- Prof. William H. MenkeProfessorEarth and Environmental SciencesSeismology Geology and TectonophysicsFields of interest:seismology, volcanology, data analysis, inverse theory
A few years ago I stood on still-warm aa lava recently erupted from a volcanic fissure in Iceland. Somehow that fissure, and others like it along the earth's ridge axes, are responsible for making two-thirds of the earth's crust, including almost all the Atlantic Ocean's floor. Standing on a fissure, I can't see how that process happens. Crustal formation starts 100 km under my feet, well below the depth to which informed speculation based on field geology can penetrate.
Hence, I rely mainly on seismic tomography techniques that form images of earth's deep interior in much the same way that physicians' CAT scanners probe the human body.
I have applied tomographic imaging techniques to ridge axes and volcanoes in Iceland, fault systems in California, and mountains in the Himalayas. I also have a long-standing interest in improving and extending data analysis techniques that underlie interpreting modern digital data. I am always asking whether we can make a new type of measurement - or process standard measurements in a novel way - to improve images of earth structures.
Some of projects include:
- Earthquake Location Methodology ( details )
- Raytracing & 3D Tomography ( details )
- Seismic Anisotropy ( details )
- Magma Chambers along the Juan de Fuca Ridge ( details )
Honors & Awards:Presidential Young Investigator 1986Fellow of the American Geophysical Union 1992Lamont Projects:Selected Publications:The cross-convolution method for interpreting SKS splitting observations, with application to one and two-layer anisotropic earth models, , Geophysical Journal International, Aug, Volume 154, Issue 2, p.379-392, (2003)Magma storage beneath axial volcano on the Juan de Fuca mid-ocean ridge, , Nature, Oct 25, Volume 413, Issue 6858, p.833-836, (2001)
