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gfun.earth
Gareth Funning
@gfun.earth
3.4K followers 640 following 750 posts
Faculty at UCR! Earthquakes! Fault creep! InSAR! GNSS! Seismology! He/him! Executive Editor at @weareseismica.bsky.social! Yes!
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gfun.earth
Gareth Funning @gfun.earth · Nov 12
Hey there! I'm Gareth, a professor at the University of California, Riverside. I am a geophysicist who uses geodesy and seismology to study the earthquake source, fault creep, transient motions, geothermal fields, landslides... you name it! I also like travel, seeing live music and art. And owls!
Me with a GNSS receiver (yellow case, right) and antenna (UFO-shaped thingy, left), as part of fieldwork responding to the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes in the Mojave desert Selfie of me at the Inari Shrine in Kyoto, with many, many red shrine gates in the background Me at the Coachella festival in Indio, California, standing next to a shrubbery with a cluster of big pink glass spheres in the background part of some artwork or something Me in a red puffer jacket with a falconry glove on my left hand, holding a Western Screech Owl (by the name of Hamish) in a field in the Sierra Foothills in northern California
gfun.earth
The four-legged lawn service is currently working at *my* house. Bet you're jealous!
Donkey chowing down on the dead grass in my front yard, by my car Don't standing by a street sign in front of my house, lit by streetlights Donkey standing still in my front yard, helping with vegetation control Two donkeys on the boundary between my front yard and my neighbor's
November 19, 2025 at 1:51 AM
gfun.earth
I knew it was Ray Wilkins, obvs, but Hugh Dennis? Gil Scott-Heron?! And the orange man was a Proper Actor! That's simply wonderful, Ralph. Smashing. T'riffic.

www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...
‘People still blame me for their perforated eardrums’: how we made the Tango ads
‘Gil Scott-Heron did the closing voiceover. He was giggling away, saying, “You English guys are crazy!”’
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
celestelabedz.bsky.social
Fellow seismologists, we're going to get a lot of mileage out of the latest @xkcd.com
xckd coming of a flowchart. The top reads "someone is claiming to predict the exact date of a future earthquake. Should you listen?" A diamond-shape says "start" and one arrow leads to a box reading "NO" in very large letters, followed by "(there are big earthquakes constantly, so if anyone ever DOES figure this out, it will be immediately obvious that their method works and then the world's seismologists will not shut up about it. You won't need this flowchart."
November 8, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
fossilexpress.bsky.social
At the empty USGS booth at GSA. More out of view on both sides
October 22, 2025 at 2:04 AM
gfun.earth
Envious of the neighbors' lawn service
Two donkeys in a neighbor's front yard
October 22, 2025 at 3:39 AM
gfun.earth
In Oakland at the UC Office of the President for a meeting, and the chances are good that we will be shaking out later on...
Flyer for the Great California ShakeOut in the elevator at the University of California Office of the President
October 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
gfun.earth
OK, so who turned all the power off? Holding office hours in the dark ain't all that much fun (not that anyone is here of course).
October 15, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
celestelabedz.bsky.social
A lot of comments on Mars rovers or Moon landings, but it's important to remember that the planet NASA studies most is Earth. This is less about cutting flashy things like moonwalks and more about keeping communities in the dark on climate, weather, agriculture, pollution, natural hazards, and more.
October 13, 2025 at 10:43 PM
gfun.earth
Pomona, what's up? (Very excited about this one!)
The neon sign outside the Fox Theater in Pomona, advertising tonight's Wolf Alice show
October 12, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
thedailyshow.com
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
October 9, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
earthscope.org
EarthScope is excited to be undertaking operations of the NSF National Geophysical Facility, as of October 1. Curious what this means in terms of geophysical research and education support? Check out these helpful FAQs.
⬇️
https://ngf.earthscope.org/
Graphic with text "Powering geophysics, empowering a resilient society" with the NSF and National Geophysical Facility logos over a red to purple landscape gradient
October 2, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
hugolantman.bsky.social
Since kyanite made it to the final of Mineral Cup, I decided to contribute. Vote kyanite!

Not only is kyanite gorgeous, it's also a key metamorphic index mineral and thus one of my favourite minerals to find. Here are a few examples I've come across.

