Paul A Bedrosian
Paul is an expert in the development and application of electromagnetic geophysical methods to framework tectonics, resource assessment, natural hazards and fundamental Earth processes. His work has investigated seismic variability along the San Andreas Fault, tectonics of the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest, and the structure of Mount St. Helens. His current research is on regional-scale mine
Research Interests
- Structure and evolution of active and fossil tectonic margins
- Geophysical imaging of hydrothermal and magmatic systems
- Joint interpretation of coincident geophysical data sets
- Advanced processing and modeling techniques for imaging earth structure
Professional Experience
2008-present, Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado
2005-2007, Mendenhall Fellow, U.S Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado
2002-2004, Humboldt Fellow, GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam Germany
1998-2002, Research Assistant, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Physics, University of Washington, 2002
M.S. Physics, University of Washington, 1998
B.S. Physics, University Of Minnesota, 1996
B.S. Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 1996
Affiliations and Memberships*
2010-present, Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (faculty)
2018-present, Earth, Planets and Space Journal (editor)
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
Science and Products
Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP): Water Availability Study
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Nation and depends on groundwater for irrigation. The MAP area constitutes the third largest area of irrigated cropland in the United States. The area is approximately 29,000 square miles (19 million acres) and includes parts of the States of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The U.S...
Filter Total Items: 13
Principal facts of gravity data from the Stillwater Complex, Montana, 2013-2014 and 2020 Principal facts of gravity data from the Stillwater Complex, Montana, 2013-2014 and 2020
Gravity data were collected during three separate campaigns during July of 2013, August and September of 2014, and September and October of 2020 at 168 sites on and around the Stillwater layered mafic complex in southern Montana. Measurements were taken with Lacoste & Romberg G-64, G-550, and G-161 gravimeters and reduced to obtain the complete Bouguer anomaly, with reference ties to...
Airborne Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey, Yellowstone National Park, 2016 - Minimally Processed Data Airborne Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey, Yellowstone National Park, 2016 - Minimally Processed Data
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during November and December 2016 along 4,212 line-kilometers over Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The survey was conducted as part of a study of the subsurface geologic structure and geothermal and groundwater resources of Yellowstone National Park. The survey was designed to image the subsurface plumbing of...
Ground-based time-domain electromagnetic data and resistivity models near Manistee National Forest, Michigan, 2020 Ground-based time-domain electromagnetic data and resistivity models near Manistee National Forest, Michigan, 2020
Ground-based transient electromagnetic (TEM) data were acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in selected locations near Manistee National Forest, Michigan, to define the resistivity structure of the subsurface. Data were acquired using the ABEM WalkTEM system (Guideline Geo Ab, Sundbyberg, Sweden). TEM data were processed and numerically inverted to derive one-dimensional...
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020 Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic, and radiometric data were acquired November 2019 to March 2020 along 24,030 line-kilometers (line-km) over the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP). Data were acquired by CGG Canada Services, Ltd. with three different airborne sensors: the CGG Canada Services, Ltd. TEMPEST time-domain AEM instrument that is used to map subsurface geologic structure...
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, June 2012 Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, June 2012
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during June 2012 along 556 line-kilometers over Iliamna Volcano, Alaska. These data were collected in support of alteration and volcano flank instability mapping as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program. Data were acquired by SkyTEM Survey ApS SkyTEM304 system with the Soloy Helicopters...
Regional scale magnetotelluric data from the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains Regional scale magnetotelluric data from the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains
This dataset consists of 102 magnetotelluric (MT) stations collected in 2012-2014 in the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired these data to improve regional conductivity models of the western United States. This work is in support of studies of the effect of lithospheric modification on electrical resistivity structure and tectonic evolution...
Filter Total Items: 93
Multi-scale geophysical imaging of a hydrothermal system in Yellowstone National Park, USA Multi-scale geophysical imaging of a hydrothermal system in Yellowstone National Park, USA
Little is known about the local plumbing systems that fuel Yellowstone’s famous hot springs, geysers and mud pots. A multi-method, multi-scale geophysical investigation was carried out in the Obsidian Pool Thermal Area (OPTA) to: (i) delineate the lateral extent of the hydrothermal area and associated surface features; (ii) estimate the dimensions of the upflow zone and identify its main
Authors
Sylvain Pasquet, W. Steven Holbrook, Bradley J. Carr, Neil Terry, Martin A. Briggs, Carol A. Finn, Paul A. Bedrosian, Esben Auken, Jesper Pedersen, Pradip Kumar Maurya, Kenneth Sims
The progression of basaltic–rhyolitic melt storage at Yellowstone Caldera The progression of basaltic–rhyolitic melt storage at Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth, hosting three major caldera-forming eruptions in the past two million years, interspersed with periods of less explosive, smaller-volume eruptions1. Caldera-forming eruptions at Yellowstone are sourced by rhyolitic melts stored within the mid- to upper crust. Seismic tomography studies have suggested that a broad region...
