Jeonghyeop “Jey” Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geophysics at Kangwon National University, South Korea. He is a geophysicist specializing in crustal deformation modeling using space geodetic data, including GNSS and InSAR. He received the 2019 Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) Award. Dr. Kim earned his Ph.D. in 2022 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he studied crustal deformation in California using GNSS daily position time series and developed a joint inversion algorithm integrating GNSS and InSAR velocities. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, Seattle, focusing on postseismic deformation modeling and earthquake-related coastal hazard assessment. His research integrates geodetic observations and geophysical modeling to advance understanding of earthquake cycle processes.
Understanding how lithospheric deformation is driven by internal forces, far-field tectonic boundary conditions, and earthquakes is fundamental for assessing both tectonic processes and seismic hazards. In this talk, I present two complementary studies that illustrate how geophysical modeling can bridge lithospheric dynamics and earthquake-related hazards across different tectonic settings.
First, I examine the lithospheric kinematics and dynamics of Italy and its surrounding regions, where African–Eurasian convergence interacts with the motion of the Adria microplate and the Apennines. Using GNSS-derived horizontal strain-rate fields and a thin viscous sheet approach, I quantify the relative contributions of gravitational potential energy (GPE) variations and far-field tectonic loading to present-day deformation. The resulting dynamic stress model successfully reproduces observed tensional and compressional regimes across the region. Discrepancies between predicted stress peaks and observed strain localization provide evidence for a weak lower crust beneath the Apennines, highlighting the role of rheological structure in controlling deformation.
Second, I shift focus to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where future M9 megathrust earthquakes pose significant risks to coastal communities. I introduce a probabilistic framework to estimate full seismic-cycle vertical land motion (VLM) along the Pacific Northwest coastline. By combining geodetic locking models, elastic simulations of tens of thousands of earthquake scenarios, and recurrence statistics, I derive probability density functions and hazard curves for future coastal VLM due to interseismic, coseismic, and postseismic deformation. These results demonstrate how seismic cycle processes translate into spatially variable coastal uplift and subsidence, with direct implications for tsunami hazard and sea-level rise assessments.
Together, these studies demonstrate how integrating geodetic observations, geophysical modeling, and probabilistic approaches enables a unified understanding of deformation in continental plate boundary zones, linking geophysical processes to societally relevant seismic hazards.