Stephen Hicks
@seismo-steve.bsky.social
Seismologist.
NERC Independent Research Fellow and Lecturer at University College London (UCL).
https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/89579-stephen-hicks
NERC Independent Research Fellow and Lecturer at University College London (UCL).
https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/89579-stephen-hicks
Pinned
Back from parental leave, deleted my Twitter account, and ready to engage with BlueSky!
Some personal news: I’m pleased to say that I’m starting a new job as NERC Independent Research Fellow and Lecturer in Environmental Seismology at University College London (UCL).
Finally, a permanent job!
Some personal news: I’m pleased to say that I’m starting a new job as NERC Independent Research Fellow and Lecturer in Environmental Seismology at University College London (UCL).
Finally, a permanent job!
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
New! We study the disruptive 2025 earthquake unrest near #Santorini using machine-learning derived seismicity as virtual stress meters at depth. We show the unrest was due to a magma dike intrusion, imaging in detail a complex, rebounding process of dike propagation.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The 2025 Santorini unrest unveiled: Rebounding magmatic dike intrusion with triggered seismicity
Magmatic intrusion in Earth’s crust can lead to hazardous volcanic eruptions, but the physical processes involved remain largely hidden from direct observation. We used machine learning–derived seismi...
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:32 AM
New! We study the disruptive 2025 earthquake unrest near #Santorini using machine-learning derived seismicity as virtual stress meters at depth. We show the unrest was due to a magma dike intrusion, imaging in detail a complex, rebounding process of dike propagation.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Love it when a plan comes together, and quickly.
The greatest part about doing science is working with great people. If you’re in this skeet, you’ll know it. 🧪⚒️
September 24, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Love it when a plan comes together, and quickly.
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
A longer sonification with slower sound rate factor (1000) gives a clearer and more detailed impression of the evolution of the "drumbeat" seismicity, which continues with increasing frequency right up to the largeest (landslide failure?) signal, but not after.
August 14, 2025 at 1:48 PM
A longer sonification with slower sound rate factor (1000) gives a clearer and more detailed impression of the evolution of the "drumbeat" seismicity, which continues with increasing frequency right up to the largeest (landslide failure?) signal, but not after.
The massive landslide + tsunami in Alaska on Sunday (10 August; earthquake.alaska.edu/major-landsl...) has sent seismic waves all around the world. Body waves visible up to 90°, and surface waves beyond. Record section of Z-component seismic recordings from GSN stations filtered between 25 & 100 s 👇
August 14, 2025 at 10:58 AM
The massive landslide + tsunami in Alaska on Sunday (10 August; earthquake.alaska.edu/major-landsl...) has sent seismic waves all around the world. Body waves visible up to 90°, and surface waves beyond. Record section of Z-component seismic recordings from GSN stations filtered between 25 & 100 s 👇
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
Crazy (horizontal) runup from the large landslide into Tracy Arm fjord, SE Alaska. This is 20 km out the fjord and the wave reached up to 400 m into this side valley. notice how the vegetation was only wetted for the most part (pixels still red) and only the mouth of the river is destroyed.
August 14, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Crazy (horizontal) runup from the large landslide into Tracy Arm fjord, SE Alaska. This is 20 km out the fjord and the wave reached up to 400 m into this side valley. notice how the vegetation was only wetted for the most part (pixels still red) and only the mouth of the river is destroyed.
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
The first Seafloor Explorer seminar on June 17th, 15.00 BST, will cover “Recent expedition reports from Santorini”.
Speakers: Jonas Preine (WHOI, US), Michele Paulette (Imperial College London, UK) and Jens Karstens (GEOMAR, DE).
Registration info: seafloor-explorer.github.io/seafloor/sem...
Speakers: Jonas Preine (WHOI, US), Michele Paulette (Imperial College London, UK) and Jens Karstens (GEOMAR, DE).
Registration info: seafloor-explorer.github.io/seafloor/sem...
Seminar 1 | Seafloor Explorer
Seminar 1
seafloor-explorer.github.io
June 3, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The first Seafloor Explorer seminar on June 17th, 15.00 BST, will cover “Recent expedition reports from Santorini”.
Speakers: Jonas Preine (WHOI, US), Michele Paulette (Imperial College London, UK) and Jens Karstens (GEOMAR, DE).
Registration info: seafloor-explorer.github.io/seafloor/sem...
Speakers: Jonas Preine (WHOI, US), Michele Paulette (Imperial College London, UK) and Jens Karstens (GEOMAR, DE).
Registration info: seafloor-explorer.github.io/seafloor/sem...
We're pleased to announce the Seafloor Explorer online seminar series on marine geoscience. The seminars will be on the 3rd Tues of each month. The 1st will be on June 17th 2025 @ 1500 BST, and will on recent unrest at Santorini.
