Michael C. Gurnis
John E. and Hazel S. Smits Professor of Geophysics; Director, Schmidt Academy for Software Engineering
B.S., University of Arizona, 1982; Ph.D., Australian National University, 1987. Associate Professor, Caltech, 1994-96; Professor, 1996-2005. Smits Professor, 2005-. Associate Director, Seismological Laboratory, 1995-2003; Director, 2009-24; Director, Schmidt Academy, 2019-; Allen Leadership Chair, 2023-24.
Research Overview
Dynamics of the Earth's interior using computational methods; relation between mantle dynamics and the geological evolution of continents.
Examples of Current Research
- Present-day: Development and application of 4-D dynamic models that cross the time-scalefrom great earthquakes to global plate motions
Publications
- Fang, Jiaqi;Gurnis, Michael et al. (2024) Dynamic Emergence of Plate Motions and Great Megathrust Earthquakes Across Length and Time ScalesGeophysical Research Letters
- Li, Yida;Gurnis, Michael C. (2024) Rapid shear zone weakening during subduction initiationProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Liu, Shaofeng;Zhang, Bo et al. (2024) Craton deformation from flat-slab subduction and rollbackNature Geoscience
- Hu, Jiashun;Rudi, Johann et al. (2024) Constraining Earth's nonlinear mantle viscosity using plate-boundary resolving global inversionsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Hightower, Erin;Gurnis, Michael et al. (2024) Influence of Farallon Slab Loading on Intraplate Stress and Seismicity in Eastern North America in the Presence of Pre‐Existing Weak ZonesGeochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Yuan, Qian;Gurnis, Michael et al. (2024) A Giant Impact Origin for the First Subduction on EarthGeophysical Research Letters
- Holbach, Lukas;Gurnis, Michael et al. (2023) A Bayesian level set method for identifying subsurface geometries and rheological properties in Stokes flowGeophysical Journal International
- Zhang, Shengxing;Li, Yiliang et al. (2023) Photoferrotrophic Bacteria Initiated Plate Tectonics in the NeoarcheanGeophysical Research Letters
- Li, Yida;Gurnis, Michael (2023) Strike slip motion and the triggering of subduction initiationFrontiers in Earth Science
- Li, Yida;Gurnis, Michael (2023) A simple force balance model of subduction initiationGeophysical Journal International
Related Courses
2023-24
Ge 102 – Introduction to Geophysics
Ge 11 d – Introduction to Earth and Planetary Sciences: Geophysics
Ge 163 – Geodynamics