Lawrencia Mensah

Project: Evolution of seismicity throughout the lifecycle of rifting

My research objectives: The aim of my research is to study the temperature and effective normal stress conditions whereby simulated faults can nucleate tectonic and fluid-induced seismicity, as well as relevant changes in fault strength. This objective will be realized through a series of hydrothermal ring shear experiments using different rock samples from active rift zones, with the view of developing a clear understanding of the transition from seismic to aseismic sliding in various rock types. The findings should provide critical data for seismic hazard assessment, the improvement of numerical models of the seismic cycle, and large-scale geodynamic models.

Research background: I did my master’s in Exploration and Applied Geophysics at the University of Pisa, Italy. My research work was on exploring the seismicity of the Central Adriatic Sea through seismic imaging. More specifically, I produced velocity models (using ProMAX and MATLAB) to aid in the study of faulting geometries at an offshore earthquake location near Pesaro, serving as an explanation of the seismicity in that area. Finally, I did a preliminary mapping of the hypocenter of the Pesaro earthquake, which took place on November 9th, 2022.