Tom Parsons
I conduct research aimed at improving our ability to forecast hazardous events like earthquakes and tsunamis. Specifically, I study how earthquakes trigger others, how crustal movements cause earthquake stresses, and how to convert geologic observations of earthquake and tsunami processes into quantitative forecasts of use to planners, insurers, and builders.
Professional Experience
1994-Present: Research Geophysicist, U. S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
1992-1994: National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow
Education and Certifications
1992 – Ph.D. in Geophysics, Stanford University
1990 – M.S. in Geophysics, Stanford University
1988 – B.S. in Applied Geophysics, UCLA
Affiliations and Memberships*
Editor, AGU Advances, 2019-present
Editor in Chief, Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth, 2009-2015
Editor in Chief, Tectonophysics, 2007-2009
Editorial Board, Tectonophysics, 2005-2007
Editorial Board, Geology, 1995-2000, 2005-2008
Member: Executive Committee, Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities 2005-present
Member: SCEC Planning Committee, 2007-2009
Honors and Awards
Senior Scientist (ST): 1/15
Fellow American Geophysical Union, Elected 1/12
Fulbright Mutual Educational Exchange Grant USA-Greece: 2007-2008
Alumni Pillar of Achievement: Golden West College Outstanding Alumni Award (10/07)
Fellow Geological Society of America, Elected 10/97
Shoemaker Communication Award (10/00)
National Association of Government Communicators Gold Screen Award (12/00)
National Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellow (8/92)
Science and Products
Three-dimensional velocity structure of Siletzia and other accreted terranes in the Cascadia forearc of Washington
Stress sensitivity of fault seismicity: A comparison between limited-offset oblique and major strike-slip faults
Dipping San Andreas and Hayward faults revealed beneath San Francisco Bay, California
Geologic processes of accretion in the Cascadia subduction zone west of Washington State
Seismic-reflection evidence that the hayward fault extends into the lower crust of the San Francisco Bay Area, California
New seismic images of the cascadia subduction zone from cruise SO 108-ORWELL
More than one way to stretch: A tectonic model for extension along the plume track of the Yellowstone hotspot and adjacent Basin and Range Province
A new view into the Cascadia subduction zone and volcanic arc: Implications for earthquake hazards along the Washington margin
Three-dimensional upper crustal velocity structure beneath San Francisco Peninsula, California
Crustal and upper mantle velocity structure of the Salton Trough, southeast California
Crustal structure of the Colorado Plateau, Arizona: Application of new long-offset seismic data analysis techniques
Velocities of southern Basin and Range xenoliths: Insights on the nature of lower crustal reflectivity and composition
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
Three-dimensional velocity structure of Siletzia and other accreted terranes in the Cascadia forearc of Washington
Stress sensitivity of fault seismicity: A comparison between limited-offset oblique and major strike-slip faults
Dipping San Andreas and Hayward faults revealed beneath San Francisco Bay, California
Geologic processes of accretion in the Cascadia subduction zone west of Washington State
Seismic-reflection evidence that the hayward fault extends into the lower crust of the San Francisco Bay Area, California
New seismic images of the cascadia subduction zone from cruise SO 108-ORWELL
More than one way to stretch: A tectonic model for extension along the plume track of the Yellowstone hotspot and adjacent Basin and Range Province
A new view into the Cascadia subduction zone and volcanic arc: Implications for earthquake hazards along the Washington margin
Three-dimensional upper crustal velocity structure beneath San Francisco Peninsula, California
Crustal and upper mantle velocity structure of the Salton Trough, southeast California
Crustal structure of the Colorado Plateau, Arizona: Application of new long-offset seismic data analysis techniques
Velocities of southern Basin and Range xenoliths: Insights on the nature of lower crustal reflectivity and composition
Non-USGS Publications**
**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