Richard Blakely
Richard is a Scientist Emeritus with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center. He focuses on the application of gravity, magnetic, and other geophysical methods to address a variety of earth science issues in the Western United States.
After graduation from Stanford, he served as Assistant Professor in the School of Oceanography at OSU. He joined the USGS in 1975, becoming Senior Scientist six years before retiring from the USGS in 2016. As an Emeritus Research Geophysicist, Richard uses potential-field (gravity and magnetic) and other geophysical methods to help address national earth science issues in the Western United States. His recent research focuses on mapping and characterizing hazardous faults in the Cascadia subduction zone, assessing mineral resources in the Basin and Range, and estimating ground-water resources of the arid southwest US.
Professional Experience
2016-present, Research Geophysicist Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
2010-2016, Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
1975-2010, Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
2005-2006, Chief, Geophysical Unit of Menlo Park (GUMP), U.S. Geological Survey
1990-1993, Adjunct Professor, School of Oceanography, Oregon State University
1988-1991, Chief, Crustal Dynamics Section, Branch of Geophysics, U.S. Geological Survey
1978-1979, 1986-1987, Consulting Professor, Department of Geophysics, Stanford University
1973-1975, Assistant Professor, School of Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
1972-1973, Research Associate, School of Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
1972, Research Associate, Stanford University
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geophysics, Stanford University, 1972
M.S., Geophysics, Stanford University, 1971
B.S., General Science, Oregon State University, 1968
Affiliations and Memberships*
USGS Innovation Center Advisory Group (ICAG), 2016-present
CSIRO (Australia) Deep Earth Imaging Advisory Panel, 2016-2020
President and President-Elect, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section, AGU, 2008-2012
AGU Council, 2008-2012
Assoc. Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research, 1987-1990
Assoc. Editor, Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics, 1985-1988
Assoc. Editor, U.S. National Report (GP Section) to the IUGG, 1985-1987
Honors and Awards
Fellow, American Geophysical Union, 2003
Fellow, Geological Society of America, 1987
Meritorious Service Award, Dept. of Interior, 1994
Shoemaker Award for Communications Product Excellence
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Filter Total Items: 120
Utility of aeromagnetic studies for mapping of potentially active faults in two forearc basins: Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska Utility of aeromagnetic studies for mapping of potentially active faults in two forearc basins: Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska
High-resolution aeromagnetic surveys over forearc basins can detect faults and folds in weakly magnetized sediments, thus providing geologic constraints on tectonic evolution and improved understanding of seismic hazards in convergent-margin settings. Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska, provide two case histories. In each lowland region, shallow-source magnetic anomalies are...
Authors
Richard Saltus, Richard Blakely, Peter Haeussler, Ray Wells
Crustal structure of the Cascadia fore arc of Washington Crustal structure of the Cascadia fore arc of Washington
No abstract available.
Authors
Tom Parsons, Richard Blakely, Thomas Brocher, Nikolas Christensen, Michael Fisher, Ernst Flueh, Fiona Kilbride, James Luetgert, Kate Miller, Uri S. ten Brink, Anne Trehu, Ray E. Wells
Subduction-zone magnetic anomalies and implications for hydrated forearc mantle Subduction-zone magnetic anomalies and implications for hydrated forearc mantle
Continental mantle in subduction zones is hydrated by release of water from the underlying oceanic plate. Magnetite is a significant byproduct of mantle hydration, and forearc mantle, cooled by subduction, should contribute to long-wavelength magnetic anomalies above subduction zones. We test this hypothesis with a quantitative model of the Cascadia convergent margin, based on gravity...
Authors
R.J. Blakely, T.M. Brocher, R.E. Wells
The Catfish Lake Scarp, Allyn, Washington: Preliminary field data and implications for earthquake hazards posed by the Tacoma fault The Catfish Lake Scarp, Allyn, Washington: Preliminary field data and implications for earthquake hazards posed by the Tacoma fault
The Tacoma fault bounds gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies for 50 km across central Puget lowland from Tacoma to western Kitsap County. Tomography implies at least 6 km of post-Eocene uplift to the north of the fault relative to basinal sedimentary rocks to the south. Coastlines north of the Tacoma fault rose about 1100 years ago during a large earthquake. Abrupt uplift up to several...
