Function and Responsibilities:
Head of the working group 4.2.1 "Seismomechanics and Slip Transients" at GFZ
Prof. of Applied Seismology at RWTH Aachen University (from March 2025)
PI of W2 Helmholtz First-time professorial appointment for excellent female scientists (from March 2025)
PI of ERC-Starting Grant QUAKEHUNTER (from March 2023)
co-PI of GFZ Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) Türkiye
Sub-topic Speaker within PoF-IV program, Topic 3.2 "Investigation of temporal changes and the late stage before major events"
Research Interests:
- Physics of earthquakes: how do they initiate, propagate and stop
- Combining seismology and fault mechanics to illuminate deformation patterns on transform faults
- The interplay between seismic and aseismic slip and how does it affect seismic hazard
- Characterization of the stress field: principal stress orientations, magnitudes, stress heterogeneity
- Fluid-induced seismicity (geothermal, CO2 storage)
- Learning from the physics of rock deformation experiments to better understand earthquakes in nature
Curious ? More about our research on www.saidan.org
Career:
Since 01-2023:
Principal Investigator of the ERC-Starting Grant project "QUAKEHUNTER: Real time monitoring of earthquake nucleation for faults near urban areas"
01-2018 - 06-2024:
Principal Investigator of the Helmholtz Young Investigator Group "SAIDAN: Seismic and Aseismic deformation in the brittle crust: Implications for anthropogenic and natural hazard"
2016 and 2018:
Visiting Researcher at the University of Southern California
Host: Prof. Yehuda Ben-Zion
09-2014 - 12-2017:
Postdoc at GFZ funded by the Helmholtz Postdoc Programme
Education:
07-2014:
PhD at GFZ and Free University of Berlin and in the frame of the HAI program
Thesis title: Seismo-mechanical reservoir characterization from fluid-induced seismicity
Supervisor: Prof. Marco Bohnhoff
06-2011:
Master in Geophysics and Meteorology (two years degree)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain.
Final Master Thesis: “Dynamic deformations from seismicity near the Itoiz Reservoir, Northern Spain”.
09-2010:
Physics Degree (five years degree)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain
Projects:
- QUAKEHUNTER: Understanding earthquake nucleation on natural faults
- SEISMENET: Seismo-geodetic network and deformation studies on the creeping segment of the North Anatolian Fault
- SAIDAN: Seismic and Aseismic Deformation in the brittle crust: from Anthropogenic to natural hazard
- Helmholtz Postdoc Programme: "Earthquake Hazard due to reservoir stimulation: A geomechanical study linking hazard and induced seismicity".
- Induced seismicity at The Geysers geothermal field: Analysis of spatiotemporal variations in the seismicity and stress field related to fluid injection and extraction.
- Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative (HAI): Analysis of induced seismicity related to CO2 storage and laboratory experiments on CO2 saturated samples.
- Geophysical Observatory North Anatolian Fault (GONAF): Participation in management, data analysis and field drilling work.
Research Boards and Committees:
Since 01-2024:
Associate Editor of Geophysical Research Letters
01-2021 - 12-2023:
Associate Editor of Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth
Awards:
05-2014: Best Student Presentation Award at the Annual Meeting of the Seismological Society of America (SSA), Anchorage, Alaska
12-2014 : Friedrich-Robert-Helmert-Award for the best doctoral dissertation of the year – awarded by the Association of Friends and Supporters of the GFZ e.V.