About Rick

I am a geoscientist with interests in geophysics, seismological imaging and source studies, and Earth processes encompassing earthquakes, volcanos, glaciers, oceans, and geology.. My research has drawn from significant seismological field studies in western North America, Italy, and Antarctica. I have strong teaching and research interests in geophysical inverse and signal processing methods and am the lead author on the widely used reference volume and textbook "Parameter Estimation and Inverse Problems" (Aster, Borchers, and Thurber, 2011; Third Edition to be completed in 2018).

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Interests

  • Earthquake and Volcano Seismology, Seismic Imaging, Inverse Problems, Signal Processing, Cryospheric and Fluvial seismology, Antarctic Geophysics, Seismological Instrumentation.

Education

Ph.D. , Earth Science - University of California
San Diego, CA, 1991

M.S., Geophysics - University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI, 1986

B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Additional Major in Physics - University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI, 1983

Awards, Honors, Grants

  • Fellow, Geological Society of America, 2018
  • Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Wisconsin, 2017
  • IRIS Leadership Award, 2014
  • New Mexico Tech Distinguished Research Award, 2010
  • President, Seismological Society of America, 2009-2011
  • IRIS/SSA Distinguished Lecturer, 2009-2010
  • Seismological Society of America Board of Directors , 2008-2014
  • New Mexico Tech Faculty Award, 2005
  • NSF Antarctic Service Medal, 1999

Selected Publications

The uppermost mantle seismic velocity and viscosity structure of central West Antarctica

  • O’Donnell, J., Selway, K., Nyblade, A., Brazier, R., Wiens, D., Anandakrishan, S.,... Winberry, J.,

Spatiotemporal evolution of the 2011 Prague, Oklahoma, aftershock sequence revealed using subspace detection and relocation

  • McMahon, N., Aster, R., Yeck, W.McNamara, D., & Benz, H.,

Tsunami and infragravity waves impacting Antarctic ice shelves

  • Bromirski, P., Chen, Z., Stephen, R., Gerstoft, P., Arcas, D., Diez, A.,... Nyblade, A.,

Parameter Estimation and Inverse Problems

  • Aster, R., Borchers, B., Thurber, C,

Glacial Seismology

  • Aster, R., & Winberry, J.,

Selected Articles

Glacial Seismology

Reports On Progress in Physics, v. 80, 2017

Aster, R.C., Winberry, J.P.

Memberships

  • International Glaciological Society
  • Geological Society of America
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Seismological Society of America
  • American Geophysical Union

Web Links

CSU Source Article on Science West Antarctica GIA Study

Active Magmatic System Discovered Beneath West Antarctic Ice Sheet (2013)

NPR Interview with Scott Simon on the L'Aquila "Earthquake Trial" (2011)

Mount Erebus in Science News (2013)

The "singing" Ross Ice Shelf, as reported by NPR (2018)

Comprehensive List of Abstracts

Comprehensive List of Publications

Publications on Google Scholar

Ross Ice Shelf High Frequency Seismic Studies in EOS (2019)

Graduate Advisees

Oklahoma shakes lead CSU Researchers into Earthquake Forecasting (2016)

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is in trouble – but the ground beneath it may buy some time (in The Conversation, June, 2018)

California’s other drought: A major earthquake is overdue (in The Conversation, January 2018)

Mackenzie Mountains Mystery: New EarthScope Project Peers Underneath an Unlikely Mountain Range (2016)