I am a PhD candidate at Indiana University working on active tectonics and crustal deformation modeling. My work integrates geodetic data with analytical and numerical models to study the partitioning of deformation between faults and the surrounding crust throughout the earthquake cycle, as well as the influence of transient viscoelastic mantle flow on surface strain rates.
Research interests
Earthquake-cycle deformation
How transient is the deformation observed between earthquakes?
What role do mantle processes play in driving present-day surface deformation?
How much deformation occurs off-fault throughout the earthquake cycle? Is it primarily elastic or inelastic, and what are the implications for seismic hazard?
Is the relative contribution of off-fault deformation lower around mature fault systems than around complex fault zones?
The Alpine-Himalayan belt is one of Earth’s most dynamic and complex regions, characterized by intense tectonic deformation and seismicity. Comprehensive analyses of continental-scale crustal deformation and seismic hazards along this extensive orogenic belt require the compilation of large geodetic data sets. In this study, we integrate 42 published Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) velocity fields, building an internally consistent data set for the entire belt, spanning from Iberia to Southeast Asia and comprising 11,177 horizontal and 3,940 vertical velocities. We use this unified GNSS velocity field to estimate surface strain rates and their posterior uncertainties in the eastern Mediterranean region and the India-Asia collision zone. Our results show large-scale agreement between the orientation and style of geodetic and seismic strain rate tensors across the belt. Additionally, our analyses substantiate previously documented azimuthal alignments between principal strain rate directions and seismic anisotropy orientations, often used as a proxy for finite strain in the convecting mantle. These correlations are particularly apparent in the Aegean, North Anatolia, Tibet, Tian Shan, Altai, Sayan, and Baikal regions, underscoring the need for future research on the relationship between mantle flow and lithospheric deformation.
@article{castroperdomo2025,title={Strain rates along the Alpine-Himalayan belt from a comprehensive GNSS velocity field},author={Castro-Perdomo, Nicol{\'a}s and J{\'o}nsson, Sigurj{\'o}n and Klinger, Yann and Masson, Frederic and Becker, Thorsten Wolfgang and Johnson, Kaj},journal={Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth},volume={130},issue={12},year={2025},publisher={Wiley Online Library},doi={10.1029/2025JB031738},url={https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JB031738},dimensions={true},}
