Kevin Brown

Kevin Brown is a Professor in the Geosciences Research Division at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego. His research spans hydrogeology, seismology, and earthquake physics, with a strong focus on rock mechanics and fault zone processes.

His research interests include:

• Nanofilm interactions in fault zones and their role in frictional behavior
• High-speed friction and direct shear experiments in rock mechanics
• Theoretical models of earthquake initiation and propagation, particularly slow and fast earthquakes
• Marine hydrology and fluid flow in subduction zones, including Costa Rica and Nankai
• Development of ocean-based instrumentation for measuring seabed fluid fluxes
• Poro-elastic responses of crustal materials to tectonic loading

His work integrates laboratory experiments with field observations and numerical modeling to understand the physical and chemical processes governing fault behavior. He has contributed to long-term ocean observatory projects and developed osmotically driven flux meters to measure low-rate fluid flow in marine sediments. These systems have been deployed in ocean bottom seismometers to correlate fluid pulses with seismic tremor and slow slip events.

Professor Brown has led investigations showing that downward fluid pulsing on the incoming plate can precede large normal earthquakes, and that seismic tremor correlates with transient fluid flow at subduction margins. His research provides critical insights into the coupling between fluid dynamics and seismicity in tectonically active regions.

He received his B.S. from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and his Ph.D. from the University of Durham, England.

He advises graduate students in geophysics and related fields and leads the Brown Lab at Scripps, which focuses on experimental and theoretical aspects of fault mechanics. His team develops novel instrumentation for marine geohydrology and conducts high-pressure, high-speed friction experiments to simulate earthquake conditions.