What do you do?
I study how continents deform. I'm particularly interested in how major (~1000 km long) fault systems form, evolve, and die during continental collision. To get a complete view I study both bedrock and active deformation, where the first reflects tens of millions of years of history while the second spans only a few to several hundred thousand years. I'm currently working on the spectacular zones of deformation produced by the collision of Asia with the Arabian and Indian continents. Now is a particularly good time to be working on this problem because of recent advances in thermochronology and remote sensing. My primary tools are regional mapping, using both field observations and satellite imagery, and a variety of analytical methods that allow me to understand when structures were active and how quickly they moved.

Why should the general public be interested in what you do?
The most direct reason is because sudden motion along faults is what produces earthquakes. In 1988 an earthquake in the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone killed over 25,000 people, but we still don't know where most of the active structures are in this region -or in many other similar areas around the world. To evaluate the risks associated with active structures we must understand their locations and 3D geometries, along with the rates at which they are moving. But it's also important to have a longer-term understanding of how continents deform because this view provides important insights into the short-term interactions and evolution of active fault systems.

Why does it interest you?
I grew up in Minnesota where most rocks are flat and well-behaved and the earth never moves on its own, at least not noticeably anyway. I guess I've never really recovered from the shock and confusion of seeing intensely deformed rocks and wondering what happened to them. Also, I love the way that structural field mapping is simultaneously mentally and physically challenging. It's kind of like trying to solve a math problem, paint a portrait, and run a trail race all at the same time. I've never found anything else quite like it.

What major advances/discoveries have occurred in your research field over the last 10 years?
One major discovery has been the recognition that how mountains erode plays a critical role in how they form. A second important advance is our improved ability to measure the rates of deformation at a wide variety of timescales, from seconds to millions of years. One thing we're increasingly finding is that the rates at which faults move seem to vary substantially over time. Now the trick is to understand why these rates are so variable, and that's why I look at both short-term (active) deformation and long-term (bedrock) structures.