Latest Updates

• Machine Learning for Microseismicity Monitoring | ES-SSA 2025

  On October 28, 2025, I presented at the Eastern Section Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri. My talk, "Machine Learning for Effective Microseismicity Monitoring", demonstrated benchmarks, adaptable models, and datasets for microseismic monitoring and carbon sequestration safety in Oklahoma. The presentation was well received and sparked discussions on AI-driven seismic monitoring and geophysics applications.

• Crustal Shear Velocity Anomalies in the Midcontinent | ES-SSA 2025

  On October 27, 2025, I presented at the Eastern Section Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri. My talk, "Unveiling Shear Velocity Anomalies in the Central Midcontinent of the United States through High-Resolution Joint Inversion", showcased high-resolution seismic imaging, joint inversion of surface waves and receiver functions, and new insights into crustal and uppermost mantle structure beneath the North American craton. The results highlight crustal features and have implications for craton evolution and intraplate seismicity.

• Research Talk on AI for Induced Seismicity | AAPG Midcontinent 2025

  In October 9, 2025, I presented at AAPG Midcontinent 2025, sharing my work on a next-generation machine learning framework for AI-driven induced seismicity detection and innovation. The talk highlighted advancements in deep learning, transfer learning, and few-shot learning for enhanced microseismic monitoring and carbon storage safety.

• Poster Award at DISC Inaugural Data Science Symposium

  In March 2025, I attended and presented at the "Innovating for Impact: DISC Inaugural Data Science Symposium", hosted by the Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC). This symposium focused on cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) research. I was honored to receive the 3rd place Poster Award for my research on applying AI techniques to induced seismicity analysis.

• Paper Published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters

  In March 2025, my peer-reviewed paper titled "Moho depth (crustal thickness) variations under the northeastern midcontinent of North America, based on H-κ− c receiver-function analysis" was published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. This study provides key insights into crustal structure variations in the northeastern Midcontinent, enhancing our understanding of regional tectonic processes. Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119289.

• John D. Pigott Colloquium Series Presentation

  In January 2025, I was invited to present my research on Midcontinent tectonic processes at the School of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma, as part of their prestigious John D. Pigott Colloquium Series. This event provided an excellent platform to showcase my work and engage with leading experts in the field.

• Check more previous news @ archived_news.html

• GRL

  Crustal Thickness Variations in the Central Midcontinent, USA, and Their Tectonic Implications

  Published in Geophysical Research Letters (2022). This paper provides the first high-resolution Moho depth map for the Central Midcontinent using a revised H-κ-c receiver-function method, revealing new insights into crustal architecture and intraplate tectonics.
  DOI: 10.1029/2022GL099257

  PDF DOI Abstract

  Studies of the central midcontinent region of the USA, a portion of North America's relatively stable craton, reveal that both the Moho (the crust/mantle boundary) and the surface of the Great Unconformity (the boundary between crystalline basement and overlying Phanerozoic sedimentary cover) have kilometers of relief, even though land-surface relief in the region is, at most, 0.5 km. To clarify the nature of variations in Moho depth, so as to make it possible to correlate these variations with other geologic features of the shallow continental crust, we applied a new, more robust, method in estimating Moho depth to data from all available EarthScope seismic stations in the region. This effort yielded a new, high-resolution map of Moho depth. Significantly, we found large undulations (ups and downs) of the Moho both at the regional scale and at the local scale. Some of these undulations correlate with the boundaries of regional basins and domes, as defined by the depth to the Great Unconformity, and others correlate with known faults. The development of thickness variations may reflect geologic events, such as addition of new rock to the base of the crust, or removal of lower crust, which happened after the crust first formed.

• EPSL

  Moho Depth Variations Under the Northeastern Midcontinent (H-κ-c Analysis)

  Published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2025). This work presents a new crustal thickness model for the northeastern Midcontinent, applying enhanced H-κ-c receiver-function method to reveal lithospheric variations that illuminate regional tectonic evolution.
  DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119289

  PDF DOI Abstract

  Our results emphasize that crustal thickness varies by almost 13 km in a region of North America where land-surface varies by less than 0.5 km and where relief of the Great Unconformity varies by a maximum of 7.5 km. In contrast to contemporary orogenic belts, crustal thickness does not correlate directly with either land-surface elevation or with sedimentary cover thickness (i.e., depth to the Great Unconformity). For example, the thickest crust of the study area occurs in the southwestern Illinois Basin, where land surface elevation is about 150 m, and the thinnest crust occurs in north central Indiana, where land-surface elevation is 250 m. There is a rough correspondence between crustal thickness and epeirogenic structures. In general, thinner crust underlies domes and arches, whereas thicker crust underlies basins, but there are exceptions. For example, while crust is relatively thin beneath the Kankakee and Cincinnati Arches, it is relatively thick beneath the Findlay Arch and the Wisconsin Arch, crust beneath the Michigan basin, overall, is thinner than that of the Illinois or Appalachian basins, and crust beneath the Canadian Shield is thinner than that beneath the cratonic platform. Notably, the Moho beneath the Canadian Shield and beneath the cratonic platform west of the Grenville front, displays roughly periodic long-wavelength north-south trending undulations. These undulations do not coincide with Precambrian tectonic fabrics or crustal boundaries, hinting that they developed after crustal assembly and could instead reflect variable degrees of thinning, underplating, or crustal delamination during failed Proterozoic rifting, or perhaps of crustal buckling associated with the Grenville collision.