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.
Professional Experience
2014 – Present Research Geophysicist, U.S. Geological Survey
2014 Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology
2011 – 2013 Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey
Education and Certifications
2010 Ph.D. in Geophysics, California Institute of Technology
Thesis: “A Bayesian Approach to Earthquake Source Studies ”2005 M.S. in Geophysics, California Institute of Technology
2003 B.A. in Geophysics with Highest Distinction in General Scholarship, University of California, Berkeley
Honors Thesis: “Source Mechanisms of Volcanic Induced Seismicity”
Honors and Awards
2021, 2021, 2019, 2016 U.S. Geological Survey STAR Award
2020 U.S. Geological Survey Superior Service Award “In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).”
2020 IRIS/SSA Distinguished Lectureship
2018 – 2022 Kavli Fellow (National Academy of Sciences and The Kavli Foundation)
2014 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
2011 – 2013 U.S. Geological Survey Mendenhall Fellowship
2009 Outstanding Student Paper Award – AGU Fall Meeting
2006 – 2009 NASA Earth System Science Fellowship
2003 – 2004 Gutenberg Fellowship, California Institute of Technology
2002 – 2003 Ramsden Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley
2003 Departmental Citation in Recognition of Distinguished Undergraduate Accomplishment, University of California, Berkeley
2003 Outstanding Woman Student Award, Association of Women Geoscientists
2002 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley
Science and Products
Earthquake Early Warning – Fine-Tuning for Best Alerts
Science and Products
- Science
Earthquake Early Warning – Fine-Tuning for Best Alerts
Release Date: OCTOBER 8, 2019 The goal of an earthquake early warning (EEW) system is to provide an alert to people and automatic systems after an earthquake begins but before the shaking reaches their location. As the USGS and its partners are developing an EEW system, called ShakeAlert®, for the West Coast, the benefits, costs, capabilities, and limitations are being investigated. Two recent... - Publications