From 2000 to 2019, earthquakes claimed 721,318 lives, which account for 58% of death tolls caused by natural hazards (UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). If we can reliably forecast strong ground shaking during future catastrophic earthquakes, we can save lives. Despite the potential benefits, accurate prediction of earthquake ground shaking remains elusive. One of the major roadblocks is our inability to accurately predict the profound modification (e.g., amplification) of the Earth's near-surface structure (i.e., the top few hundred meters of the crust) to the seismic waves that travel through it - known as “site effects”.

I specialize in the characterization of earthquake site effects. My research interests include:

• Site-effects characterization via observation, classic statistical modelling,  physics-based simulations, and advanced data-driven methods,
• Inversion of near- and sub-surface properties (e.g., using microtremor or seismicity data),
• Uncertainty/variability quantification,
• Site classification,
• Signal processing, and
• Database development.

For detailed information on my research, please visit my personal website: www.chuanbinzhu.com 

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Spectral decomposition of ground motions in New Zealand using the generalized inversion technique, Zhu, C., Bora, S., Bradley, B., Bindi, D. 9 May 2024, In: Geophysical Journal International
• The 2023 New Zealand Ground-Motion Database, Hutchinson, J., Zhu, C., Bradley, B., Lee, R., Wotherspoon, L., Dupuis, M., Schill, C., Motha, ., Manea, ., Kaiser, A. 1 Feb 2024, In: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
• Complementary Dense Datasets Acquired in a Low-to-Moderate Seismicity Area for Characterizing Site Effects: Application in the French Rhône Valley, Froment, B., Olivar-Castaño, A., Ohrnberger, M., Gisselbrecht, L., Hannemann, K., Cushing, E., Boué, P., Gélis, C., Haendel, A., Pilz, M., Hillmann, L., Barbaux, O., Beauprêtre, S., Bouzat, G., Chaljub, E., Cotton, F., Lavoué, F., Stehly, L., Zhu, C., Magnin, O., Métral, L., Mordret, A., Richet, Y., Tourette, A. 1 Jan 2023, In: Seismological Research Letters
• How well can we predict earthquake site response so far? Machine learning vs physics-based modeling, Zhu, C., Cotton, F., Kawase, H., Nakano, K. 1 Feb 2023, In: Earthquake Spectra
• Separating broad-band site response from single-station seismograms, Zhu, C., Cotton, F., Kawase, H., Bradley, B. 1 Sep 2023, In: Geophysical Journal International
• Site classification using deep-learning-based image recognition techniques, Ji, K., Zhu, C., Yaghmaei-Sabegh, S., Lu, J., Ren, Y., Wen, R. 10 Jul 2023, In: Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics
• Deriving Site Effect‐Free Hard‐Rock Time Histories in Japan from the Generalized Inversion Technique, Pilz, M., Cotton, F., Zhu, C., Nakano, K., Kawase, H. 1 Apr 2022, In: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
• How much are sites affected by 2-D and 3-D site effects? A study based on single-station earthquake records and implications for ground motion modelling, Pilz, M., Cotton, F., Zhu, C. 1 Mar 2022, In: Geophysical Journal International
• How well can we predict earthquake site response so far? Site-specific approaches, Zhu, C., Cotton, F., Kawase, H., Haendel, A., Pilz, M., Nakano, K. 1 May 2022, In: Earthquake Spectra
• Within-Site Variability in Earthquake Site Response, Zhu, C., Cotton, F., Kwak, ., Ji, K., Kawase, H., Pilz, M. 1 May 2022, In: Geophysical Journal International

I am particularly interested in applying disruptive techniques, e.g., deep learning, in science discovery and problem-solving in engineering seismology.

Please feel encouraged to contact me if you are interested in research or knowledge exchange collaborations, or in pursuing a research degree under my supervision.

• Civil Engineering PhD July 24 2018
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
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