Dr. George Hilley

Biography

George Hilley is a Professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Stanford University, where he focuses on the landscape's response to active faulting and folding of the Earth's crust. His research employs a wide array of tools, including geomorphic field studies and numerical models, to understand tectonic erosional processes over various time and spatial scales. His studies range from the development of mountain ranges over millions of years to small landforms evolving over thousands of years. For example, he investigates how the deformation and erosion of the Andes are coupled, linking geophysical processes with atmospheric influences. Hilley also examines the impacts of the San Andreas Fault on the short-term formation of small landforms. He is particularly interested in large, slow-moving landslides in urbanized areas and the hazards they present, utilizing methods like Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry to analyze them. In addition to his research, he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses that often involve field work in tectonically active regions, drawing on classic examples to enrich students' understanding of the processes that shape Earth's topography.

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