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Ramon Arrowsmith

Ramon Arrowsmith

Professor,
School Of Earth and Space Exploration
  • ramon.arrowsmith@asu.edu
  • Phone: 480-965-3541
  • ‌
  • ASU Tempe Campus, School of Earth and Space Exploration Office 773, ISTB4 - BLDG75 781 E Terrace Road TEMPE, AZ 85287-6004
  • Mail code: 6004
    Campus: Tempe
  • ‌
Biography Research Teaching Public Work
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Long Bio

Ramon Arrowsmith has been at Arizona State University since 1995 where he teaches field geology, structural geology, geomorphology, and computers in earth and space exploration. He has more than 35 years experience studying the earthquake geology, paleoseismology, and geomorphology of fault zones and publishing about their history of activity and hazards. He is cofounder and co-PI of the OpenTopography effort—a portal to the largest collection of freely available high resolution topography data (http://www.opentopography.org/).

He has lead many short courses, workshops, and visioning activities emphasizing high resolution topographic data and tectonic geomorphology. He and his students research on active faulting, earthquake geology, tectonic geomorphology, and the geologic framework for human origins. He has held a number of administrative positions in the ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) including associate chair (of Geological Sciences Department), associate director of graduate studies and Deputy Director for SESE.

Education
  • Ph.D. Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, 1995, supervised by David D. Pollard. Dissertation title: ``Coupled Tectonic Deformation and Geomorphic Degradation along the San Andreas Fault System.''
  • B.S. Geology and Spanish (Summa Cum Laude), Whittier College, 1989, supervised by Dallas D. Rhodes. Senior Thesis: ``Geomorphic Responses in Ephemeral Channels to Strike-slip Faulting along the San Andreas Fault, Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California.''
CV
Curriculum Vitae
Research Website URL
http://activetectonics.blogspot.com/
Google Scholar URL
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5mpdfbIAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID Profile ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1756-3697
Research Interests

I am interested in in earthquake geology, paleoseismology, and geomorphology of fault zones and publishing about their history of activity and hazards. I am cofounder and coPI of the OpenTopography effort—a portal to the largest collection of freely available high resolution topography data (http://www.opentopography.org/). My students and i do research on active faulting, earthquake geology, tectonic geomorphology, and the geologic framework for human origins.
 

Research Group

http://activetectonics.asu.edu/index.html

Publications

A few recent publications (*STUDENT COAUTHOR):

Kim*, J., Cave, S., Arrowsmith, J R., Clarke, A. B., Roggensack, K., Semken, S., Controls on low shield-forming eruptive behavior: A case study of Sentinel-Arlington Volcanic Field (USA), USGS Professional Paper on Distributed Volcanic Centers, in press, 2024.

Adam*, R., Scott, C. P., Arrowsmith, J R., Reano, D., Madugo, C., Koehler, R., Zuckerman*, M., Gray, B., Kozaci, O., Gonzalez, T., AbramsonWard, H., Rockwell, T., Gath, E., Kottke, A., Leuchter, E., A systematic approach to map tectonic faults and document supporting geomorphology, https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02767.1, Geosphere, 2025.

Patyniak*, M., Landgraf, A., Dzhumabaeva, A., Baikulov, S., Williams*, A. M., Preusser, F., Abdrakhmatov, K., Arrowsmith, J R., Strecker, M. R., Surface Rupture of the 2008 Mw 6.6 Nura Earthquake: Triggered Flexural-Slip Faulting in the Pamir-Tien Shan Collision Zone, Tectonics, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024TC008360, 2024.

Scott, C. P., Kottke, A., Madugo, C., Arrowsmith, J R., Adam*, R., Zuckerman*, M., Tectonic landform and lithologic age impact uncertainties in fault displacement hazard models, Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL109145. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109145, 2024.

Walker, R., Abdrakhmatov, K., Arrowsmith, J R., Elliott, J., Grutzner, C., Mukambayev, A., Rizza, M., Weldon, R., Wilkinson, R., Shnizai, Z., Urgent need for greater earthquake resilience in continental Asia, Nature Geoscience, 2024. 