All info, sign-up & speaker suggestions: seafloor-explorer.github.io
All info, sign-up & speaker suggestions: seafloor-explorer.github.io
Seafloor Explorer | Online Seminar Series
Seminar series focused on ocean tectonics - geophysics, geochemistry, geology - and associated bio-geological processes.
seafloor-explorer.github.io
June 5, 2025 at 2:12 PM
We're pleased to announce the Seafloor Explorer online seminar series on marine geoscience. The seminars will be on the 3rd Tues of each month. The 1st will be on June 17th 2025 @ 1500 BST, and will on recent unrest at Santorini.
All info, sign-up & speaker suggestions: seafloor-explorer.github.io
All info, sign-up & speaker suggestions: seafloor-explorer.github.io
Cool to see this paper out that uses a NASA SWOT altimeter to observe the 9-day water sloshing in Greenland triggered by a landslide tsunami that sent seismic waves around the world. A great effort that independently backs-up & substantially builds upon our prev work
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Observations of the seiche that shook the world - Nature Communications
The Surface Water Ocean Topography mission observed week-long earth-shaking waves formed by landslide-induced tsunamis in an East Greenland fjord. Connecting these observations with seismic data confi...
www.nature.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Cool to see this paper out that uses a NASA SWOT altimeter to observe the 9-day water sloshing in Greenland triggered by a landslide tsunami that sent seismic waves around the world. A great effort that independently backs-up & substantially builds upon our prev work
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nice to see our Greenland seismic-seiche paper still getting some attention :)
OK, this is wild.
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
May 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Nice to see our Greenland seismic-seiche paper still getting some attention :)
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
Amazing - I think this may be the only footage in existence of real-time slip on a fault.
⚒️ 🧪
⚒️ 🧪
This is mind-blowing! I have never seen footage of the slip that occurs during an earthquake! Here you see the slip that occurred during the Myanmar earthquake. 🤯
www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ub...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ub...
First fault rupture ever filmed. M7.9 surface rupture filmed near Thazi, Myanmar
YouTube video by 2025 Sagaing Earthquake Archive
www.youtube.com
May 12, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Amazing - I think this may be the only footage in existence of real-time slip on a fault.
⚒️ 🧪
⚒️ 🧪
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
This morning's M6 Istanbul earthquake was preceded by a M3.9 foreshock ~35 minutes before
deprem.afad.gov.tr/last-earthqu...
deprem.afad.gov.tr/last-earthqu...
April 23, 2025 at 10:52 AM
This morning's M6 Istanbul earthquake was preceded by a M3.9 foreshock ~35 minutes before
deprem.afad.gov.tr/last-earthqu...
deprem.afad.gov.tr/last-earthqu...
Detecting whales in the Atlantic Ocean using on-land seismometers in Ireland, including low-cost RaspberryShake sensors. Very cool! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Fin whale song recordings by onshore seismometers open new horizons for cetacean coastal monitoring - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Fin whale song recordings by onshore seismometers open new horizons for cetacean coastal monitoring
www.nature.com
April 23, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Detecting whales in the Atlantic Ocean using on-land seismometers in Ireland, including low-cost RaspberryShake sensors. Very cool! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Who says reviewers can't find the time these days? 😀
#AcademicHeresy
#AcademicHeresy
Amazing reviews (very detailed and super-useful) on a manuscript sent 3 months ago. Worth any moment of waiting when we know now that the study will be stronger after considering those independent points of views.
Thanks for your time community! We must protect the peer-review system.
Thanks for your time community! We must protect the peer-review system.
April 11, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Who says reviewers can't find the time these days? 😀
#AcademicHeresy
#AcademicHeresy
M6.9 strike-slip quake just now on the active transform fault part of the Charlie Gibbs fracture zone in the N. Atlantic. M~7 is the typical max magnitude of ocean transform events. The active Charlie-Gibbs fault is ~150 km long - a decent portion likely ruptured. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
April 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
M6.9 strike-slip quake just now on the active transform fault part of the Charlie Gibbs fracture zone in the N. Atlantic. M~7 is the typical max magnitude of ocean transform events. The active Charlie-Gibbs fault is ~150 km long - a decent portion likely ruptured. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
Wow!!!!!! Looks like it's the longest recorded surface rupture, surpassing the Mw 7.8 2001 Kunlun earthquake
Update: Preliminary coseismic displacements of 2025 Myanmar earthquake from @CopernicusEU @ESA #Sentinel2 images by using #CosiCorr, processed by @NTU_TW GEOG
#Copernicus
1. Rupture propagated from N to S
2. Max. offset >4m
3. Rupture length ~500km
#Copernicus
1. Rupture propagated from N to S
2. Max. offset >4m
3. Rupture length ~500km
April 1, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Wow!!!!!! Looks like it's the longest recorded surface rupture, surpassing the Mw 7.8 2001 Kunlun earthquake
Reposted by Stephen Hicks
The descending interferogram from Sentinel-1 (20250319-20250331) suggests that the earthquake rupture extends to 18.7 degrees and may have reached further south. More data in the next few days will reveal the full length of the rupture from this devastating earthquake.
