Huajian Yao
PhD (MIT, 2009), GJI editor
Professor of Geophysics
School of Earth and Space Sciences
University of Science and Technology of China
96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, Anhui Province, P.R. China 230026
Contact:hjyao@ustc.edu.cn, +86-551-63607201
Personal Information
Born in 1979 in Anhui, China
Research Interests
General Interests:
Seismology, geophysics and geodynamics, tectonophysics, geophysical inverse problems
Current Research Topics:
• Multi-scale Community Velocity Model for Southwest China and Tanlu fault zone using joint seismological inversion
• Seismic imaging and monitoring using DAS
• Real-time intelligent array seismology (RIAS) using 4G seismometer and DAS
• Surface wave tomography for lithospheric structure, anisotropy, and deformation
• Seismic interferometry and ambient noise tomography of different scales
• Earthquake seismology, source rupture imaging, finite fault inversion
• Seismicity, tectonics, and evolution of the Tibetan Plateau, SW China, SE Asia, North China craton
• Joint inversion of multi-seismological or geophysical data: Methodology & Applications
Education
2004/09-2009/05,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,PhD in geophysics (advisor: Robert D. van der Hilst)
2001/09-2004/06,University of Science and Technology of China,M.S. in geophysics (advisor: Guoming Xu)
1996/09-2001/06,University of Science and Technology of China,B.S. in geophysics (advisor: Guoming Xu)
Employment
2019/09-present, Associate Director (executive), Mengcheng National Geophysical Observatory, Ministry of Science and Technology of China
2019/07-present,Associate Dean, Graduate School, USTC & Director of the USTC Diploma Office
2014/09-2019/06,Associate dean, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China
2012/07-present,professor, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China
2010/08-2012/07,Green Scholar (postdoc), IGPP, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD (with Peter Shearer, Peter Gerstoft)
2009/06-2010/07,postdoc research associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (with Robert D. van der Hilst)
Teaching
2021- Scientific Writing & Expression (1st year undergrad. course)
2019- Science & Society (1st year undergrad. course)
2017- Interdisciplinary Research Practice (undergrad. course) (with a few other profs.)
2015- : One day mini-course in Ambient noise and surface wave tomography, including computer programs tutorial.
2016-2018: Short courses about Advances in Seismic Tomography and Advances in Ambient Noise Seismology.
2016-, spring: Field course of Introduction to Earth Sciences (Freshman course; with prof. Zhi Xie, Huaiwei Ni, etc)
2015 Fall: Advancing Forum in Geosciences: Geophysical Imaging (In English; with prof. Haijiang Zhang)
2014 Spring: Frontiers in Geophysics: Structure and dynamic evolution of Tibetan Plateau (with prof. Wei Leng)
2013-now Fall: Geophysical Inversion (In English; with prof. Haijiang Zhang)
2013 Spring: Frontiers in Geophysics: Seismic Imaging (In English; with prof. Haijiang Zhang)
2013: Science and Society (undergraduate course)
2012 Fall: Advancing Forum in Geosciences: Structure and Dynamic Evolution of the Earth (Lecture in Chinese, reading and discussion in English; with prof. Haijiang Zhang)
Honors & Awards
National Teaching Achievement Award in Higher Education (Postgraduate) (2nd prize, rank 7/15) (2023)
National Teaching Achievement Award in Higher Education (Postgraduate) (2nd prize, rank 14/15) (2023)
Hot Research Paper Award in 2022, Science China Earth Sciences (2023)
Science and Technology Innovation Award (2nd prize), Chinese Geophysical Society (2022)
Special Prize in Teaching Achievement of Anhui Province (2022) (安徽省教学成果特等奖)
Excellence in Refereeing in 2021, Science China Earth Sciences (2022)
Hot Research Paper Award in 2021, Science China Earth Sciences (2022)
Excellence in Editorial Service for 'Earth and Planetary Physics' (2022)