Authors
Ninfa Lucia Bennington, Adam Schultz, Paul A. Bedrosian, Esteban Bowles-Martinez, Kendra J. Lynn, Mark E. Stelten, Xiaolei Tu, Clifford Thurber
Annual review 2023: Critical minerals Annual review 2023: Critical minerals
No abstract available.
Authors
Graham W. Lederer, James V. Jones, Darcy McPhee, Jeffrey L. Mauk, Robert R. Seal,, Kate M. Campbell, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Paul A. Bedrosian, Patricia Grace Macqueen, Garth E. Graham, Federico Solano, George N.D. Case, David George Pineault
Geoelectric evidence for a wide spatial footprint of active extension in central Colorado Geoelectric evidence for a wide spatial footprint of active extension in central Colorado
Three-dimensional magnetotelluric (MT) imaging in central Colorado reveals a set of north-striking high-conductivity tracks at lower-crustal (50–20 km) depths, with conductive finger-like structures rising off these tracks into the middle crust (20–5 km depth). We interpret these features to represent saline aqueous fluids and partial melt that are products of active extensional...
Authors
Benjamin S. Murphy, Jonathan Saul Caine, Paul A. Bedrosian, Kayla J Crosbie
Magnetotelluric investigation of northern Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Magnetotelluric investigation of northern Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Volcanism within the harrats (Arabic for “volcanic field”) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia includes at least one historical eruption occurring close to the holy city of Al Madīnah in 1256 C.E. As part of a volcanic- and seismic-hazard assessment of northern Harrat Rahat, magnetotelluric (MT) data were collected to investigate the structural setting of the area, the presence or absence of...
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Paul A. Bedrosian, Maher K. Al-Dhahry, Adel Shareef, Daniel W. Feucht, Cliff D. Taylor, Benjamin Bloss, Hani M. Zahran
Magnetotelluric insights into the formation and reactivation of trans-crustal shear zones in Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent Magnetotelluric insights into the formation and reactivation of trans-crustal shear zones in Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent
Three-dimensional inversion of regional long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data reveals the presence of two distinct sets of high-conductivity belts in the Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent. One set, beneath Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and western Ohio, is defined by northwest–southeast-oriented conductivity structures; the other set, beneath Kentucky, West Virginia...
Authors
Benjamin Scott Murphy, Michael S. DeLucia, Stephen Marshak, Dhananjay Ravat, Paul A. Bedrosian
Non-USGS Publications**
P.A. Bedrosian, M.J. Unsworth, G.D. Egbert and C.H. Thurber. 2004. Geophysical images of the creeping San Andreas Fault: Implications for the role of crustal fluids in the earthquake process, Tectonophys., 385(1-4), doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2004.02.010.
M.J. Unsworth and P.A. Bedrosian. 2004. Electrical resistivity structure at the SAFOD site from magnetotelluric exploration, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31(12), doi:10.1029/2003GL019045.
M.J. Unsworth and P.A. Bedrosian. 2004. On the geoelectric structure of major strike-slip faults and shear zones., Earth, Planets and Space, 56, 1177–1184, doi:10.1186/BF03353337.
M.J. Unsworth, W. Wenbo, A. G. Jones, S. Li, P.A. Bedrosian, J. Booker, J. Sheng, D. Ming and T. Handong. 2004. Crustal and upper mantle structure of Northern Tibet imaged with magnetotelluric data, J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi:10.1029/2002JB002305.
P.A. Bedrosian, M.J. Unsworth and G.D. Egbert. 2002. Magnetotelluric imaging of the creeping segment of the San Andreas Fault near Hollister, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(11), 1506, doi:10.1029/2001GL014119.
M. Unsworth, O.C. Enriquez, S. Belmonte, J. Arzate and P.A. Bedrosian. 2002. Crustal structure of the Chicxulub Impact Crater imaged with magnetotelluric exploration, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(16), 1788, doi:10.1029/2002GL014998.
P.A. Bedrosian, M.J. Unsworth and F. Wang. 2001. Structure of the Altyn Tagh Fault and Daxue Shan from magnetotelluric surveys: Implications for faulting associated with the rise of the Tibetan Plateau, Tectonics, 20, 474-486, doi:10.1029/2000TC001215.
W. Wenbo, M. Unsworth, A. Jones, J. Booker, H. Tan, D. Nelson, L. Chen, S. Li, K. Solon, P.A. Bedrosian, S. Jin, M. Deng, J. Ledo, D. Kay and B. Roberts. 2001. Widespread fluids in the Tibetan Crust, Science, 292(5517), 716-718, doi:10.1126/science.1010580.
