Rachel Abercrombie
Rachel Abercrombie | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA, 1987), University of Reading (PhD, 1991) |
| Occupation(s) | Seismologist, Research Associate Professor |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | Research on earthquake rupture mechanisms |
Rachel Abercrombie is a seismologist affiliated with Boston University, focusing her expertise on the mechanisms of earthquake rupture.
Education and career
Abercrombie obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University in 1987, followed by a doctoral degree from the University of Reading in 1991. Following completion of her Ph.D., she held research positions at the Southern California Earthquake Center and the University of Southern California. From 1995 until 1998, she was part of New Zealand's Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences before transitioning to Harvard University, where she remained until 2001. She became a member of Boston University's faculty in 2001 and advanced to the role of Research Associate Professor by 2006.
She currently sits on the board of directors for the Southern California Earthquake Center, a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center founded in 1991. Additionally, Abercrombie contributed as a board member for the Seismological Society of America during two terms: 2003–2005 and 2007–2009.
Research
Abercrombie’s investigations into earthquakes cover a variety of geographic locations including California, Nevada, Wyoming, Greece, and New Zealand. Her studies also encompass marine environments, analyzing oceanic fault systems in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans as well as the Java subduction zone. By examining small-magnitude earthquakes recorded at the Cajon Pass borehole, she identified attenuation patterns in seismic signals within the Earth's upper crust and monitored microseismic activity along the San Andreas Fault. Her research on foreshock sequences aims to enhance forecasting methods, underscoring the importance of meticulous recording of minor earthquakes to better understand variations in earthquake characteristics and sizes.
In recognition of her innovative research elucidating earthquake phenomena across different spatial and temporal dimensions, she was honored as a fellow by the American Geophysical Union in 2020.
Selected publications
- Abercrombie, Rachel E. (1995). "Earthquake source scaling relationships from −1 to 5 ML using seismograms recorded at 2.5-km depth". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 100 (B12): 24015–24036.
- Abercrombie, Rachel E.; Mori, Jim (1996). "Occurrence patterns of foreshocks to large earthquakes in the western United States". Nature. 381 (6580): 303–307.
- Abercrombie, Rachel E.; Ekström, Göran (2001). "Earthquake slip on oceanic transform faults". Nature. 410 (6824): 74–77.
- Abercrombie, Rachel E.; Rice, James R. (2005). "Can observations of earthquake scaling constrain slip weakening?". Geophysical Journal International. 162 (2): 406–424.
Awards and honors
- Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2020)