Courses
2025 Summer
Course Number Course Title
SES 692 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 592 Research
SES 599 Thesis
2025 Spring
Course Number Course Title
GLG 451 Field Geology I
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 795 Continuing Registration
SES 599 Thesis
SES 592 Research
MAE 593 Applied Project
2024 Fall
Course Number Course Title
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 692 Research
GLG 455 Advanced Field Geology
GLG 598 Special Topics
SES 795 Continuing Registration
2024 Summer
Course Number Course Title
SES 692 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 592 Research
SES 599 Thesis
2024 Spring
Course Number Course Title
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 795 Continuing Registration
SES 599 Thesis
SES 592 Research
2023 Fall
Course Number Course Title
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 692 Research
SES 795 Continuing Registration
2023 Summer
Course Number Course Title
SES 692 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 592 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 599 Thesis
2023 Spring
Course Number Course Title
GLG 451 Field Geology I
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 592 Research
2022 Fall
Course Number Course Title
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 692 Research
SES 598 Special Topics
SES 494 Special Topics
SES 592 Research
2022 Summer
Course Number Course Title
SES 692 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 592 Research
2022 Spring
Course Number Course Title
GLG 451 Field Geology I
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 592 Research
GLG 494 Special Topics
GLG 598 Special Topics
2021 Fall
Course Number Course Title
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 592 Research
2021 Summer
Course Number Course Title
SES 692 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 592 Research
SES 595 Continuing Registration
SES 595 Continuing Registration
2021 Spring
Course Number Course Title
GLG 451 Field Geology I
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 592 Research
2020 Fall
Course Number Course Title
GLG 591 Seminar
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 692 Research
GLG 494 Special Topics
GLG 598 Special Topics
2020 Summer
Course Number Course Title
SES 692 Research
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 592 Research
SES 592 Research
SES 595 Continuing Registration
SES 595 Continuing Registration
2020 Spring
Course Number Course Title
GLG 451 Field Geology I
SES 799 Dissertation
SES 692 Research
SES 792 Research
SES 599 Thesis
SES 592 Research
Honors / Awards
  • Open Science Recognition Prize (for OpenTopography along with 3 other PIs), American Geophysical Union, 2023
  • Faculty Service Achievement Award, Arizona State University Founders' Day, 2022
  • Paul G. Silver Award for Outstanding Scientific Service, American Geophysical Union Geodesy, Seismology, and Tectonophysics Sections, 2020
  • Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Undergraduate Professor of the Year (from students) 2013
  • Fellow, Geological Society of America 2009
  • Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Graduate Professor of the Year (from students) 2008
  • Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Undergraduate Professor of the Year (from students) 2007
  • Arizona State University Geological Sciences Department Faculty Appreciation award (from students) 2005
  • Arizona State University Geology Department Excellence in Teaching award 1996 (shared with S. Reynolds)
Professional Associations
  • American Geophysical Union
  • Geological Society of America
  • Seismological Society of America
Work History

State of Arizona Registered Professional Geologist # 74181

Service
  • 2025-Present Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC), Member and National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (SESAC subcommittee), Chair (appointed by Director of US Geological Survey)
  • 2020-2022 Member, US National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for Geosciences (AC-GEO; https://www.nsf.gov/geo/advisory.jsp)
  • 2019-present Chair, Arizona Seismic Safety Advisory Council
  • 2018-2024Southern California Earthquake Center Planning Committee member (SAFS)
  • 2015-2016 NASA Strategic planning committee member for the NASA Earth Surface and Interior (ESI) Focus Area
  • 2014-2018 UNAVCO Nominating committee
  • 2007-2017National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (appointed by Director of US Geological Survey)
  • 2011-2016 Southern California Earthquake Center Planning Committee (SoSAFE)
  • 2006-present Arizona Land Subsidence Group member
  • 2008-2014 Committee on Seismology and Geodynamics, a standing committee within the National Research Council's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
  • 2011-2015 EarthScope Steering Committee chairman
  • 2011-2015 EarthScope National Office Director
  • 2013 Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Seismic Hazard Review (SSHAC level 3) Resource Expert
  • 2010-2013 Scientific Review Panel, Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast 3
Expertise Areas
Earth Surface Processes
Geodynamics and Seismology
Geological Processes
Geophysics
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