Authors
Brian Sherrod, Alan Nelson, Harvey Kelsey, Thomas Brocher, Richard Blakely, Craig Weaver, Nancy Rountree, B. Rhea, Bernard Jackson
The Cottage Lake aeromagnetic lineament: A possible onshore extension of the southern Whidbey Island fault, Washington The Cottage Lake aeromagnetic lineament: A possible onshore extension of the southern Whidbey Island fault, Washington
The northwest-striking southern Whidbey Island fault zone (SWIF) was mapped previously using borehole data and potential-field anomalies on Whidbey Island and marine seismic surveys beneath surrounding waterways. Abrupt subsidence at a coastal marsh on south-central Whidbey Island suggests that the SWIF experienced a MW 6.5 to 7.0 earthquake about 3000 years ago. Southeast of Whidbey...
Authors
Richard Blakely, Brian Sherrod, Ray E. Wells, Craig Weaver, David McCormack, Kathy Troost, Ralph Haugerud
Interpretation of the Seattle Uplift, Washington, as a passive-roof duplex Interpretation of the Seattle Uplift, Washington, as a passive-roof duplex
We interpret seismic lines and a wide variety of other geological and geophysical data to suggest that the Seattle uplift is a passive-roof duplex. A passive-roof duplex is bounded top and bottom by thrust faults with opposite senses of vergence that form a triangle zone at the leading edge of the advancing thrust sheet. In passive-roof duplexes the roof thrust slips only when the floor...
Authors
Thomas Brocher, Richard Blakely, Ray Wells
Holocene fault scarps near Tacoma, Washington, USA Holocene fault scarps near Tacoma, Washington, USA
Airborne laser mapping confirms that Holocene active faults traverse the Puget Sound metropolitan area, northwestern continental United States. The mapping, which detects forest-floor relief of as little as 15 cm, reveals scarps along geophysical lineaments that separate areas of Holocene uplift and subsidence. Along one such line of scarps, we found that a fault warped the ground...
Authors
B.L. Sherrod, T.M. Brocher, C.S. Weaver, R.C. Bucknam, R.J. Blakely, H.M. Kelsey, A.R. Nelson, R. Haugerud
Active shortening of the Cascadia forearc and implications for seismic hazards of the Puget Lowland Active shortening of the Cascadia forearc and implications for seismic hazards of the Puget Lowland
Margin-parallel shortening of the Cascadia forearc is a consequence of oblique subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath North America. Strike-slip, thrust, and oblique crustal faults beneath the densely populated Puget Lowland accommodate much of this north-south compression, resulting in large crustal earthquakes. To better understand this forearc deformation and improve earthquake...
Authors
S. Johnson, R.J. Blakely, W. Stephenson, S. Dadisman, M. Fisher
Gravity study through the Tualatin Mountains, Oregon: Understanding crustal structure and earthquake hazards in the Portland urban area Gravity study through the Tualatin Mountains, Oregon: Understanding crustal structure and earthquake hazards in the Portland urban area
A high-resolution gravity survey through the Tualatin Mountains (Portland Nills) west of downtown Portland exhibits evidence of faults previously identified from surface geologic and aeromagnetic mapping. The gravity survey was conducted in 1996 along the 4.5-km length of a twin-bore tunnel, then under construction and now providing light-rail service between downtown Portland and...
Authors
R.J. Blakely, M.H. Beeson, K. Cruikshank, R.E. Wells, Aaron Johnson, K. Walsh
Field guide to hydrothermal alteration in the White River altered area and in the Osceola Mudflow, Washington Field guide to hydrothermal alteration in the White River altered area and in the Osceola Mudflow, Washington
The Cenozoic Cascades arcs of southwestern Washington are the product of long-lived, but discontinuous, magmatism beginning in the Eocene and continuing to the present (for example, Christiansen and Yeats, 1992). This magmatism is the result of subduction of oceanic crust beneath the North American continent. The magmatic rocks are divided into two subparallel, north-trending continental...
