Susan Beck
Susan is a professor specializing in global seismology and tectonics. Her research uses broadband seismology to investigate mountain belts, subduction zones, and earthquakes, with a particular focus on the evolution of the North and South American Cordilleras and the tectonics of Anatolia.
She leads the Global Seismology and Tectonics Group, directing and collaborating on large-scale international projects that combine field deployments, seismic imaging, and geodynamic modeling. Her work spans diverse tectonic settings, advancing understanding of convergent orogenic systems, mantle structure, and continental deformation.
Her research projects include:
- Ecuador Ramp
- Multi-scale Imaging of Modern Orogenic South America (MIMOSA)
- Subduction Dynamics, Mantle Structure, and Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of South America
- Central Anatolian Tectonics (CDCAT)
- Central Andes Uplift and Geodynamics of High Plateaus (CAUGHT)
- Peru Flat Slab (PULSE)
- International Maule Aftershock Deployment (IMAD)
- Convergent Orogenic Systems Analysis – Seismology
- Argentina Flat Slab (SIEMBRA)
- North Anatolia Fault, Turkey (NAF)
- LaBarge (Wyoming) Seismic Project
Through her research, she seeks to deepen understanding of Earth’s dynamic processes—from the deep mantle to the surface—while shedding light on the mechanisms that drive earthquakes, shape mountains, and influence global tectonics.