M. Unsworth, P.A. Bedrosian, M. Eisel, G. Egbert and W. Siripunvaraporn. 2000. Along-strike variations in the electrical structure of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield, California, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27(18), 3021-3024, doi:10.1029/2000GL011476.
**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
Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP): Water Availability Study
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Nation and depends on groundwater for irrigation. The MAP area constitutes the third largest area of irrigated cropland in the United States. The area is approximately 29,000 square miles (19 million acres) and includes parts of the States of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The U.S...
Filter Total Items: 13
Principal facts of gravity data from the Stillwater Complex, Montana, 2013-2014 and 2020 Principal facts of gravity data from the Stillwater Complex, Montana, 2013-2014 and 2020
Gravity data were collected during three separate campaigns during July of 2013, August and September of 2014, and September and October of 2020 at 168 sites on and around the Stillwater layered mafic complex in southern Montana. Measurements were taken with Lacoste & Romberg G-64, G-550, and G-161 gravimeters and reduced to obtain the complete Bouguer anomaly, with reference ties to...
Airborne Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey, Yellowstone National Park, 2016 - Minimally Processed Data Airborne Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey, Yellowstone National Park, 2016 - Minimally Processed Data
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during November and December 2016 along 4,212 line-kilometers over Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The survey was conducted as part of a study of the subsurface geologic structure and geothermal and groundwater resources of Yellowstone National Park. The survey was designed to image the subsurface plumbing of...
Ground-based time-domain electromagnetic data and resistivity models near Manistee National Forest, Michigan, 2020 Ground-based time-domain electromagnetic data and resistivity models near Manistee National Forest, Michigan, 2020
Ground-based transient electromagnetic (TEM) data were acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in selected locations near Manistee National Forest, Michigan, to define the resistivity structure of the subsurface. Data were acquired using the ABEM WalkTEM system (Guideline Geo Ab, Sundbyberg, Sweden). TEM data were processed and numerically inverted to derive one-dimensional...
Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020 Airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric survey of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, November 2019 - March 2020
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM), magnetic, and radiometric data were acquired November 2019 to March 2020 along 24,030 line-kilometers (line-km) over the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP). Data were acquired by CGG Canada Services, Ltd. with three different airborne sensors: the CGG Canada Services, Ltd. TEMPEST time-domain AEM instrument that is used to map subsurface geologic structure...
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, June 2012 Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey data, Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, June 2012
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during June 2012 along 556 line-kilometers over Iliamna Volcano, Alaska. These data were collected in support of alteration and volcano flank instability mapping as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program. Data were acquired by SkyTEM Survey ApS SkyTEM304 system with the Soloy Helicopters...
Regional scale magnetotelluric data from the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains Regional scale magnetotelluric data from the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains
This dataset consists of 102 magnetotelluric (MT) stations collected in 2012-2014 in the Rio Grande Rift and southern Rocky Mountains. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired these data to improve regional conductivity models of the western United States. This work is in support of studies of the effect of lithospheric modification on electrical resistivity structure and tectonic evolution...
Filter Total Items: 93
Multi-scale geophysical imaging of a hydrothermal system in Yellowstone National Park, USA Multi-scale geophysical imaging of a hydrothermal system in Yellowstone National Park, USA
Little is known about the local plumbing systems that fuel Yellowstone’s famous hot springs, geysers and mud pots. A multi-method, multi-scale geophysical investigation was carried out in the Obsidian Pool Thermal Area (OPTA) to: (i) delineate the lateral extent of the hydrothermal area and associated surface features; (ii) estimate the dimensions of the upflow zone and identify its main
Authors
Sylvain Pasquet, W. Steven Holbrook, Bradley J. Carr, Neil Terry, Martin A. Briggs, Carol A. Finn, Paul A. Bedrosian, Esben Auken, Jesper Pedersen, Pradip Kumar Maurya, Kenneth Sims
The progression of basaltic–rhyolitic melt storage at Yellowstone Caldera The progression of basaltic–rhyolitic melt storage at Yellowstone Caldera
Yellowstone Caldera is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth, hosting three major caldera-forming eruptions in the past two million years, interspersed with periods of less explosive, smaller-volume eruptions1. Caldera-forming eruptions at Yellowstone are sourced by rhyolitic melts stored within the mid- to upper crust. Seismic tomography studies have suggested that a broad region...
Authors
Ninfa Lucia Bennington, Adam Schultz, Paul A. Bedrosian, Esteban Bowles-Martinez, Kendra J. Lynn, Mark E. Stelten, Xiaolei Tu, Clifford Thurber
Annual review 2023: Critical minerals Annual review 2023: Critical minerals
No abstract available.
