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| Paul Segall | |
|---|---|
| Name | Paul Segall |
| Birth date | 1940s |
| Birth place | United States |
| Fields | Seismology, Geophysics, Earthquake Science |
| Institutions | University of California, Berkeley, United States Geological Survey |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology, Stanford University |
| Doctoral advisor | David A. McKenzie |
| Known for | Interferometric synthetic aperture radar, fault mechanics, earthquake deformation |
Paul Segall is an American seismologist and geophysicist known for pioneering applications of geodetic imaging and interferometric synthetic aperture radar to study crustal deformation, fault mechanics, and induced seismicity. His work at Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley bridged observational geodesy, earthquake source physics, and hazard assessment, influencing research at institutions such as the United States Geological Survey, Caltech, and international observatories. Segall’s publications shaped understanding of volcanic unrest, slow slip events, and anthropogenic triggering of earthquakes, intersecting with programs at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and European Space Agency.
Segall earned undergraduate and graduate training that combined theoretical and observational geophysics, studying at institutions including California Institute of Technology and Stanford University. At Stanford University he completed doctoral research under advisors connected to the legacy of Don L. Anderson and Jack E. Oliver, developing a foundation in elastic dislocation theory and seismic source modeling. His early associations included collaborations with researchers from Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Santa Cruz, situating him within a network studying plate boundary deformation and volcanic systems such as Long Valley Caldera and Mount St. Helens.
Segall held faculty positions at Stanford University before joining the faculty at University of California, Berkeley, where he worked in departments and centers that connected to the Seismological Society of America and the American Geophysical Union. He collaborated with operational agencies including the United States Geological Survey and international bodies such as the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency on deployment and interpretation of geodetic networks. His professional activities included advisory roles for programs at NASA and the National Science Foundation, and contributions to community efforts involving the Global Positioning System and synthetic aperture radar missions like ERS-1 and Envisat.
Segall is widely recognized for integrating interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) with GPS and seismic observations to image surface deformation associated with earthquakes, volcanic inflation, and aseismic slip. He produced influential models of fault slip using elastic dislocation theory originally framed by Andrew H. D. Burgess and extended by researchers at Caltech; his work connected to observational campaigns at sites including San Andreas Fault, Hayward Fault, and volcanic systems such as Mount Etna and Kīlauea. Segall authored seminal papers on poroelastic and viscoelastic processes that explain postseismic deformation, engaging concepts developed by scientists at Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich.
His analyses of induced seismicity evaluated interactions among fluid injection, pore pressure diffusion, and fault stress perturbations, relating to cases at Wells, Nevada, Groningen gas field, and geothermal projects like Geysers Geothermal Field. He co-authored review articles synthesizing InSAR methodology and best practices alongside researchers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and contributed textbook chapters that have been used in courses at Columbia University and Imperial College London. Notable publications address slow slip events and tremor phenomena documented in regions such as Cascadia Subduction Zone, Nankai Trough, and the Alaska subduction zone.
Segall’s scientific contributions have been recognized by professional societies including the American Geophysical Union and the Seismological Society of America, where peers have honored his work through invited lectures and committee service. He received fellowships and awards associated with national funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and honors linked to collaborative programs with NASA and international research observatories. His mentorship and scholarship led to invited roles in symposia at institutions like European Geosciences Union and panels for the National Research Council.
As a professor, Segall supervised graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who went on to positions at universities and agencies including USGS, Caltech, University of Oxford, and CNRS laboratories. His teaching incorporated laboratory and field components tied to observational programs such as continuous Global Positioning System networks and InSAR campaigns using satellites like RADARSAT and Sentinel-1. Course topics reflected connections to the literature produced by scholars at MIT, Princeton University, and University of Tokyo, preparing students for careers in hazard assessment, remote sensing, and crustal deformation modeling.
Segall’s legacy is evident in the widespread adoption of geodetic imaging techniques across seismology and volcanology, influencing monitoring at agencies including the United States Geological Survey and international volcano observatories. His students and collaborators populate research groups at institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, ETH Zurich, and University of Cambridge, continuing work on fault mechanics, induced seismicity, and satellite geodesy. Through publications, software contributions, and community leadership, Segall helped shape modern approaches to understanding tectonic and volcanic processes in regions like the San Andreas Fault system, the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and anthropogenically affected fields such as Groningen.
Category:American geophysicists Category:Seismologists Category:University of California, Berkeley faculty