Outstanding Contribution Award as an Associate Editor, Earthquake Science (2022)
NSF of China: Outstanding Young Scholar Funding (2021)
Top 100 Paper Award, China Association for Science and Technology (2021)
Science and Technology Award for Chinese Youth (2020)
Special Prize in Teaching Achievement of Anhui Province (2019, rank 4 among 8 members) (安徽省教学成果特等奖)
Outstanding Research Progress in 2019, China Seismic Experimental Site, China Earthquake Administration (2019)
Excellence in Editorial Service for 'Earth and Planetary Physics' (2019)
First Prize of Science and Technology Advancement, Chinese Geophysical Society (2017, rank 6 among 15 members)
First Prize of Science and Technology Achievements for Earthquake Prevention and Disaster Mitigation, China Earthquake Administration (2016, rank 6 among 15 members)
Young Faculty Career Award, by USTC Alumni Foundation (2016)
Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing, EPSL (2015)
Excellence in Editorial Service for Science China: Earth Sciences (2014, 2015, 2017,2018)
Excellence in Refereeing, AGU JGR-Solid Earth (2013)
NSF of China: Excellent Young Scholar Funding (2012)
Green Scholarship, IGPP/Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD(2010 – 2012)
Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Anhui Province, China(2004)
Graduate with Honor, University of Science and Technology of China(M.S., 2004)
Graduate with Honor, University of Science and Technology of China(B.S., 2001)
Professional Services
Deputy editor of Earth and Planetary Physics (2023-)
Member of the Chief Scientist Committee, China Seismic Experimental Site (中国地震科学实验场)(2022-)
Seismological Society of China, Vice President (2020 - )
IUGG/IASPEI China Committee, Vice President (2020 - ) (2016-2019, chief secretary)
Associate editor of Earthquake Science (EQS) (2020-)
Editor of Geophysical Journal International (GJI) (2018-)
Member of the Planning Committee, China Seismic Experiment Site, China Earthquake Administration (2018-)
Member of 'The Steering Committee of Teaching in Geophysics of Chinese Universities', Ministry of Education in China (2018-)
Member of Science and Technology Committee, China Earthquake Administration (2017-)
Editorial board member: Earth and Planetary Physics (2017-2023), Earthquake Research in China (2018-2020)
Electronic Seismologist Column Editor, SRL (2017-);
Chief secretary of 'The Steering Committee of Teaching in Geophysics Chinese Universities', Ministry of Education in China (2013-2017)
Associate editor, Seismological Research Letter (SRL) (2014-2016)
Guest editor, for SRL “Lushan Earthquake” special issue (2013)
Editorial board member: Science China Earth Science (2014-); Earthquake Science (2014-) ;
Organizer of 'Seismological Algorithms and Programming Tutorial Class' (2015, 2016, 2017)
Session conveners and chairs for CGS, AGU, AOGS, and WPGM meetings; Judge for the outstanding student paper award, AGU Meeting
Peer reviewer for National Science Foundation of China and US
Peer reviewer for about 20 scientific journals (Science, PNAS, Nature Geosci., Nature Comm., EPSL,JGR,GRL,GJI,G3,BSSA,Tectonophysics,Geology, Survey in Geophysics, PAGEOPH, Earthquake Sci., Chinese Sci. Bulletin, Science China, etc) and Society of Exploration Geophysics
Organizer of “Invited Geophysical Seminar, USTC” and “Graduate student seminar of geophysics, USTC”
Member of Popular Science Campaign in Anhui Province, giving popular science talks for middle/high school students: Origin and evolution of the Earth;Taking CT for the Earth
Professional Societies
Chinese Geophysical Society, Seismological Society of China, American Geophysical Union, Seismological Society of America, IUGG
Invited Talks
2024 Liaoning Earthquake Administration; Hainan Earthquake Administration; Institute of Engineering Mehanics, China Earthquake Administration; Zhejiang University; Ningxia Earthquake Administration; Annual Meeting of Anhui Geophysical Society.
