Hao Zhang

A

There are more things in heaven and earth
than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Photo @ Death Valley

About

Biography

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Seismological Laboratory at Caltech. I received my Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Southern California in 2025. Before joining USC, I worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, from 2020 to 2021. I earned my B.Sc. in Geophysics from Peking University in 2020.

Research Interests

As an observational geophysicist, my research interests span from the shallowest crust to the deepest inner core. My current work centers on investigating earthquake source properties and exploring heterogeneities within the Earth, and I am expanding my expertise to include polar environments and other terrestrial planets. Although I believe the first principle of seismology is to read seismograms, I also value insights from modeling and laboratory experiments. By integrating diverse observational datasets with theoretical frameworks and computational tools, I aim to uncover new insights into the interplay between seismic processes and Earth’s complex structure and dynamics.

Dinner with Heidi, John, Yehuda and Tom after my PhD defense

News

  • 06/2025 I start my new position as a postdoctoral scholar research associate at Caltech.
  • 04/2025 I successfully defended my Ph.D. thesis!
  • 04/2025 I have started my service on the AGU Seismology Session Early Career Subcommittee
  • 01/2025 I received postdoc fellowships from both SeismoLab at Caltech and IGPP, UCSD
  • 12/2024 My paper Aftershocks on the planar rupture surface of the deep-focus Mw 7.9 Bonin Islands earthquake is accepted by TSR and reported by SSA

Resume

CV [PDF]

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences

2021 - 2025

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

  • Advisors: John E. Vidale & Yehuda Ben-Zion
  • Dissertation: Dynamics and Structure of Subduction Zones Unveiled through Novel Seismological Techniques

Bachelor of Science in Geophysics

2016 - 2020

Peking University, Beijing, China

  • Advisors: Xiaofei Chen & Shiyong Zhou
  • Thesis: Frequency-Bessel Transform Method to Extract Higher-Mode Rayleigh Dispersion Curves

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate

2025 - Now

Seismological Laboratory, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Graduate Research Assistant

2021 - 2025

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Research Assistant

2020 - 2021

Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, China

Selected Honors & Awards

  • 2025 Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Postdoctoral Fellowship, IGPP, UCSD
  • 2025 Geophysics Option Postdoctoral Fellowship, Caltech
  • 2020 Distinguished Graduate, PKU
  • 2020 Distinguished Graduate, Beijing City
  • 2019 Outstanding Research Award, PKU

Publications

Self-assessment of my published work in the dimensions of novelty and robustness. My contributions aim to achieve both.

* Only first / corresponding-author papers are included. Full list available on [Google Scholar]

Refinement
Novelty
Robustness
Preliminary Nature
Published
In Review
In Prep.

Contact

Location:

South Mudd Room 266, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125

Last Update: November 2025