Some of my past research projects (latest to earliest):
Source properties of a small-magnitude induced seismic sequence in Brazil
My last project in Brazil involved the investigation of earthquake source properties of an induced seismic sequence located in the southeast of the country. In this area, small magnitude earthquakes were triggered after the excavation of water wells for irrigation purposes. We accurately relocated the sequence and calculated source properties such as corner frequencies, stress drop and moment magnitudes using an empirical Green’s functions (EGF) method. We found low absolute stress drops (<1 MPa) and increase of stress drop with seismic moment (Mw<2). We explain our observations as due to repeated rupture on a fault patch at shallow depth, following continuous inflow of water. See papers: Bebedouro1 Bebedouro2.
Tailings dam failure in SE Brazil and preceding seismic sequence
We recently studied the collapse of a tailings dam in SE Brazil in relation to a small-magnitude seismic sequence that preceded the accident. The results of this study were published here.
2015 Bucaramanga, Colombia, intermediate-depth earthquake
We tried to shed a light on the rupture process of a unique intermediate-depth earthquake that occurred in northern Colombia. The results here.
Mid-plate South America seismicity and its correlation with lithospheric properties.
In 2014, I worked on a study of crustal seismicity in mid-plate South America, looking for statistical correlations between seismicity occurrence and several lithospheric geological/geophysical properties. This study has broad implications for the understanding of intraplate seismicity in the world, and it was published on a Special Volume of the Geological Society of London. See paper.
2012 Montes Claros, Brazil, seismic sequence.
As part of my first post-doc project at the University of São Paulo back in 2013, I studied a small magnitude seismic sequence that occurred in the middle of the São Francisco Craton, Brazil. This was my first approach to intraplate crustal seismicity, as opposite to my previous studies on the Chilean active margin. I characterized the Montes Claros sequence by accurately locating the earthquakes, obtaining the fault plane, calculating focal mechanisms and finally determining the predominant stress field in the area. These results were published here.
2010 Chile Earthquake Aftershocks Study
After the occurrence of the Mw 8.8, 2010 Chile earthquake, I redirected the second half of my PhD to characterize the aftershocks of the 2010 Chile earthquake through regional moment tensor inversions. The analysis of intermediate to small magnitude aftershocks has proved to be fundamental in the understanding of the seismic cycle, as evidenced by our findings of intra-slab normal faulting following the 2010 mainshock; seismicity that teleseismic methods (e.g. GCMT catalogue) are not able to address. The results of this research were published as two separate papers in GRL and EPSL.
2007 Aysén Fjord Seismic Sequence
I dedicated the first half of my PhD to the study of a sequence of seismic events that occurred in the Patagonian fjord-lands of Southern Chile, related to the reactivation of the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault. This area, historically believed to be a “seismically quiet” region of Chile, was the focus in 2007 of hundreds of earthquakes, the largest being a Mw 6.2 tsunamigenic earthquake that killed 7 people. My study here focused on the characterization of the foreshock/aftershock sequence including the inversion for the first time of a local velocity model for the area, probabilistic location of the events, and computation of focal mechanisms. The results of this research were published here.
Chile Triple Junction Region Seismicity
For my Geology degree thesis in Chile, I worked on the regional seismicity of the area in front of the Chile Triple Junction, providing for the first time a catalogue of local seismicity for that remote region of the world. The results of this research were published here.
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