2023 Chinese Univ of Geoscience (Wuhan); The 2nd Symposium of Chinese Seismological Reference Model; China Earthquake Network Center; Institute of Geophysics, CEA; Xinjiang Earthquake Administration; Neimenggu Earthquake Administration; The 6th Symposium of Earth Science Frontier; The 1st Central Asia-Tianshan Youth Geological Symposium; The Deep Crust Exploration Symposium, China Seismological Society; Xi'an Institute, China Coal Technology and Engineering Group.
2022 Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore; Symposium on Building Reference Earth Model in China; National Earthquake Science and Technology Conference; Tongji Univeristy; Jiangsu Donghai National Geophysical Observatory Annual Conference; Gansu Lanzhou National Geophysical Observatory Annual Conference; Henan Geophysical Society Conference; Chinese Univ of Geoscience (Wuhan); Hubei Earthquake Administration; Anhui Earthquake Administration; Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, CAS;
2021 AOGS; Peking University; Central South University;Sichuan Earthquake Administration; Xiangshan Science Conferences; IPACES symposium; Guangdong Earthquake Administration; Jiangxi Earthquake Administration; The 10th International Symposium on Tianshan Earthquake; Jilin University; Shuangqing Symposium of NSFC; Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, CAS;Sino-US Joint Seminar on Seismic structure, Active fault and strong earthquake;
2020 The 15th Annual Meeting of Tibetan Plateau Geosicences; China Earthquake Administration; Earthquake Administration of Yunnan Province; Chengdu Univ of Science and Technology; Earthquake Administration of Jiangxi Province; The 3rd Symposium on Tectonics and Geodynamics; Tibetan Plateau Symposium; Institute of Natural Disaster Prevention
2019 Earthquake Research Center, KIGAM, Korea; Southern University of Science and Technology; Earthquake Administration of Sichuan Province, China; The Belt and Road International Workshop on Seismic Experimental Sites, CEA; Earthquake Administration of Anhui Province, China; Earthquake Administration of Shanghai, China; Chinese University of Geoscience (Wuhan); Chinese University of Geoscience (Beijing); Annual Meeting of Seismological Society of China (2); China Earthquake Administration Zhenyuan Lecture; Summer school: Passive Imaging & Monitoring in Wave Physics: From Seismology to Ultrasound (France, Cargese);
2018 University of Grenoble, France; Nanjing Univ; Peking Univ; AOGS-2018 (2); Earthquake Administration of Gansu Province (2), Earthquake Administration of Yunnan Province; Earth Science Advances Forum, CAS; East China University of Technology;Institute of Earthquake Forecasting, CEA; The Chinese Univ of Hong Kong; Anhui Seismological Society annual meeting; Wuhan Univ (Seismogeodesy workshop).
2017 Univ of Utah, Salt Lake City; SUSTC Marine Science Symposium; Institute of Geophysics, CEA (2); Hehai University; 1917 Huoshan Earthquake Symposium;Chinese Geoscience Union Annual Meeting (2); Workshop: Frontiers in Studies of Earthquakes and Faults; Science and Technology Frontier Symposium: Structure of Earth’s Deep Interior and Seismogenic Process of Great Earthquakes.
2016 Guilin Univ of Technology; Exploration Center of China Earthquake Administration; Institute of Earthquake Science, CEA; China Geophysical Reference Model Conference; Chinese Geoscience Union Annual Meeting (2); Zhejiang Univ;
2015 AOGS meeting (Singapore); IRIS OBS workshop; Chinese Geoscience Union Annual Meeting (2); Guangzhou Geochemistry Institute, CAS; South China Sea Oceanography Institute, CAS; Earthquake Administration of Fujian Province, China; SEG-Geophysical Compressed Sensing Workshop.