Authors
Graham W. Lederer, James V. Jones, Darcy McPhee, Jeffrey L. Mauk, Robert R. Seal,, Kate M. Campbell, Jane M. Hammarstrom, Paul A. Bedrosian, Patricia Grace Macqueen, Garth E. Graham, Federico Solano, George N.D. Case, David George Pineault
Geoelectric evidence for a wide spatial footprint of active extension in central Colorado Geoelectric evidence for a wide spatial footprint of active extension in central Colorado
Three-dimensional magnetotelluric (MT) imaging in central Colorado reveals a set of north-striking high-conductivity tracks at lower-crustal (50–20 km) depths, with conductive finger-like structures rising off these tracks into the middle crust (20–5 km depth). We interpret these features to represent saline aqueous fluids and partial melt that are products of active extensional...
Authors
Benjamin S. Murphy, Jonathan Saul Caine, Paul A. Bedrosian, Kayla J Crosbie
Magnetotelluric investigation of northern Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Magnetotelluric investigation of northern Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Volcanism within the harrats (Arabic for “volcanic field”) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia includes at least one historical eruption occurring close to the holy city of Al Madīnah in 1256 C.E. As part of a volcanic- and seismic-hazard assessment of northern Harrat Rahat, magnetotelluric (MT) data were collected to investigate the structural setting of the area, the presence or absence of...
Authors
Jared R. Peacock, Paul A. Bedrosian, Maher K. Al-Dhahry, Adel Shareef, Daniel W. Feucht, Cliff D. Taylor, Benjamin Bloss, Hani M. Zahran
Magnetotelluric insights into the formation and reactivation of trans-crustal shear zones in Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent Magnetotelluric insights into the formation and reactivation of trans-crustal shear zones in Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent
Three-dimensional inversion of regional long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data reveals the presence of two distinct sets of high-conductivity belts in the Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent. One set, beneath Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and western Ohio, is defined by northwest–southeast-oriented conductivity structures; the other set, beneath Kentucky, West Virginia...
Authors
Benjamin Scott Murphy, Michael S. DeLucia, Stephen Marshak, Dhananjay Ravat, Paul A. Bedrosian
Non-USGS Publications**
P.A. Bedrosian, M.J. Unsworth, G.D. Egbert and C.H. Thurber. 2004. Geophysical images of the creeping San Andreas Fault: Implications for the role of crustal fluids in the earthquake process, Tectonophys., 385(1-4), doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2004.02.010.
M.J. Unsworth and P.A. Bedrosian. 2004. Electrical resistivity structure at the SAFOD site from magnetotelluric exploration, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31(12), doi:10.1029/2003GL019045.
M.J. Unsworth and P.A. Bedrosian. 2004. On the geoelectric structure of major strike-slip faults and shear zones., Earth, Planets and Space, 56, 1177–1184, doi:10.1186/BF03353337.
M.J. Unsworth, W. Wenbo, A. G. Jones, S. Li, P.A. Bedrosian, J. Booker, J. Sheng, D. Ming and T. Handong. 2004. Crustal and upper mantle structure of Northern Tibet imaged with magnetotelluric data, J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi:10.1029/2002JB002305.
P.A. Bedrosian, M.J. Unsworth and G.D. Egbert. 2002. Magnetotelluric imaging of the creeping segment of the San Andreas Fault near Hollister, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(11), 1506, doi:10.1029/2001GL014119.
M. Unsworth, O.C. Enriquez, S. Belmonte, J. Arzate and P.A. Bedrosian. 2002. Crustal structure of the Chicxulub Impact Crater imaged with magnetotelluric exploration, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(16), 1788, doi:10.1029/2002GL014998.
P.A. Bedrosian, M.J. Unsworth and F. Wang. 2001. Structure of the Altyn Tagh Fault and Daxue Shan from magnetotelluric surveys: Implications for faulting associated with the rise of the Tibetan Plateau, Tectonics, 20, 474-486, doi:10.1029/2000TC001215.
W. Wenbo, M. Unsworth, A. Jones, J. Booker, H. Tan, D. Nelson, L. Chen, S. Li, K. Solon, P.A. Bedrosian, S. Jin, M. Deng, J. Ledo, D. Kay and B. Roberts. 2001. Widespread fluids in the Tibetan Crust, Science, 292(5517), 716-718, doi:10.1126/science.1010580.
M. Unsworth, P.A. Bedrosian, M. Eisel, G. Egbert and W. Siripunvaraporn. 2000. Along-strike variations in the electrical structure of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield, California, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27(18), 3021-3024, doi:10.1029/2000GL011476.
**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.
*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