Simulating earthquakes

Ossian O’Reilly is part of a growing cadre of young, computer-savvy geoscientists. After earning a Master’s degree in Engineering Physics at Sweden’s Uppsala University, O’Reilly wanted to put the knowledge and skills he had acquired to practical use. “When I was searching for master's thesis work, I learned about a project related to numerical methods for simulating earthquakes,” he recalled. “I thought the numerical challenges and techniques required were a good fit for my expertise and the application seemed both important and interesting. I didn’t have a background in geophysics, but I was willing to learn what was needed.”

O’Reilly is now a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Eric Dunham, a Stanford Earth Associate Professor of Geophysics who specializes in using computer models to characterize and understand earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes.