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Harold Tobin

(he/him)
Professor of Seismology and Geohazards, University of Washington

Harold Tobin holds the Paros Endowed Chair in Seismology and Geohazards in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at University of Washington, where he is the Director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. He is also the designated Washington State Seismologist. His research involves the study of tectonic plate boundaries with a focus on how faults work and the conditions inside them that lead to earthquakes. He focuses particularly on subduction zones, where the planet’s largest earthquakes and tsunamis take place. Tobin’s research has taken place in Japan, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Alaska, and Barbados, as well as onshore and offshore the PAcifc Northwest. He is an international leader in scientific applications of deep drilling to study faults from within.

Experience

  • –present
    Professor of Seismology and Geohazards, University of Washington