James W Atterholt
James is an observational seismologist and Mendenhall Fellow based in Golden, CO.
James studied mathematics and geology as an undergraduate and obtained his PhD in geophysics from Caltech in 2024. He joined the USGS as a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow in 2024. His research incorporates techniques from applied mathematics and photonic seismology to better understand lithospheric deformation and earthquake source processes. His fellowship work at the USGS is focused on unraveling complex structure and earthquake rupture behavior in and around the Southern Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Education and Certifications
2024 PhD, California Institute of Technology, Geophysics
2019 BS, Indiana University, Applied Mathematics & Geological Sciences
Science and Products
Evidence for low effective stress within the crust of the subducted Gorda plate from the 2022 December Mw 6.4 Ferndale earthquake sequence
Stress levels on and adjacent to megathrust faults at seismogenic depths remain a key but difficult to constrain parameter for assessing seismic hazard in subduction zones. Although strong ground motions have been observed to be generated from distinct, high-stress regions on the downdip end of the megathrust rupture areas in many great earthquakes, we lack direct constraints on the...
Authors
Hao Guo, James W. Atterholt, Jeffrey J. McGuire, Clifford Thurber
Non-USGS Publications**
• Atterholt, J., Wilding, J.D., Ross, Z.E. (accepted) The evolution of fault orientation in the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence with a new long-term catalog of seismicity and moment tensors. Geophysical Journal International.
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z. (2024) Fine scale southern California Moho Structure uncovered with distributed acoustic sensing. Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr3327
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z., Yang, Y., Zhu, W. (2024) Imaging the Garlock Fault Zone with a fiber: A missing damage zone and hidden bimaterial contrast. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2024JB028900
• Atterholt, J., Ross, Z.E. (2023) Finite source properties of large strike-slip Earthquakes. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggad459
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z., Yang, Y. (2022) Fault zone imaging with distributed acoustic sensing: Body-to-surface wave scattering. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2022JB025052
• Yang, Y., Zhan, Z., Shen, Z., Atterholt, J. (2022) Fault zone imaging with distributed acoustic sensing: Surface-to-surface wave scattering. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2022JB024329.
• Atterholt, J. Ross, Z. E. (2022) Bayesian framework for inversion of second-order stress glut moments: Application to the 2019 Ridgecrest sequence mainshock. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2021JB023780
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z., Shen, Z., Li, Z. (2021) A unified wavefield partitioning approach for distributed acoustic sensing. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggab407
• Yang Y., Atterholt, J., Shen, Z., Muir, J.B., Williams, W.F., Zhan, Z. (2021) Sub-kilometer correlation between near-surface structure and ground motion measured with distributed acoustic sensing. Geophysical Research Letters, doi: 10.1029/2021GL096503
• Atterholt, J., Brownlee, S.J., Pavlis, G.L. (2021) Direct P-wave anisotropy measurements at Homestake Mine: Implications for wave propagation in the continental crust. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggaa416
**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 and Products
Evidence for low effective stress within the crust of the subducted Gorda plate from the 2022 December Mw 6.4 Ferndale earthquake sequence
Stress levels on and adjacent to megathrust faults at seismogenic depths remain a key but difficult to constrain parameter for assessing seismic hazard in subduction zones. Although strong ground motions have been observed to be generated from distinct, high-stress regions on the downdip end of the megathrust rupture areas in many great earthquakes, we lack direct constraints on the...
Authors
Hao Guo, James W. Atterholt, Jeffrey J. McGuire, Clifford Thurber
Non-USGS Publications**
• Atterholt, J., Wilding, J.D., Ross, Z.E. (accepted) The evolution of fault orientation in the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence with a new long-term catalog of seismicity and moment tensors. Geophysical Journal International.
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z. (2024) Fine scale southern California Moho Structure uncovered with distributed acoustic sensing. Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adr3327
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z., Yang, Y., Zhu, W. (2024) Imaging the Garlock Fault Zone with a fiber: A missing damage zone and hidden bimaterial contrast. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2024JB028900
• Atterholt, J., Ross, Z.E. (2023) Finite source properties of large strike-slip Earthquakes. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggad459
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z., Yang, Y. (2022) Fault zone imaging with distributed acoustic sensing: Body-to-surface wave scattering. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2022JB025052
• Yang, Y., Zhan, Z., Shen, Z., Atterholt, J. (2022) Fault zone imaging with distributed acoustic sensing: Surface-to-surface wave scattering. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2022JB024329.
• Atterholt, J. Ross, Z. E. (2022) Bayesian framework for inversion of second-order stress glut moments: Application to the 2019 Ridgecrest sequence mainshock. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, doi: 10.1029/2021JB023780
• Atterholt, J., Zhan, Z., Shen, Z., Li, Z. (2021) A unified wavefield partitioning approach for distributed acoustic sensing. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggab407
• Yang Y., Atterholt, J., Shen, Z., Muir, J.B., Williams, W.F., Zhan, Z. (2021) Sub-kilometer correlation between near-surface structure and ground motion measured with distributed acoustic sensing. Geophysical Research Letters, doi: 10.1029/2021GL096503
• Atterholt, J., Brownlee, S.J., Pavlis, G.L. (2021) Direct P-wave anisotropy measurements at Homestake Mine: Implications for wave propagation in the continental crust. Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggaa416
**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.