David Okaya

David Okaya is an Associate Professor (Research) of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on structural seismology, subduction zone processes, and crustal anisotropy, with fieldwork in Taiwan, New Zealand, and the Pacific region. He has led major international projects like the TAIGER (Taiwan Arc-Collision Experiment) and SHIRE (Seismogenesis Hikurangi Integrated Research Experiment) initiatives, integrating seismic, geophysical, and geological data.

Education: B.A. in Geology & Geophysics (Princeton University), M.S. and Ph.D. in Geophysics (Stanford University).

Research Interests: Okaya’s work spans seismic imaging of plate boundaries, crustal anisotropy mechanisms, and thermal modeling of magmatic systems. Key areas include the Hikurangi Subduction Zone (New Zealand), Taiwan’s collision zone, and the Alpine Fault (South Island, New Zealand). He pioneered double-sided onshore-offshore seismic profiling techniques to map crustal structure across plate boundaries.

Publications: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles, including seminal work on seismic anisotropy, subduction zone dynamics, and crustal deformation. Recent focus on the Hikurangi margin’s seismic structure and megathrust slip behavior.

Awards: 1995 Fellow of the Geological Society of America.

Fieldwork & Grants: Principal investigator for NSF-funded projects (e.g., SAHKE, SHIRE) and international collaborations with GNS Science (New Zealand), National Central University (Taiwan), and others. Extensive field experience in seismic experiments, including dynamite profiling in Taiwan and New Zealand.

Labs/Teams: Core member of the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) and contributor to the Community Modeling Environment, advancing physics-based seismic hazard analysis.