See alt text for details

#MinCup25 #kyanite
A single crystal of blue kyanite on a matrix of white quartz. From the Betic Cordillera, Spain A green-blue kyanite eclogite with a reddish vein of garnet, bordered by more dark blue kyanite. From Pohorje, Slovenia. 2 euro cent coin for scale. Bright blue specks of kyanite in a gray-white matrix. These rocks are originally granulite of the Baltica basement, locally transformed to eclogite. From Holsnøy, Norway One of the most confusing samples I have ever found, this rock consists entirely of white kyanite, muscovite and quartz - here pictured on top of a red notebook with a mechanical pencil as scale. The orange colour seems to be iron oxide from the surroundings. Before finding this, I did not know that kyanite could be white! From the Betic Cordillera, Spain.
October 1, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
glacierpique.bsky.social
I’m voting for the indicator mineral #Kyanite and the information it provides about metamorphic temperature and pressure, shown here with its pseudomorphs, Sillimanite and Andalusite.
#MinCup25
Image of a knife-sized blade of Kyanite next to a faceted Kyanite gemstone from mindat’s “Best of “ article, copyright Tony H Gill. Cruciform Andalusite crystals in a brown rock. Image from Wikipedia. Elongate Sillimanite crystals have square cross sections. Image from mindat.org. Copyright F. Kruijen & G. Blass
October 1, 2025 at 12:12 PM
gfun.earth
As a founder member of the Campaign for Real Minerals (CAMRM), there can only be one winner – the one I've actually heard of. Kyanite all the way. #VoteBlue
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Oct 1
#MinCup25 Final: After a month of learning and laughter, we’re at the final match to determine the 2025 Mineral Cup Champion! We have blue blades of #kyanite up against optical magician #tugtupite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
Vote in 2025 Final Match — Mineral Cup
Click here to vote in Kyanite vs Tugtupite Photo credits: John Sobolewski and Parent Géry
www.mineralcup.org
October 1, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
toshokanin.bsky.social
Kyanite has fought long and hard these many years! Let’s get that win so it can retire with honour!
mineralcup.bsky.social Mineral Cup & Ore Cup @mineralcup.bsky.social · Oct 1
#MinCup25 Final: After a month of learning and laughter, we’re at the final match to determine the 2025 Mineral Cup Champion! We have blue blades of #kyanite up against optical magician #tugtupite.

Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r5...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
Vote in 2025 Final Match — Mineral Cup
Click here to vote in Kyanite vs Tugtupite Photo credits: John Sobolewski and Parent Géry
www.mineralcup.org
October 1, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), top Democrat on Senate Commerce Cmte, is out with a Democratic staff report: "The Destruction of NASA's Mission: Whistleblowers Reveal OMB's Unconstitutional Plot to Gut the Agency."
www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...
September 29, 2025 at 2:02 PM
gfun.earth
It's gotta be the metamorphic mineral for me, Clive. Forms under mountains, pressure/temperature indicator, high grade. Also, it's blue. #VoteBlueNoMatterWho #VoteKyanite
September 29, 2025 at 7:29 AM
gfun.earth
Since I love Spiritualized, and since Pure Phase was the first album of theirs I bought, and since it's a perfect title for someone who does InSAR and GNSS, and since they are here in LA, and since Jen got us tickets...
The neon sign of the Orpheum in Los Angeles, announcing: Spiritualized Live Pure Phase Performed live in its entirety The curtain at the Orpheum stage has the design for the album cover projected onto it: Pure Phase Spiritualized Electric Mainline
September 29, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
science.org
NSF today released instructions for the next round of applicants to its Graduate Research Fellowship Program. A key group—second-year Ph.D. students—is no longer eligible, and students who are still able to apply will face an unusually narrow timeframe. https://scim.ag/3KlQkQk
‘Completely shattered.’ Changes to NSF’s graduate student fellowship spur outcry
The announcement comes months later than usual, leaving many would-be applicants stranded
www.science.org
September 26, 2025 at 11:09 PM
gfun.earth
Pulp: "Do you remember the first time?"

Me: "I think it was 1996! Fuck I'm old."
My view of the stage for Pulp at the Hollywood Bowl, up in the gods. You can just about make out Jarvis Cocker on the screens. I think this was during 'Common People'.
September 26, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
davidho.bsky.social
This is amazing.
September 20, 2025 at 10:34 AM
gfun.earth
If this is Thursday, I must be in... Boston?
Picture of the back of one of the scoreboards at Fenway Park in Boston, the home of the Red Sox
September 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
gfun.earth
This is a fantastic affirmation of the high-quality work that the EarthScope staff have been doing for years, and the vision and mission that they and their leaders communicated in the proposal! Congratulations to all involved! Proud to be a part of it!
earthscope.org EarthScope Consortium @earthscope.org · Sep 17
In June 2024, EarthScope Consortium submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to operate the National Geophysical Facility (NGF). We are thrilled to announce that EarthScope has been selected as the operator of NSF NGF.

➡️ https://loom.ly/gfaXxQ8
Graphic announcing EarthScope Consortium as operator of the NSF National Geophysical Facility
September 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
earthscope.org
In June 2024, EarthScope Consortium submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to operate the National Geophysical Facility (NGF). We are thrilled to announce that EarthScope has been selected as the operator of NSF NGF.

➡️ https://loom.ly/gfaXxQ8
Graphic announcing EarthScope Consortium as operator of the NSF National Geophysical Facility
September 17, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Reposted by Gareth Funning
wgrover.bsky.social
❤️❤️❤️ these posters in the Geology building at UC Riverside ❤️❤️❤️

Seriously, why aren't we putting messages like these everywhere? I'd happily chip in some pro-NSF and pro-NIH billboards? 🧪
The internet is the greatest single scientific innovation of the 20th century Brought to you by NSF NSF Funds Supercomputing Facilities Bringing You: Weather Forecasts Heat Advisories NSF and NASA Maintain GPS Satelites Bringing You: Navigation Apps NSF Funds Supercomputing Facilities Bringing You: Surf Forecasts Severe Weather Alerts
September 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM