Assistant Professor
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Matt Pritchard’s research focuses on searching the globe for clues that reveal when and where major geophysical events such as earthquakes and volcanoes will occur, as early warning can offer a measure of protection from such events.

One of Pritchard’s recent projects involved surveying volcanoes by satellite to detect changes in the surrounding earth surface related to movement in the magma source underground. As part of this work he has examined some 900 volcanoes in the central Andes Mountains, and discovered four previously unknown sources of geophysical deformation as well as unsuspected deformation at several large salt flats.

“In most cases we can see the earth’s surface expanding like a balloon as the magma moves,” he says. “In the long term we hope to be able to identify and characterize volcanoes based on changes in the deformation.”

He has also delved into the physical process affecting earthquake cycles, examining the buildup and release of stress in the earth’s crust in earthquake zones. Among Pritchard’s findings is that existing models derived from seismic and limited geodetic measurements (using GPS) are not consistent with the extensive observations of surface deformation available from satellite inspections.

Further afield, Pritchard is studying tectonics on other planets, including the location and orientation of faults on the moon, Mercury, Mars, and Venus.

Among the tools used in this research are satellite radar interferometry, seismology to study earthquake and volcano processes, modeling software, and field geophysics implements such as GPS and seismic arrays.

“The process of discovery is very rewarding,” says Pritchard, citing the detection of volcanoes that had previously gone unnoticed. “And I get to visit a lot of remote sites about which we know very little.”

Pritchard earned his Ph.D. in geophysics, with a minor in planetary science, at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the Cornell faculty in 2005 and teaches a class in active tectonics.

Professor Pritchard's Web site