Phone: (916) 278-3131
e-mail: gbawden@usgs.gov

Mailing address:
U.S. Geological Survey
Water Resources Division
6000 J Street, Placer Hal,
Sacramento, CA 95819

Gerald Bawden

My research involves a multidisciplinary approach to study how and where the surface of the earth deforms before, during, and after earthquakes. I utilize the modern space based geodesy techniques of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), to "see" where the earth may be deforming and by how much.

I combine these geodetic surface observations with seismic data, geologic field observations, and numerical modeling to begin to understand the complex interactions among various faults at depth.

My current research focuses on how human induced deformation, such as the pumping and reinjection of groundwater and hydrocarbons from aquifers and reservoirs, masks the tectonic motion. We have found that this cultural deformation is much larger than the 1-5 mm/yr of surface displacements that are expected to accompany slip on blind thrust faults beneath Los Angeles.