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Sarah Minson

Sarah Minson is a research geophysicist in the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Science Center in Moffett Field, California.  She uses probabilistic inference to understand earthquakes and how uncertainty impacts our understanding of natural hazards.

Sarah’s research attempts to understand not only how faults slip, but also to understand what we can and cannot determine about earthquake ruptures and how these uncertainties affect our estimates of potential earthquake impacts.

She has also studied earthquake early warning to determine what kinds of warning are possible and what kind of accuracy can be achieved.

In addition to her research, Sarah participates in outreach activities to communicate her research results to the public, media, and stakeholders.  She was a 2020 IRIS/SSA distinguished lecturer and is the recipient of several honors including a 2014 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.