Authors
David John, James Rytuba, Roger Ashley, Richard Blakely, James Vallance, Grant Newport, Gary Heinemeyer
Correction to “Basin‐centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion?” Correction to “Basin‐centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion?”
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard Blakely, Y. Sugiyama, David Scholl, P.A. Dinterman
Basin-centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion? Basin-centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion?
Published areas of high coseismic slip, or asperities, for 29 of the largest Circum-Pacific megathrust earthquakes are compared to forearc structure revealed by satellite free-air gravity, bathymetry, and seismic profiling. On average, 71% of an earthquake's seismic moment and 79% of its asperity area occur beneath the prominent gravity low outlining the deep-sea terrace; 57% of an...
Authors
R.E. Wells, R.J. Blakely, Y. Sugiyama, D.W. Scholl, P.A. Dinterman
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Filter Total Items: 120
Utility of aeromagnetic studies for mapping of potentially active faults in two forearc basins: Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska Utility of aeromagnetic studies for mapping of potentially active faults in two forearc basins: Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska
High-resolution aeromagnetic surveys over forearc basins can detect faults and folds in weakly magnetized sediments, thus providing geologic constraints on tectonic evolution and improved understanding of seismic hazards in convergent-margin settings. Puget Sound, Washington, and Cook Inlet, Alaska, provide two case histories. In each lowland region, shallow-source magnetic anomalies are...
Authors
Richard Saltus, Richard Blakely, Peter Haeussler, Ray Wells
Crustal structure of the Cascadia fore arc of Washington Crustal structure of the Cascadia fore arc of Washington
No abstract available.
Authors
Tom Parsons, Richard Blakely, Thomas Brocher, Nikolas Christensen, Michael Fisher, Ernst Flueh, Fiona Kilbride, James Luetgert, Kate Miller, Uri S. ten Brink, Anne Trehu, Ray E. Wells
Subduction-zone magnetic anomalies and implications for hydrated forearc mantle Subduction-zone magnetic anomalies and implications for hydrated forearc mantle
Continental mantle in subduction zones is hydrated by release of water from the underlying oceanic plate. Magnetite is a significant byproduct of mantle hydration, and forearc mantle, cooled by subduction, should contribute to long-wavelength magnetic anomalies above subduction zones. We test this hypothesis with a quantitative model of the Cascadia convergent margin, based on gravity...
Authors
R.J. Blakely, T.M. Brocher, R.E. Wells
The Catfish Lake Scarp, Allyn, Washington: Preliminary field data and implications for earthquake hazards posed by the Tacoma fault The Catfish Lake Scarp, Allyn, Washington: Preliminary field data and implications for earthquake hazards posed by the Tacoma fault
The Tacoma fault bounds gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies for 50 km across central Puget lowland from Tacoma to western Kitsap County. Tomography implies at least 6 km of post-Eocene uplift to the north of the fault relative to basinal sedimentary rocks to the south. Coastlines north of the Tacoma fault rose about 1100 years ago during a large earthquake. Abrupt uplift up to several...
Authors
Brian Sherrod, Alan Nelson, Harvey Kelsey, Thomas Brocher, Richard Blakely, Craig Weaver, Nancy Rountree, B. Rhea, Bernard Jackson
The Cottage Lake aeromagnetic lineament: A possible onshore extension of the southern Whidbey Island fault, Washington The Cottage Lake aeromagnetic lineament: A possible onshore extension of the southern Whidbey Island fault, Washington
The northwest-striking southern Whidbey Island fault zone (SWIF) was mapped previously using borehole data and potential-field anomalies on Whidbey Island and marine seismic surveys beneath surrounding waterways. Abrupt subsidence at a coastal marsh on south-central Whidbey Island suggests that the SWIF experienced a MW 6.5 to 7.0 earthquake about 3000 years ago. Southeast of Whidbey...
