Robert McPherson

• Office: Founders Hall 136
• Phone: 707-826-5828
• Email: rm4@humboldt.edu

Seismology, seismotectonics

M.S., Environmental Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, 1989

A.B., Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, 1973

Professional Background

Joined HSU 1989

Research Interests

My research interests for the past 30 years have been North Coast Seismicity and the interaction and geometry of the plates that make up the Mendocino Triple Junction. Every earthquake that occurs, I immediately look at its focal mechanism, and see if it fits the model we developed while at TERA Corp. So far, so good!

Selected Publications

Smith, S. W., R. C. McPherson, M. Niazi, N. Severy, The November 1980 Trinidad Offshore Earthquake and Aftershocks, Technical report to Pacific Gas and Electric, San Francisco, 1982.
McPherson, R., L. Dengler, The Honeydew Earthquake, August 17, 1991, California Geology, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 31-39, March/April, 1992.

Dengler, L., G. Carver, R. McPherson, Sources of North Coast Seismicity, California Geology, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 40-53, March/April, 1992.

Dengler, L., R. McPherson, G. Carver, Historic Seismicity and Potential Source Areas of Large Earthquakes in North Coast California, Friends of the Pleistocene, Pacific Cell Field Trip Guidebook, pp. 112-118, June 5-7, 1992.

McPherson, R. C., L. Dengler, The Honeydew Earthquake of August 17, 1991: Evidence of Compressional Tectonics at the Mendocino Triple Junction, Friends of the Pleistocene, Pacific Cell Field Trip Guide Book, pp. 257-265, June 5-7, 1992.

Cockerham, R. W., S. W. Smith, R. C. McPherson, S. H. Clarke Jr., Earthquake Epicenter and Selected Fault Plane Solutions of Northern California Margin, California Continental Margin Map Series, Map No. 7B, California Division of Mines and Geology, 1992.

McPherson, R. C., Style of Faulting at the Southern End of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, Friends of the Pleistocene, Pacific Cell Field Guide Book, pp. 97-111, 1992.

McPherson, R. C., Seismicity and Stress at the Southern End of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Guide Book #71, Field Guide to Late Cenozoic Subduction Tectonics and Sedimentation in North Coastal California, G. A. Carver and K. R. Aalto, editors, pp. 21-30, May, 1992.

Smith, S. W., J. S. Knapp, R. C. McPherson, Seismicity of the Gorda Plate, Structure of the Continental Margin, and the Eastward Jump of the Mendocino Triple Junction, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 98, pp. 8153-8171, May 10, 1993.

Oppenheimer, D., G. Beroza, G. Carver, L. Dengler, J. Eaton, L. Gee, F. Gonzalez, A. Jayko, W. H. Li, M. Lisowski, M. Magee, G. Marshall, M. Murray, R. C. McPherson, B. Romanowicz, K. Satake, R. Simpson, P. Somerville, R. Stein, D. Valentine, The Cape Mendocino, California, Earthquakes of April 1992: Subduction at the Triple Junction, Science, pp. 433-438, 23 July, 1993.

Dengler, L, K. Moley, R. McPherson, M. Pasyanos, J. Dewey, M. Murray, The September 1, 1994 Mendocino Fault Earthquake, California Geology, pp. 43-53, March /April, 1995.

McPherson, R.C., The Tectonic Sandbox, Math and Science Journal, College of the Redwoods, Vol 1, 1996.