Research Interests
My research interests focus on integrating a variety of tools including: geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), remote sensing, tectonic geomorphology, seismology, field surveying, and computational modeling to evaluate and constrain the kinematic history, tectonic evolution, and active deformation of landscapes. My PhD dissertation research focuses on understanding the geologic hazard of intraplate earthquakes that threaten the east coast of the U.S., particularly in the Washington, DC, metropolitan region, through 1) Coulomb stress computational modeling of stress transfer from the 2010 Mw 3.4 Germantown, Maryland, and 2011 Mw 5.8 Mineral, Virginia, to Cenozoic fault systems in the Mid-Atlantic region and 2) a statistical evaluation of changes in seismicity rate in the central and eastern U.S. after the occurrence of August 2011 Virginia earthquake. My studies of landscape evolution extend to deformation occurring on the surface of Mercury and the Moon through a morphometric comparison and modeling of contractional tectonic features called wrinkle ridges using imagery and altimetry data from the MESSENGER and LRO spacecraft. My M.S. research focused on evaluating feedbacks between tectonics and erosion in the central Nepalese Himalaya by evaluating correlations between knickzones, lithologic contacts, faults, and landslide features. I am interested in working on a variety of problems relating to understanding earthquakes and faulting processes, interactions between tectonics and erosion, and tectonic deformation with the goal of improving our ability to mitigate geologic hazards on Earth and our understanding of tectonic evolution on other planets.
Published Papers
Walsh, L.S., Martin, A.J., Ojha, T.P., and Fedenczuk, T. (2012) Correlations of fluvial knickzones with landslide dams, lithologic contacts, and faults in the southwestern Annapurna Range, central Nepalese Himalaya. Journal of Geophysical Research – Earth Surface, 117, F01012, doi:10.1029/2011JF001984
Schleicher, L.S., Miller, J.W., Watkins-Kenney, S.C., Carnes-McNaughton, L.F., and Wilde-Ramsing, M.U. (2008) Non-destructive chemical characterization of ceramic shards from Shipwreck 31CR314 and Brunswick Town, North Carolina. Journal of Archaeological Science (35), 2824-2838.
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LISA WALSH