Brief introduction of Prof. Larry D. Brown

Larry Brown is a geophysicist who works with both active and passive source seismic data to understand regions of active mountain growth and lithospheric structure of former super continents. He is particularly interested in the potential of 3D and 4D seismic methods for detailing, and perhaps even monitoring, physical characteristics at seismogenic depths. Likewise, the integration of so-called “controlled source” techniques (e.g., reflection and refraction profiling) with “passive” recording of both local and distant earthquakes is of interest. Finally, he also uses high resolution shallow imaging with acoustic sources and ground penetrating radar to study a variety of archeological and environmental problems. In addition to planning and carrying out in field surveys, his group is also engaged in modeling the seismic response of possible earthquake fault configurations/properties using both 2D and 3D ray tracing software. He has worked in Tibet, Taiwan, Central America, Japan, Nepal, India, Russia, and the United States. He has published research papers in the international journals including Science, Geology, Tectonics and GSA Bulletin.

Report Title: The Frontiers of Reflection Seismology: Crustal Structure, Earthquakes and Mineral Deposits

Abstract: A 1-day workshop on Himalayan tectonics, with an emphasis on genesis of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and its regional deep structures resulted from previous geophysical research and plans for international cooperation research. Prof. Brown presented a series of interactive lectures including outstanding problems in the research of Himalayan seismogenic zone, seismogenic zones at subduction margins and the seismogenic zone in Mongolia, also he introduced their new progress in passive source seismic reflection techniques, which has great applications in seismic reflection imaging, especially in places where is not easy to generate wave sources. Larry Brown also showed his interests in identifying mineral deposits from seismic results. Students were interested in his talk and discussed many questions with him.