Earthquake source processes of natural and anthropogenic origins

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Over the past couple of decades, increasingly dense and high-resolution Earth observatory networks have revealed a wide spectrum of seismic and aseismic deformation modes along major plate boundaries and within relatively stable plate interiors. While tectonic earthquakes are dominant in seismic energy release, human activities in resource exploration are also making significant contributions to the occurrence of seismicity. My research program seeks to understand the source mechanism of natural and anthropogenic earthquakes, including seismic and aseismic slip processes, from the perspectives of numerical modeling and observational seismology. On the numerical modeling front, my group will further develop earthquake physics models for understanding episodic slow slip events and interaction with earthquakes in major subduction zones. We will use geodetic and seismological observations, onshore and offshore, along the Cascadia margin to constrain fault frictional properties, which in turn will guide megathrust earthquake rupture scenario simulations to be used in seismic hazard assessment. This approach will be applied to other subduction zones where there is sufficient geodetic and seismic coverage. On the observational front, we will utilize seismic, geodetic and groundwater sampling data from a dense array in northeast British Columbia, where active hydraulic fracturing during shale gas exploration has been inferred to cause a dramatic increase in seismicity rate in the past decade. By combining earthquake source parameter inversion, ground displacement monitoring and integration to fluid injection history to a poroelastic model, we seek to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the source processes of seismicity induced by fluid injection in the western Canada sedimentary basin. I will also participate in the design and implementation of an ocean bottom seismometer experiment along the St-Lawrence River, data collected from which will complement those from the land stations to help constrain details of seismicity and illuminate the crustal and upper mantle structure along active seismic zones in eastern CanadaIn summary, my research program will make fundamental contributions to our understanding of a wide spectrum of fault slip behavior both along major boundary faults and continental interior seismic zones, of either natural or anthropogenic origins. The results will promote the transition from conceptual understanding towards quantitative prediction of earthquakes and slow slip, and improve our ability for earthquake forecast and hazard assessment.