Research Interests
Burgmann's research is focused on Active Tectonics; studying active fault systems, volcanoes and landslides. His group uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) to measure active surface deformation of these systems and complements these data with seismologic and geologic observations. This work relies on computer models to better understand the mechanics of these dynamic systems. Recent research projects of the Active Tectonics group focus on the active earthquake cycle and post-earthquake deformation in California, Tibet, Sumatra, and Japan, volcanic activity on the Big Island of Hawaii, and active landslides in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Colorado. Recently, Burgmann has begun exploring how other earthquakes, tides and hydrological surface loads can trigger or modulate earthquakes and deep-seated seismic tremor activity. He hopes to integrate these results to explore a long-standing question: Can consideration of the fundamental mechanics of earthquake occurrence improve our ability to estimate the time of future events?
Home Institution: UC Berkeley
Additional Terms
Miller Professor, Spring 2014, Earth & Planetary Science
Executive Committee, 2016 - 2020
Host, 2022 - 2025
