Fulbright Scholar Captures Invaluable Seismic Data During Stint In California

Geoscientist Jesse Kearse has returned from California with a treasure trove of earthquake data which he expects to be invaluable to explain and predict behaviour of fault lines in New Zealand.

The scientist from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington was able to delve into seismic behaviour at the California Institute of Technology after receiving the Toka Tū Ake EQC Fulbright Scholarship in 2020.

After a frustrating wait due to the global pandemic and visa delays, Kearse and his partner finally arrived in California, where he was forced to pivot from his original scholarship plans to working under leading geoscientist Jean-Philippe Avouac.

“It was incredible working with one of the global leaders in my field, and through his networks I was able to access data that Kiwi scientists would never get their hands on,” says Kearse.

Head of Research at Toka Tū Ake EQC Dr Natalie Balfour says: “Building international networks to share and collaborate with on research is an excellent way to develop our own research capability here, in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

“The Toka Tū Ake EQC Fulbright Scholarship has recognised the achievement and potential of outstanding graduate students, such as Jesse. We’re excited to see what his research reveals as he continues to connect with other researchers and work on the data he could access while in the US on this scholarship,” says Dr Balfour.

The Fulbright recipient decided to use his time in California to analyse data from a recent large-magnitude earthquake in Taiwan because this country has an extensive network of sensors sitting on top of their main fault line.

“Seismologists usually record earthquakes from afar, but in Taiwan they were able to capture detailed and complex data as the fault lines were rupturing,” says Kearse.

“Imagine sitting courtside at basketball game compared to the cheap seats at the back of the stadium. You can resolve a lot more detail up close that you simply cannot see from afar.”

“This recent event in Taiwan is valuable to earthquake science, because the fault line ruptured right through a dense network of sensors, some of which were as close as 100 m from the fault,” says Kearse, who also managed to gain access to GPS data from the Taiwanese network with help from his supervisor.

The Kiwi scientist was particularly interested in the Taiwanese tectonics as they have many similarities with fault lines under our shores.

“Traditionally, we make conclusions about the behaviour of different fault lines based on observations from a distance, but in Taiwan, we could see the ruptures as the earth was moving,” says Kearse.

“It is very exciting as a geoscientist to see the tectonics behave as the earth starts moving, so you can see how fast it ruptures, how far it ruptures and how long it takes to slow down. All of that would be nearly impossible to do with traditional methods.”

Kearse only returned from Pasadena recently and says it will take some time to fully analyse all the data he brought home and to translate that into the Aotearoa New Zealand context.

“We are slowly disassembling the data, and I can’t wait to share my experiences and learnings from California with the wider New Zealand geoscience community.”

Kearse is pleased the Fulbright scholarship has delivered some valuable long-term benefits to his own work and the science community after a year of delays and some time to settle in a new routine in California.

“I went over with my partner and initially it was not that easy to find our feet in a new country and new surroundings, but it was all worth it.

“Working at a university known around the world for its seismology expertise and walking around a campus where so many great scientists work and so many famous minds have walked in the past was humbling and will continue to inspire me for the rest of my career.”

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