Ramon Arrowsmith
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Phone: 480-965-3541
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ASU Tempe Campus, School of Earth and Space Exploration Office 773, ISTB4 - BLDG75 781 E Terrace Road TEMPE, AZ 85287-6004
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Mail code: 6004Campus: Tempe
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Ramon Arrowsmith has been at Arizona State University since 1995 where he teaches field geology, structural geology, geomorphology, and computers in earth and space exploration. He has more than 35 years experience studying the earthquake geology, paleoseismology, and geomorphology of fault zones and publishing about their history of activity and hazards. He is cofounder and co-PI of the OpenTopography effort—a portal to the largest collection of freely available high resolution topography data (http://www.opentopography.org/).
He has lead many short courses, workshops, and visioning activities emphasizing high resolution topographic data and tectonic geomorphology. He and his students research on active faulting, earthquake geology, tectonic geomorphology, and the geologic framework for human origins. He has held a number of administrative positions in the ASU School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) including associate chair (of Geological Sciences Department), associate director of graduate studies and Deputy Director for SESE. He is also Institute of Human Origins Research Affiliate, Arizona State University (2023–Present).
- Ph.D. Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, 1995, supervised by David D. Pollard. Dissertation title: ``Coupled Tectonic Deformation and Geomorphic Degradation along the San Andreas Fault System.''
- B.S. Geology and Spanish (Summa Cum Laude), Whittier College, 1989, supervised by Dallas D. Rhodes. Senior Thesis: ``Geomorphic Responses in Ephemeral Channels to Strike-slip Faulting along the San Andreas Fault, Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California.''
I am interested in in earthquake geology, paleoseismology, and geomorphology of fault zones and publishing about their history of activity and hazards. I am cofounder and coPI of the OpenTopography effort—a portal to the largest collection of freely available high resolution topography data (http://www.opentopography.org/). My students and i do research on active faulting, earthquake geology, tectonic geomorphology, and the geologic framework for human origins.
A few recent publications (*STUDENT COAUTHOR):
Kim*, J., Cave, S., Arrowsmith, J R., Clarke, A. B., Roggensack, K., Semken, S., Controls on low shield-forming eruptive behavior: A case study of Sentinel-Arlington Volcanic Field (USA), USGS Professional Paper on Distributed Volcanic Centers, in press, 2024.
Adam*, R., Scott, C. P., Arrowsmith, J R., Reano, D., Madugo, C., Koehler, R., Zuckerman*, M., Gray, B., Kozaci, O., Gonzalez, T., AbramsonWard, H., Rockwell, T., Gath, E., Kottke, A., Leuchter, E., A systematic approach to map tectonic faults and document supporting geomorphology, https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02767.1, Geosphere, 2025.
Patyniak*, M., Landgraf, A., Dzhumabaeva, A., Baikulov, S., Williams*, A. M., Preusser, F., Abdrakhmatov, K., Arrowsmith, J R., Strecker, M. R., Surface Rupture of the 2008 Mw 6.6 Nura Earthquake: Triggered Flexural-Slip Faulting in the Pamir-Tien Shan Collision Zone, Tectonics, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024TC008360, 2024.
Scott, C. P., Kottke, A., Madugo, C., Arrowsmith, J R., Adam*, R., Zuckerman*, M., Tectonic landform and lithologic age impact uncertainties in fault displacement hazard models, Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL109145. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL109145, 2024.
Walker, R., Abdrakhmatov, K., Arrowsmith, J R., Elliott, J., Grutzner, C., Mukambayev, A., Rizza, M., Weldon, R., Wilkinson, R., Shnizai, Z., Urgent need for greater earthquake resilience in continental Asia, Nature Geoscience, 2024.
Courses
2026 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| GLG 451 | Field Geology I |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
| MAE 593 | Applied Project |
| SES 493 | Honors Thesis |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 401 | SESE Colloquium |
| SES 501 | SESE Colloquium |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 401 | SESE Colloquium |
| SES 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| SES 792 | Research |
2025 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| GLG 451 | Field Geology I |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
| MAE 593 | Applied Project |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| GLG 455 | Advanced Field Geology |
| GLG 598 | Special Topics |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
2024 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 795 | Continuing Registration |
2023 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| GLG 451 | Field Geology I |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 598 | Special Topics |
| SES 494 | Special Topics |
| SES 592 | Research |
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 592 | Research |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| GLG 451 | Field Geology I |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
| GLG 494 | Special Topics |
| GLG 598 | Special Topics |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 592 | Research |
2021 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
| SES 595 | Continuing Registration |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| GLG 451 | Field Geology I |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 692 | Research |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 599 | Thesis |
| SES 592 | Research |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| GLG 591 | Seminar |
| SES 792 | Research |
| SES 799 | Dissertation |
| SES 592 | Research |
| SES 692 | Research |
| GLG 494 | Special Topics |
| GLG 598 | Special Topics |
- Open Science Recognition Prize (for OpenTopography along with 3 other PIs), American Geophysical Union, 2023
- Faculty Service Achievement Award, Arizona State University Founders' Day, 2022
- Paul G. Silver Award for Outstanding Scientific Service, American Geophysical Union Geodesy, Seismology, and Tectonophysics Sections, 2020
- Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Undergraduate Professor of the Year (from students) 2013
- Fellow, Geological Society of America 2009
- Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Graduate Professor of the Year (from students) 2008
- Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Undergraduate Professor of the Year (from students) 2007
- Arizona State University Geological Sciences Department Faculty Appreciation award (from students) 2005
- Arizona State University Geology Department Excellence in Teaching award 1996 (shared with S. Reynolds)
- American Geophysical Union
- Geological Society of America
- Seismological Society of America
State of Arizona Registered Professional Geologist # 74181
- 2025-Present Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC), Member and National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (SESAC subcommittee), Chair (appointed by Director of US Geological Survey)
- 2020-2022 Member, US National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for Geosciences (AC-GEO; https://www.nsf.gov/geo/advisory.jsp)
- 2019-present Chair, Arizona Seismic Safety Advisory Council
- 2018-2024Southern California Earthquake Center Planning Committee member (SAFS)
- 2015-2016 NASA Strategic planning committee member for the NASA Earth Surface and Interior (ESI) Focus Area
- 2014-2018 UNAVCO Nominating committee
- 2007-2017National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council (appointed by Director of US Geological Survey)
- 2011-2016 Southern California Earthquake Center Planning Committee (SoSAFE)
- 2006-present Arizona Land Subsidence Group member
- 2008-2014 Committee on Seismology and Geodynamics, a standing committee within the National Research Council's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
- 2011-2015 EarthScope Steering Committee chairman
- 2011-2015 EarthScope National Office Director
- 2013 Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Seismic Hazard Review (SSHAC level 3) Resource Expert
- 2010-2013 Scientific Review Panel, Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast 3