April 1, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The descending interferogram from Sentinel-1 (20250319-20250331) suggests that the earthquake rupture extends to 18.7 degrees and may have reached further south. More data in the next few days will reveal the full length of the rupture from this devastating earthquake.
Reykjanes peninsula, SW Iceland - new fissure eruption is underway www.youtube.com/watch?v=faH3...
April 1, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reykjanes peninsula, SW Iceland - new fissure eruption is underway www.youtube.com/watch?v=faH3...
BSky hivemind: does anyone know how to plot faults (e.g., with triangular ticks for thrust fronts - like the white line in the map below) with Python/Matplotlib? I know I could do this with PyGMT but I'm trying to work with "raw" figure axes from Matplotlib.
April 1, 2025 at 9:45 AM
BSky hivemind: does anyone know how to plot faults (e.g., with triangular ticks for thrust fronts - like the white line in the map below) with Python/Matplotlib? I know I could do this with PyGMT but I'm trying to work with "raw" figure axes from Matplotlib.
Friday's M7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar earthquake - do we need to rethink earthquake hazard models? A little summary and discussion - hopefully in relative simple terms - by me, over on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/sphick...
Friday's M7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar earthquake - do we need to rethink… | Stephen Hicks
Friday's M7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar earthquake - do we need to rethink earthquake hazard models?
Hours after Friday's earthquake, media reports focussed on the…
www.linkedin.com
March 31, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Friday's M7.7 Mandalay, Myanmar earthquake - do we need to rethink earthquake hazard models? A little summary and discussion - hopefully in relative simple terms - by me, over on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/posts/sphick...
Horrendous. These poor people.
March 29, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Horrendous. These poor people.
Oooof. A massive earthquake at shallow depth pretty much right beneath Mandalay - Myanmar’s second largest city - that has a population of 1.6 million people. This country has gone through so much terrible upheaval over recent years - today’s earthquake could well be catastrophic
Magnitude : 7.7
Region: *Myanmar*
Time: 2025-03-28 06:20:56 UTC
Epicenter : 95.85°E 21.89°N
Depth: 24 km
*First posted at: 06:28 UTC*
https://geofon.gfz-potsdam.de/eqexplorer/events/gfz2025gbpv/general
##GEOFON ##GFZ ##earthquake ##magnitude
Region: *Myanmar*
Time: 2025-03-28 06:20:56 UTC
Epicenter : 95.85°E 21.89°N
Depth: 24 km
*First posted at: 06:28 UTC*
https://geofon.gfz-potsdam.de/eqexplorer/events/gfz2025gbpv/general
##GEOFON ##GFZ ##earthquake ##magnitude
March 28, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Oooof. A massive earthquake at shallow depth pretty much right beneath Mandalay - Myanmar’s second largest city - that has a population of 1.6 million people. This country has gone through so much terrible upheaval over recent years - today’s earthquake could well be catastrophic
Last week, we welcomed >50 UK & international researchers to UCL Earth Sciences and Royal Astronomical Society in London to discuss recent technological and scientific advances in ocean-bottom geophysics and seismology, and to make plans to densely instrument the Atlantic Ocean. Thx to all sponsors!
March 17, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Last week, we welcomed >50 UK & international researchers to UCL Earth Sciences and Royal Astronomical Society in London to discuss recent technological and scientific advances in ocean-bottom geophysics and seismology, and to make plans to densely instrument the Atlantic Ocean. Thx to all sponsors!
Your last chance to register for our Ocean Bottom Geophysics meeting on Friday at the Royal Astronomical Society, London. We have an exciting lineup of presentations. You can also join our meeting online.
Tickets only £17 for in-person attendance and £6 online - a bargain!
ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...
Tickets only £17 for in-person attendance and £6 online - a bargain!
ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...
Ocean Bottom Geophysics: Progress and Perspectives
RAS Meetings | Friday, 14 of March 2025 - 10:30 | Ocean Bottom Geophysics: Progress and Perspectives
ras.ac.uk
March 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Your last chance to register for our Ocean Bottom Geophysics meeting on Friday at the Royal Astronomical Society, London. We have an exciting lineup of presentations. You can also join our meeting online.
Tickets only £17 for in-person attendance and £6 online - a bargain!
ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...
Tickets only £17 for in-person attendance and £6 online - a bargain!
ras.ac.uk/events-and-m...
In lighter news, I had no idea there was a mineral in Earth’s mantle called Dave (… sort of)
March 6, 2025 at 8:18 AM
In lighter news, I had no idea there was a mineral in Earth’s mantle called Dave (… sort of)