Prof. Cynthia Ebinger, Geophysics and Active Tectonics Research (GATR)
Team: Carolina Hurtado-Pulido, Martin Musila, Eduardo Arzabala, Cirus Kalugana, Jean Paul Hagumimana (research students); Hayden Holcomb, Zach Hom (undergrad researchers)
With abundant help from Dr SarahJaye Oliva (U Vic) and Dr Francesco Civilini (NASA)
Goals: Our team of graduate and undergraduate researchers use seismic and potential fields methods, signal processing and geospatial tools to probe fundamental Earth processes. Our focus is magma-fault interactions within the crust and mantle at rifts and hotspots, both active and ancient. We apply methods and results to explore hydrothermal energy potential and to evaluate earthquake and volcanic hazards.
Student Opportunities: We seek students interested in the use of geophysical and satellite-based tools to determine the rates of tectono-magmatic processes and image subsurface structure for hazard and energy evaluation. We have active seismic acquisition programs in Rwanda and a planned project in Louisiana. Undergraduates keen to acquire command-line programming and analytical skills are welcome.
Martin Musila, Carolina Hurtado-Pulido, Sam Hilburn, Sophie Aber, and Kevin Reece; Eddie Arzabala explaining Martin’s ambient noise tomography poster at Fall 2023 AGU meeting.
Recent Student Publications (* indicates undergrad and graduate students)
Hurtado-Pulido*, D. C., R. Amer, C. Ebinger, H. Holcomb* (2024),Variations in subsidence along the Gulf of Mexico passive margin from Airborne-LiDAR data and time series InSAR, J. Geophysical Research Earth Surfaces, in press.
Alemayehu, S., A. Aoudia, A. Ayele, S. Pachhai, H. R. Thapa, C. J. Ebinger, R. Kherchouche, M. Guidarelli, S. Kim, (2023), Structure of the crust-uppermost mantle beneath the Ethiopian volcanic province using ambient seismic noise and teleseismic P wave coda autocorrelation. Tectonophysics, 869, p.230092
Musila, M.*, C. J. Ebinger, I. D. Bastow, G. Sullivan*, S. J. Oliva, E. Knappe^, M. Perry^, R. Kounoudis*, C. S. Ogden^, R. Bendick, S. Mwangi*, N. Mariita, G. Kianji, E. Kraus*, F. Illsley-Kemp^ (2023), Active deformation constraints on the Nubia-Somalia Plate Boundary through Heterogeneous Lithosphere of the Turkana Depression, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, e2023GC010982.
Kounoudis, R., I. Bastow; C.J. Ebinger; F. Darbyshire; C. Ogden; M. Musila; F. Ugo; A. Ayele; G. Sullivan; R. Bendick; N. Mariita; G. Kianji (2023), Thermomechanical modification of the lithosphere below the multiply-rifted Turkana Depression, East Africa: Implications for the development of rifting and magmatism, EPSL, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118386.
Ruiz*, M., F. Civilini^, C. J. Ebinger, S. J. Oliva* (2022) Precursory signal detected for the 2018 Sierra Negra volcanic eruption, Galapagos, using seismic ambient noise, J. Geophys. Res., doi: 10.1029/2021JB022990.
Oliva*, S. J., Ebinger, C. J., Rivalta, E., Wauthier, C., Williams, C., & Currie, C. (2022) State-of-stress and stress rotations: quantifying the role of surface topography and subsurface density contrasts in magmatic rift zones (Eastern Rift, Africa). Earth and Planetary Science Letters, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117478.
Kounoudis*, R., I.D. Bastow, C.J. Ebinger, C. S. Ogden*, R. Bendick, A. Ayele, N. Mariita, G. Kianji, G. Wigham, M. Musila*, and B. Kibret*, Body wave tomographic imaging of the Turkana Depression: Implications for rift development and plume-lithosphere interactions, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys., 2021GC009782, 2021.
Zheng*, W., S. Oliva*, C. J. Ebinger, M. Pritchard, Aseismic deformation during extension: InSAR and seismic evidence from the 2014 Mw 5.2 earthquake near Karonga, Malawi, Geophysical Research Letters, doi: doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090930.
Muirhead, J., T. P. Fischer, *S. J. Oliva, A. Laizer*, E. J. Judd, H. Lee, E. Kazimoto, Y. Sano, N. Takahata, C. Tiberi, J. van Wijk, J. Dufek, S. Foley, C. Currie, C. J. Ebinger (2020), Displacement of cratonic mantle and lithospheric channeling concentrates deep carbon during continental rifting, Nature, 582, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17267-5
