Dr. Jean Philippe Avouac

Biography

Jean-Philippe Avouac is the Earle C. Anthony Professor of Geology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he has served since 2003. He completed his M.E. at the École Polytechnique in 1987, followed by a Ph.D. at the Institut de Physique du Globe in 1991 and subsequently achieved habilitation in 1992. Dr. Avouac's research primarily focuses on understanding earthquakes, crustal deformation, and geomorphic processes through various methods, including field observations and geodetic measurements. He has held prominent roles such as Director of the Tectonic Observatory from 2004 to 2013 and currently serves as the Associate Director for the Center for Autonomous Systems Technologies since 2022. His ongoing research encompasses several key areas, including seismicity related to mountain-building processes in the Himalayas, imaging dynamics associated with both regular and slow earthquakes, and the underlying probabilistic forecasting of ground deformation in the context of subsurface engineering for CO2 storage and geothermal energy production. He also investigates the effects of hydrology on crustal deformation and seismicity, as well as dune dynamics on Mars and Earth.

Research Interests

Experience