Geophysics and Seismology Commons^™

Using Simulated Cascadia Fakequakes To Interpret Paleotsunami Patterns, Anthony M. Joyce

All Master's Theses

This study uses GeoClaw to simulate 8 instantaneous rupture test earthquakes and 48 stochastic earthquakes (Fakequakes) along the Cascadia Subduction Zone to better understand tsunami generation and propagation. The primary goal is to evaluate how variations in Fakequake rupture patterns affect tsunami heights at coastal sites in the Pacific Northwest. The study focused on comparing inner and outer coast wave heights and impacts to understand how the Olympic Peninsula provides a barrier of protection to inner coast sites from southern-generated tsunamis, and implications for tsunami hazard at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI).

Test earthquakes show increased amounts of slip …

Advancing The Characterization Of Geophysical Signals Through Array Processing And Artificial Intelligence, Miro Ronac Giannone

Earth Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In geophysics, seismic and infrasound observations are routinely employed to constrain the nature and origin of events. Seismoacoustics, as a discipline, is built upon the simultaneous detection and integrated analysis of these data types. This joint approach is critical not only for advancing scientific understanding but also for supporting global monitoring efforts in hazard mitigation and nuclear explosion treaty verification. The data analyzed in this dissertation were recorded by array deployments, which consist of multiple sensors arranged in predetermined configurations to enhance signal detection, resolve directionality, and quantify waveform coherence. Leveraging these array recordings, I introduce novel approaches which combine …

Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing For Surface Wave Inversion In Terrestrial And Marine Environments, Constantine Coclin

Open Access Master's Theses

The use of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has gained popularity for a variety of seismic sensing applications due to its capability to sense broadband frequency ranges on spatial scales unattainable with conventional point sensors. The ability to sense and characterize vibrational surface waves in the near-surface can provide valuable information about the subsurface structure of an environment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of DAS to sense surface wave propagation for the multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) methodology, such that a sub-surface shear wave velocity profile can be obtained in both a terrestrial and near-shore …

Proximal Seismic Tracking Of Pyroclastic Density Currents At Volcán De Fuego, Guatemala, Jacob A. Krier

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Pyroclastic Density Currents (PDCs) are deadly flows of ash, tephra, gas, and solidified magma which predominantly occur when an ash plume collapses during a volcanic eruption. PDCs are also able to form when large deposits of ash at the summit of a volcano are displaced during an eruption and flow downslope. This is typically the mechanism behind PDCs that occur at Volcán de Fuego such as one that occurred in 2018 killing at least 430 people. The purpose of this paper is to track the propagation of PDCs that occurred at Fuego seismologically in order to better understand how they …

A Seismological Investigation Of Ground Deformation From Meteotsunami And Seiche Activity On Lake Michigan, Bryan Lowney

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The mechanisms behind the formation and propagation of meteotsunamis and seiches—anomalous water waves generated by meteorological events that share similar spatial, temporal, and behavioral characteristics with seismically-generated tsunamis—are poorly understood. Small-scale ground tilt (microradians-nanoradians) triggered by these anomalous water waves in Lake Michigan is investigated with an array of 10 near-shore (< 100 km) seismometers installed from 2012-2014 by calculating tilt from seismic recordings and comparing it with data from relatively nearby (10s of km) NOAA water level stations in Holland and Ludington, Michigan. After determining an appropriate period band from 15 minutes to four days to isolate these events, we show that potential meteotsunami and seiche activity on eastern Lake Michigan can be deduced from long-term trends (multiple weeks) in tilt and water level time series. Exploratory in nature, the methods and observations presented in this paper serve as an initial step in quantifying the potential for nearshore seismometers to monitor shoreline inundation. Integrating these observations with meteorological data could provide insights into the origins of these hazards by linking them to the specific weather events that generated them. This approach offers a novel method for improving the understanding and potential future mitigation of meteotsunami and seiche impacts in the Great Lakes region.

Comprehensive Analysis Of Krauklis Waves And Long Period Seismic Events In Fluid-Filled Fractures Via Integrated Physical And Numerical Modeling, Sananda Ray

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Long-period (LP) seismic events, commonly recorded in volcanic and hydrothermal environments, are widely attributed to the resonance of fluid-filled fractures and the excitation of Krauklis waves along the solid-fluid interface. These low-velocity, dispersive waves are sensitive to both fluid dynamics and fracture geometry, offering critical insights into subsurface fluid transport, fracture evolution, and seismic source processes. Despite robust theoretical treatments, experimental validation under realistic geological conditions has remained limited. To address this, I aimed to develop a series of laboratory-based experimental models that systematically investigate the key physical mechanisms driving LP signal generation. In the first set of experiments, I …

Provenance Of The Uppermost Carboniferous–Lower Triassic Sandstones, Bogda Mountains, Nw China: Implications On The Late Paleozoic Tectonic History Of The Southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, Sixuan Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Permian-Triassic period represents a significant but insufficiently understood tectonic transition stage in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) between the Paleozoic continental amalgamation and Cenozoic orogenic reactivation. This study integrates fieldwork, petrographic, and detrital zircon geochronological data to document the trend of depositional environments, framework grain compositions, and dates of detrital zircon grains of the uppermost Carboniferous–Lower Triassic sandstones from three study areas in Bogda Mountains, the greater Turpan-Junggar basin, NW China, to decipher the spatial and temporal changes in the provenance lithology and area and reconstruct the unroofing history of the southern CAOB.

In the first part …

Seismic Constraints On Long Period Moment Release In Cascadia Slow Slip Events, Jordan M. Pentzer

All Master's Theses

Non-volcanic tremor, a low-amplitude, 1-5 Hz long-duration seismic noise signal easily resolvable by short-period seismometers of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, is the canonical seismic signature observed during Cascadia Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS) Events. Whether significant energy is released at periods longer than 1 Hz has not been systematically searched for but nonetheless may exist and if so, could represent both a significant portion of the Cascadia moment budget as well as a mechanism by which slow slip and regular seismicity interact. The August 2010 ETS event beneath Puget Sound was well-recorded by a wide range of instruments that …

Fault Box Modeling Of Dip Slip Faults: A Framework For Fault Box Design And Future Studies, Hailey Pressnell

Master's Theses

The behavior of soils during surface fault rupture is a serious concern in the planning and design of infrastructure that may be located within or near a fault zone. Challenges associated with developing mitigation measures for surface fault rupture include the uncertainty of fault rupture and the variability of fault behavior. Current analytical procedures define surface fault rupture according to the type of fault movement (strike slip, normal or reverse), the amount of displacement on the fault, and the mechanics of the material overlying the fault. The purpose of this thesis is to reconfirm analytical solutions and gain a better …