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
Fiber-optic sensing for earthquake hazards research, monitoring and early warning Fiber-optic sensing for earthquake hazards research, monitoring and early warning
The use of fiber‐optic sensing systems in seismology has exploded in the past decade. Despite an ever‐growing library of ground‐breaking studies, questions remain about the potential of fiber‐optic sensing technologies as tools for advancing if not revolutionizing earthquake‐hazards‐related research, monitoring, and early warning systems. A working group convened to explore these topics...
Authors
Jeffrey McGuire, Andrew Barbour, Zack Spica, Verónica Rodríguez Tribaldos, Zhongwen Zhan, Bradley Lipovsky, Robert Mellors, Ettore Biondi, Clara Yoon, Martin Karrenbach, Adam Ringler, James Atterholt, Avinash Nayak, Theresa Marie Sawi, Loic Viens, Eileen Martin, Allen Husker, Paul Bodin, Morgan Moschetti, Qibin Shi, Nathaniel Miller, Prisha Puri
Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk
The 28 March 2025 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.7 earthquake in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), ruptured 475 kilometers of the Sagaing Fault, which was more than twice the length predicted by magnitude scaling relationships. Kinematic slip models and observation of a Rayleigh Mach wave that passed through parts of Thailand confirmed that rupture occurred at supershear velocities of greater than 5...
Authors
Dara Goldberg, William Yeck, Catherine Elise Hanagan, James Atterholt, Haiyang Kehoe, Nadine Reitman, William Barnhart, David Shelly, Alexandra Hatem, David Wald, Paul Earle
S/P amplitude ratios with Distributed Acoustic Sensing and application to earthquake focal mechanisms S/P amplitude ratios with Distributed Acoustic Sensing and application to earthquake focal mechanisms
Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which transforms a fiber optic cable into an array of high frequency strainmeters, has the potential to help us characterize earthquakes with a dense sampling of measurements. While earthquake focal mechanisms are frequently determined using P-wave polarities and S/P amplitude ratios with inertial seismometers, the dense sampling of DAS over...
Authors
Robert Skoumal, James Atterholt, Andrew Barbour, Jeanne Hardebeck
Fiber-imaged supershear dynamics in the 2024 Mw 7 Mendocino Fault earthquake Fiber-imaged supershear dynamics in the 2024 Mw 7 Mendocino Fault earthquake
Fault structure and rupture physics are deeply intertwined, and observations of this coupling are critical for understanding earthquake behavior. Rupture propagation is observable at fine scales using dense seismic networks. Fiber-optic sensing allows for long-term deployments of ultradense arrays that enable high-resolution measurements of infrequent, large earthquakes. We recorded the...
Authors
James Atterholt, Jeffrey McGuire, Andrew Barbour, Connie Stewart, Morgan Moschetti
Evidence for low effective stress within the crust of the subducted Gorda plate from the 2022 December Mw 6.4 Ferndale earthquake sequence 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 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
Fiber-optic sensing for earthquake hazards research, monitoring and early warning Fiber-optic sensing for earthquake hazards research, monitoring and early warning
The use of fiber‐optic sensing systems in seismology has exploded in the past decade. Despite an ever‐growing library of ground‐breaking studies, questions remain about the potential of fiber‐optic sensing technologies as tools for advancing if not revolutionizing earthquake‐hazards‐related research, monitoring, and early warning systems. A working group convened to explore these topics...
Authors
Jeffrey McGuire, Andrew Barbour, Zack Spica, Verónica Rodríguez Tribaldos, Zhongwen Zhan, Bradley Lipovsky, Robert Mellors, Ettore Biondi, Clara Yoon, Martin Karrenbach, Adam Ringler, James Atterholt, Avinash Nayak, Theresa Marie Sawi, Loic Viens, Eileen Martin, Allen Husker, Paul Bodin, Morgan Moschetti, Qibin Shi, Nathaniel Miller, Prisha Puri
Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk Ultralong, supershear rupture of the 2025 Mw 7.7 Mandalay earthquake reveals unaccounted risk
The 28 March 2025 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.7 earthquake in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), ruptured 475 kilometers of the Sagaing Fault, which was more than twice the length predicted by magnitude scaling relationships. Kinematic slip models and observation of a Rayleigh Mach wave that passed through parts of Thailand confirmed that rupture occurred at supershear velocities of greater than 5...
Authors
Dara Goldberg, William Yeck, Catherine Elise Hanagan, James Atterholt, Haiyang Kehoe, Nadine Reitman, William Barnhart, David Shelly, Alexandra Hatem, David Wald, Paul Earle
S/P amplitude ratios with Distributed Acoustic Sensing and application to earthquake focal mechanisms S/P amplitude ratios with Distributed Acoustic Sensing and application to earthquake focal mechanisms
Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which transforms a fiber optic cable into an array of high frequency strainmeters, has the potential to help us characterize earthquakes with a dense sampling of measurements. While earthquake focal mechanisms are frequently determined using P-wave polarities and S/P amplitude ratios with inertial seismometers, the dense sampling of DAS over...
Authors
Robert Skoumal, James Atterholt, Andrew Barbour, Jeanne Hardebeck
Fiber-imaged supershear dynamics in the 2024 Mw 7 Mendocino Fault earthquake Fiber-imaged supershear dynamics in the 2024 Mw 7 Mendocino Fault earthquake
Fault structure and rupture physics are deeply intertwined, and observations of this coupling are critical for understanding earthquake behavior. Rupture propagation is observable at fine scales using dense seismic networks. Fiber-optic sensing allows for long-term deployments of ultradense arrays that enable high-resolution measurements of infrequent, large earthquakes. We recorded the...
Authors
James Atterholt, Jeffrey McGuire, Andrew Barbour, Connie Stewart, Morgan Moschetti
Evidence for low effective stress within the crust of the subducted Gorda plate from the 2022 December Mw 6.4 Ferndale earthquake sequence 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 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.