Eric Lindsey
Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico
I'm an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico, where I use geodetic data to measure motion of the earth's surface — before, during and after earthquakes, as well as slow motion related to human activities like water extraction. I use these data to create numerical models that enable us to better understand the underlying physical processes, and allow us to provide key information about subsurface hazards to communities at risk.
My work involves new advances in InSAR processing, collection of new GPS data, and some novel numerical modeling techniques. See my research page for more.
Recent highlights
I'm headed to sea this spring, to help with an NSF-funded project to install seafloor GNSS sites along the Middle American trench offshore Costa Rica and Nicaragua! Stay tuned for updates!
My Fulbright-Nehru postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Dibyashakti Panda, recently published an excellent article on assessing the true state of kinematic coupling (or slip rate deficit) along the Himalayan Megathrust. Read it here! We compiled the most complete geodetic dataset across the entire Himalayan region to date, and then used a suite of more than 100 block models to assess the effects of assumed crustal fault geometry on the derived coupling. The results suggest that kinematic coupling is likely high along the entire megathrust, and previous suggestions of low coupling zones are likely associated with modeling artifacts.
Our work on rates of land subsidence in 48 major cities worldwide is out! Read it in Nature Sustainability here, along with an associated commentary. We processed a large InSAR dataset to show that a number of cities are sinking far faster than global average rates of sea level rise, greatly accelerating the problem of coastal flooding and land loss.
Two new papers out in Nature Geoscience! The first one presents a new, more accurate method for determining slip rate deficit on megathrusts based on the physics of stress interactions on the fault, and shows that shallow slip deficits could be much higher globally than previously recognized. It has been featured in the news, and here is an especially great summary. The second one revisits some coral paleo-geodetic data from Simeulue Island offshore Sumatra, and we show that this area experienced the longest-ever-recorded slow slip event - 32 years! This paper received a news & views commentary, as well as press coverage here and here.
In 2021, I started at the University of New Mexico as an Assistant Professor. I am always looking for motivated students - contact me if you are interested! To help me learn more about your interests, please describe your own research interests in the field of geodesy and mention one or two of my recent or current projects that you would be interested to work on, or feel free to propose one of your own - the more detail, the better. Also see our department's instructions on how to apply for more info.
See all research.
More about me.
