Yang Shen

Yang Shen is a Professor of Oceanography in the Marine Geology and Geophysics department at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). His career spans decades of seismic research, focusing on critical areas like subduction zones, volcanic activity, and nuclear explosion monitoring through advanced computational methods and full-wave tomography. He emphasizes societal impact, collaborating globally on seismic hazards and instrumentation for earthquake preparedness.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Geophysics, Brown University
  • M.Sc. in Geophysics, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • B.Sc. in Tectonics and Geophysics, Nanjing University

Shen's research explores seismic structures of Earth's mantle, volcanic rift zones in Hawaii, and tectonic collisions in Tibet. His work bridges high-performance computing with geophysics to model 3D Earth structures and predict ground-shaking patterns for urban planning. He actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students, particularly those skilled in math, physics, or computer science.

Current projects involve the Cascadia Subduction Zone (with USGS), the Galapagos Islands' ocean-bottom seismometer deployments, and nuclear test detection methods. His lab collaborates with institutions like Caltech, University of Utah, and Rice University. Shen advocates for cutting-edge technology in seismology, including an NSF-funded high-performance computer to expand research capabilities across disciplines.

Labs/Teams: Leads the URI Seismology Lab, a global leader in full-wave tomography. Deploys seismometers in remote regions like the East Pacific Rise, Iceland, and Solomon Islands.