Jessica Murray
Research Geophysicist in the Earthquake Science Center and Project Chief for Crustal Deformation.
I am a Research Geophysicist in the Earthquake Science Center where I have served as the Task Leader for GPS data collection and analysis and as the Project Chief for Crustal Deformation. Currently I serve as the Geodesy topical coordinator for the Earthquake Hazards Program. I study deformation using a variety of geodetic data (measurements of the displacement of the Earth’s surface). This research concerns the spatio-temporal patterns of strain accumulation and release on faults and how such processes modulate the earthquake cycle. One area of interest is the use of geodetic data to infer the spatial distribution of interseismic and coseismic fault slip and the insight this provides into earthquake recurrence. Another area of focus is the detection and kinematic modeling of transient deformation using frequent geodetic measurements and techniques such as Kalman filtering. This work is geared toward an improved understanding of the stressing history on a fault, the conditions under which stable slip occurs, and the relation between transient slip, seismicity, and earthquake-induced stress changes. I am also involved in developing ways to use real-time GPS data for improved earthquake early warning and situational awareness following major earthquakes.