David Ponce
Dave Ponce is a Research Geophysicist with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center in Menlo Park, California. His work focuses on the application of gravity, magnetic, and other geophysical methods to address a variety of earth science issues including earthquake hazards and mineral resources.
David Ponce is a senior Research Geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, California, with over 30 years of experience. He is a member and past Chief of the Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP), a potential-field (gravity and magnetics), paleomagnetic, and electromagnetic methods research group. He received a B.S. and M.S. in Geology/Geophysics from San Jose State University, California. His primary areas of interest are geophysical investigations of the San Francisco Bay Area and the Basin and Range Province of the western U.S. These studies utilize geophysical methods to understand geology and tectonophysics; volcano and earthquake hazards; and water, mineral, and energy resources. He has authored more than 250 abstracts, reports, maps, or articles.
Dave is also a member of the American Geophysical Union, Geological Society of America, and Society of Exploration Geophysicists and is a recipient of the Superior Service Award from the Department of Interior.
Professional Experience
Research Geophysicist, Geophysics Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP), Geology, Minerals, Energy and Geophysics Science Center (GMEG)
Project Chief, REE deposits in the southeast Mojave Desert, California
Principal Investigator, Geophysical investigations of the Calaveras, Hayward, and Rodgers Creek Faults, California and implications on earthquake hazards.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Geophysics/Geology, San Jose State University, 1981
B.S., Geophysics/Geology, San Jose State University, 1976
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Science and Products
Gravity, magnetic, and physical property data in the Smoke Creek Desert area, northwest Nevada
Subsurface structure of the East Bay Plain ground-water basin: San Francisco Bay to the Hayward fault, Alameda County, California
Gravity and magnetic data along a seismic refraction-reflection line in northwest Nevada and northeast California
Seismic reflection evidence for a northeast-dipping Hayward fault near Fremont, California: Implications for seismic hazard
Three-dimensional geologic map of the Hayward fault, northern California: Correlation of rock unites with variations in seismicity, creep rate, and fault dip
Isostatic residual gravity map of The Santa Clara Valley and vicinity, California
Cross-sections and maps showing double-difference relocated earthquakes from 1984-2000 along the Hayward and Calaveras faults, California
Geophysical Terranes of the Great Basin and Parts of Surrounding Provinces
Gravity, magnetic, and high‐precision relocated seismicity profiles suggest a connection between the Hayward and Calaveras Faults, northern California
Assessment of metallic mineral resources in the Humboldt River Basin, Northern Nevada, with a section on Platinum-Group-Element (PGE) potential of the Humboldt mafic complex
Principal facts for gravity stations in the Dry Valley area, west-central Nevada and east-central California
Proceedings of the Hayward Fault Workshop, Eastern San Francisco Bay Area, California, September 19-20, 2003
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 119
Gravity, magnetic, and physical property data in the Smoke Creek Desert area, northwest Nevada
The Smoke Creek Desert, located approximately 100 km (60 mi) north of Reno near the California-Nevada border, is a large basin situated along the northernmost parts of the Walker Lane Belt (Stewart, 1988), a physiographic province defined by northwest-striking topographic features and strike-slip faulting. Because geologic framework studies play an important role in understanding the hydrology ofAuthorsJanet E. Tilden, David A. Ponce, Jonathan M. G. Glen, Bruce A. Chuchel, Kira Tushman, Alison DuvallSubsurface structure of the East Bay Plain ground-water basin: San Francisco Bay to the Hayward fault, Alameda County, California
The area of California between the San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Santa Clara Valley, and the Diablo Ranges (East Bay Hills), commonly referred to as the 'East Bay', contains the East Bay Plain and Niles Cone ground-water basins. The area has a population of 1.46 million (2003 US Census), largely distributed among several cities, including Alameda, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, Newark, Oakland, SAuthorsR. D. Catchings, J. W. Borchers, M. R. Goldman, G. Gandhok, D. A. Ponce, C. E. SteedmanGravity and magnetic data along a seismic refraction-reflection line in northwest Nevada and northeast California