Authors
Richard Blakely, Brian Sherrod, Ray E. Wells, Craig Weaver, David McCormack, Kathy Troost, Ralph Haugerud
Interpretation of the Seattle Uplift, Washington, as a passive-roof duplex Interpretation of the Seattle Uplift, Washington, as a passive-roof duplex
We interpret seismic lines and a wide variety of other geological and geophysical data to suggest that the Seattle uplift is a passive-roof duplex. A passive-roof duplex is bounded top and bottom by thrust faults with opposite senses of vergence that form a triangle zone at the leading edge of the advancing thrust sheet. In passive-roof duplexes the roof thrust slips only when the floor...
Authors
Thomas Brocher, Richard Blakely, Ray Wells
Holocene fault scarps near Tacoma, Washington, USA Holocene fault scarps near Tacoma, Washington, USA
Airborne laser mapping confirms that Holocene active faults traverse the Puget Sound metropolitan area, northwestern continental United States. The mapping, which detects forest-floor relief of as little as 15 cm, reveals scarps along geophysical lineaments that separate areas of Holocene uplift and subsidence. Along one such line of scarps, we found that a fault warped the ground...
Authors
B.L. Sherrod, T.M. Brocher, C.S. Weaver, R.C. Bucknam, R.J. Blakely, H.M. Kelsey, A.R. Nelson, R. Haugerud
Active shortening of the Cascadia forearc and implications for seismic hazards of the Puget Lowland Active shortening of the Cascadia forearc and implications for seismic hazards of the Puget Lowland
Margin-parallel shortening of the Cascadia forearc is a consequence of oblique subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath North America. Strike-slip, thrust, and oblique crustal faults beneath the densely populated Puget Lowland accommodate much of this north-south compression, resulting in large crustal earthquakes. To better understand this forearc deformation and improve earthquake...
Authors
S. Johnson, R.J. Blakely, W. Stephenson, S. Dadisman, M. Fisher
Gravity study through the Tualatin Mountains, Oregon: Understanding crustal structure and earthquake hazards in the Portland urban area Gravity study through the Tualatin Mountains, Oregon: Understanding crustal structure and earthquake hazards in the Portland urban area
A high-resolution gravity survey through the Tualatin Mountains (Portland Nills) west of downtown Portland exhibits evidence of faults previously identified from surface geologic and aeromagnetic mapping. The gravity survey was conducted in 1996 along the 4.5-km length of a twin-bore tunnel, then under construction and now providing light-rail service between downtown Portland and...
Authors
R.J. Blakely, M.H. Beeson, K. Cruikshank, R.E. Wells, Aaron Johnson, K. Walsh
Field guide to hydrothermal alteration in the White River altered area and in the Osceola Mudflow, Washington Field guide to hydrothermal alteration in the White River altered area and in the Osceola Mudflow, Washington
The Cenozoic Cascades arcs of southwestern Washington are the product of long-lived, but discontinuous, magmatism beginning in the Eocene and continuing to the present (for example, Christiansen and Yeats, 1992). This magmatism is the result of subduction of oceanic crust beneath the North American continent. The magmatic rocks are divided into two subparallel, north-trending continental...
Authors
David John, James Rytuba, Roger Ashley, Richard Blakely, James Vallance, Grant Newport, Gary Heinemeyer
Correction to “Basin‐centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion?” Correction to “Basin‐centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion?”
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard Blakely, Y. Sugiyama, David Scholl, P.A. Dinterman
Basin-centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion? Basin-centered asperities in great subduction zone earthquakes: A link between slip, subsidence, and subduction erosion?
Published areas of high coseismic slip, or asperities, for 29 of the largest Circum-Pacific megathrust earthquakes are compared to forearc structure revealed by satellite free-air gravity, bathymetry, and seismic profiling. On average, 71% of an earthquake's seismic moment and 79% of its asperity area occur beneath the prominent gravity low outlining the deep-sea terrace; 57% of an...
Authors
R.E. Wells, R.J. Blakely, Y. Sugiyama, D.W. Scholl, P.A. Dinterman
*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