629-FA Multichannel minisparker seismic-reflection data collected offshore Glacier Bay National Park during USGS field activity 2015-629-FA
Multichannel seismic reflection data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in May of 2015 outside of Palma Bay, Alaska. Seismic data were acquired coincidentally with high resolution bathymetry (Dartnell and others, 2022). Data were acquired to map the offshore extension of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault. The fault has produced several significant earthquakes during the...
Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected offshore South East Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2017-621-FA Multichannel sparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected offshore South East Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2017-621-FA
High-resolution multichannel seismic reflection data and chirp sub-bottom data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in July and August 2017 offshore southeast Alaska to expand data coverage along the Queen Charlotte Fault system. Data were acquired to study earthquake hazards, fault mechanics and submarine mass wasting processes along the Queen Charlotte fault system, a 1200 km...
A bathymetric terrain model of multibeam sonar data collected between 2005 and 2018 along the Queen Charlotte Fault System in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska from Cross Sound, Alaska to Queen Charlotte Sound, Canada A bathymetric terrain model of multibeam sonar data collected between 2005 and 2018 along the Queen Charlotte Fault System in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska from Cross Sound, Alaska to Queen Charlotte Sound, Canada
This data publication is a compilation of six different multibeam surveys covering the previously unmapped Queen Charlotte Fault offshore southeast Alaska and Haida Gwaii, Canada. These data were collected between 2005 and 2018 under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The six...
Filter Total Items: 54
Recency of faulting and subsurface architecture of the San Diego Bay pull-apart basin, California, USA Recency of faulting and subsurface architecture of the San Diego Bay pull-apart basin, California, USA
In southern California, plate boundary motion between the North American and Pacific plates is distributed across several sub-parallel fault systems. The offshore faults of the California Continental Borderland (CCB) are thought to accommodate ~10-15% of the total plate boundary motion, but the exact distribution of slip and the mechanics of slip partitioning remain uncertain. The...
Authors
Drake Singleton, Jillian Maloney, Daniel Brothers, Shannon Klotsko, Neal W. Driscoll, Thomas Rockwell
Systematic characterization of morphotectonic variability along the Cascadia convergent margin: Implications for shallow megathrust behavior and tsunami hazards Systematic characterization of morphotectonic variability along the Cascadia convergent margin: Implications for shallow megathrust behavior and tsunami hazards
Studies of recent destructive megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis along subduction margins in Japan, Sumatra, and Chile have linked forearc morphology and structure to megathrust behavior. This connection is based on the idea that spatial variations in the frictional behavior of the megathrust influence the tectono-morphological evolution of the upper plate. Here we present a...
Authors
Janet Watt, Daniel Brothers
Focused fluid flow and methane venting along the Queen Charlotte fault, offshore Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada) Focused fluid flow and methane venting along the Queen Charlotte fault, offshore Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada)
Fluid seepage along obliquely deforming plate boundaries can be an important indicator of crustal permeability and influence on fault-zone mechanics and hydrocarbon migration. The ~850-km-long Queen Charlotte fault (QCF) is the dominant structure along the right-lateral transform boundary that separates the Pacific and North American tectonic plates offshore southeastern Alaska (USA) and...
Authors
Nancy Prouty, Daniel Brothers, Jared Kluesner, J. Vaughn Barrie, Brian Andrews, Rachel Lauer, Gary Greene, James Conrad, Thomas Lorenson, Michael Law, Diana Sahy, Kim Conway, Mary McGann, Peter Dartnell
Morphology, structure, and kinematics of the San Clemente and Catalina faults based on high-resolution marine geophysical data, southern California Inner Continental Borderland Morphology, structure, and kinematics of the San Clemente and Catalina faults based on high-resolution marine geophysical data, southern California Inner Continental Borderland
Catalina Basin, located within the southern California Inner Continental Borderland (ICB), is traversed by two active submerged fault systems that are part of the broader North America-Pacific plate boundary: the San Clemente fault (along with a prominent splay, the Kimki fault) and the Catalina fault. Previous studies have suggested that the San Clemente fault (SCF) may be accommodating...
Authors
Maureen Walton, Daniel Brothers, James Conrad, Katherine Maier, Emily C. Roland, Jared Kluesner, Peter Dartnell
Structural controls on slope failure within the western Santa Barbara Channel based on 2D and 3D seismic imaging Structural controls on slope failure within the western Santa Barbara Channel based on 2D and 3D seismic imaging
The Santa Barbara Channel, offshore California, contains several submarine landslides and ample evidence for incipient failure. This region hosts active thrust and reverse faults that accommodate several mm/yr of convergence, yet the relationships between tectonic deformation and slope failure remain unclear. We present 3‐D and 2‐D multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) data sets...
Authors
Jared Kluesner, Daniel Brothers, Alexis Wright, Samuel Y. Johnson
Submarine canyons, slope failures and mass transport processes in southern Cascadia Submarine canyons, slope failures and mass transport processes in southern Cascadia
The marine turbidite record along the southern Cascadia Subduction Zone has been used to interpret paleoseismicity and suggest a shorter recurrence interval for large (>M7) earthquakes along this portion of the margin; however, the sources and pathways of these turbidity flows are poorly constrained. We examine the spatial distribution of sediment storage, downslope transport, and slope...
Authors
Jenna Hill, Janet Watt, Daniel Brothers, Jared Kluesner
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.
Filter Total Items: 13