No abstract available.AuthorsJanet E. Tilden, David A. Ponce, Jonathan M. G. Glen, Kathleen D. GansSeismic reflection evidence for a northeast-dipping Hayward fault near Fremont, California: Implications for seismic hazard
A 1.6-km-long seismic reflection profile across the creeping trace of the southern Hayward fault near Fremont, California, images the fault to a depth of 650 m. Reflector truncations define a fault dip of about 70 degrees east in the 100 to 650 m depth range that projects upward to the creeping surface trace, and is inconsistent with a nearly vertical fault in this vicinity as previously believed.AuthorsR. A. Williams, R. W. Simpson, R.C. Jachens, W. J. Stephenson, J. K. Odum, D. A. PonceThree-dimensional geologic map of the Hayward fault, northern California: Correlation of rock unites with variations in seismicity, creep rate, and fault dip
In order to better understand mechanisms of active faults, we studied relationships between fault behavior and rock units along the Hayward fault using a three-dimensional geologic map. The three-dimensional map-constructed from hypocenters, potential field data, and surface map data-provided a geologic map of each fault surface, showing rock units on either side of the fault truncated by the faulAuthorsR. W. Graymer, D. A. Ponce, R.C. Jachens, R. W. Simpson, G. A. Phelps, C. M. WentworthIsostatic residual gravity map of The Santa Clara Valley and vicinity, California
No abstract available.AuthorsCarter W. Roberts, Robert C. Jachens, David A. Ponce, Victoria E. LangenheimCross-sections and maps showing double-difference relocated earthquakes from 1984-2000 along the Hayward and Calaveras faults, California
We present cross-section and map views of earthquakes that occurred from 1984 to 2000 in the vicinity of the Hayward and Calaveras faults in the San Francisco Bay region, California. These earthquakes came from a catalog of events relocated using the double-difference technique, which provides superior relative locations of nearby events. As a result, structures such as fault surfaces and alignmenAuthorsRobert W. Simpson, Russell W. Graymer, Robert C. Jachens, David A. Ponce, Carl M. WentworthGeophysical Terranes of the Great Basin and Parts of Surrounding Provinces
No abstract available.AuthorsJonathan M. G. Glen, Edwin H. McKee, Steve Ludington, David A. Ponce, Thomas G. Hildenbrand, Melanie J. HopkinsGravity, magnetic, and high‐precision relocated seismicity profiles suggest a connection between the Hayward and Calaveras Faults, northern California
Gravity, magnetic, and seismicity data profiled across the Hayward Fault Zone were generated as part of ongoing studies to help determine the geologic and tectonic setting of the San Francisco Bay region. These data, combined with previous geophysical studies that indicate that the Hayward Fault Zone dips 75°NE near San Leandro and follows a preexisting structure, reveal a possible direct connectiAuthorsDavid A. Ponce, Robert W. Simpson, Russell W. Graymer, Robert C. JachensAssessment of metallic mineral resources in the Humboldt River Basin, Northern Nevada, with a section on Platinum-Group-Element (PGE) potential of the Humboldt mafic complex
The Humboldt River Basin is an arid to semiarid, internally drained basin that covers approximately 43,000 km2 in northern Nevada. The basin contains a wide variety of metallic and nonmetallic mineral deposits and occurrences, and, at various times, the area has been one of the Nation's leading or important producers of gold, silver, copper, mercury, and tungsten. Nevada currently (2003) is the thAuthorsAlan R. Wallace, Steve Ludington, Mark J. Mihalasky, Stephen G. Peters, Ted G. Theodore, David A. Ponce, David John, Byron R. Berger, Michael L. Zientek, Gary B. Sidder, Robert A. ZierenbergPrincipal facts for gravity stations in the Dry Valley area, west-central Nevada and east-central California
In June, 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established 143 new gravity stations and 12 new rock samples in the Dry Valley area, 30 miles north of Reno, Nevada, on the California - Nevada border (see fig. 1). This study reports on gravity, magnetic, and physical property data intended for use in modeling the geometry and depth of Dry Valley for groundwater analysis. It is part of a larger stuAuthorsElizabeth A. Sanger, David A. PonceProceedings of the Hayward Fault Workshop, Eastern San Francisco Bay Area, California, September 19-20, 2003
No abstract available.AuthorsDavid A. Ponce, Roland Burgmann, Russell W. Graymer, James J. Lienkaemper, Diane E. Moore, David P. Schwartz - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government