2014 Symposium on Geological Evolution of Tethys-Tibetan Plateau, Nanjiang Univ; Peking Univ; Institute of Geophysics & Institute of Crustal Dynamics, CEA; Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences; National Central Univ, Taiwan; Inst. of Earth Sciences, Academic Sinica, Taiwan; National Taiwan Univ; National Taiwan Normal Univ; EAGE-Surface wave analysis workshop; Anhui Earthquake Administration; Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS.
2013 MIT; Institute of Geophysics & Institute of Earthquake Science, China Earthquake Administration; Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS; AGU; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, CAS; Chinese Geophysical Society Annual Meeting.
2012 The Symposium on Sparse Representation and Compressed Sensing, USTC; San Diego State Univ (SDSU); Chinese University of Geosciences - Beijing
2011 The International Workshop on Tectonics, Oil-Gas Well Logging and Hydrate Exploration of the Tibetan Plateau; USTC; BGP Inc. China National Petroleum Corporation
2010 UCLA, UCSD
2009 Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Science; USTC; Institute of Geophysics of Chinese Earthquake Administration; Peking Univ; Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2008 AGU
2007 Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Science
2006 Western Pacific Geophysical Meeting
2005 MIT; Earthquake Administration of Sichuan Province, China
Social Services
Vice-Chair, Young Scholar Union at USTC, (2014.7-2019.12)
President of Chinese Association of Science and Technology, MIT(2007.11-2009.3)
Research Group
Associate Professor: Jikun FENG (冯吉坤, PhD @ USTC)
Research Associate Scientist: Ying LIU (刘影,PhD@USTC)
Postdocs: Cheng LI (李成),Bohan, ZHANG(张博汉,PhD@Tongji Univ)
Graduate Students
PhD Students :
Yifeng ZHANG (张艺峰), Lingci ZENG (曾令词), Chang YU (郁畅), Mengxuan YAN (闫梦旋), Guili ZHOU (周桂里),Jinxi WANG (王景熙, with Prof. Ling Chen), Xin LIU (刘鑫), MUHAMMAD IMRAN HAFEEZ ABBASI, Tenghui SUN(孙腾辉),Hanwen ZOU(邹汉文, with Prof. Rixiang Zhu), Lifei TIAN (田丽菲), Yujie C HENG (陈宇杰, with prof. Heping SUN), YiChen PAN (潘屹宸)
MS Student:
3rd year or more: Zhiying LIN(林稚颖), Shengzhe ZHAO(赵圣哲), Tengfei MA (马腾飞), Hao XU (徐豪)
2st year: Yu XIAO (肖宇),Yucheng HUANG(黄宇晨),Jialin SUN(孙佳琳)
1st year: Youyu Xiang (向宥宇),Ruidong MA (马锐东, with Prof. Heping Sun), MingYang FAN (范明阳)
Past Postdocs
Jikun FENG (冯吉坤, PhD @ USTC, now associate prof. at USTC), Ying LIU (刘影,PhD@USTC, now associate scientist at USTC) (co-advised with Haijiang Zhang), Song LUO (罗松, PhD @ Chinese Univ of Geoscience, Wuhan, now associate prof. at ChangAn University),
Shaoqian Hu(胡少乾,PhD @ SLU,now associate scientist @ Chinese Univ of Geoscience, Wuhan)
Song LUO (罗松, PhD @ Chinese Univ of Geoscience, Wuhan, now associate scientist @USTC)
Past Students
2024, Jiajun XU (徐嘉隽, PhD, research scientist, Xiamen Marine Earthquake Institute), Ying LI(李莹, with Prof. Yuan GAO in CEA; PhD, assistant scientist, CEA),Jin WANG (王晶, M.S., middle school teacher in Jiangsu Prov),Mengya LI(李蒙亚, M.S., staff in Ningxia Earthquake Administration),YiChen PAN (潘屹宸,B.S., now PhD student at USTC)
2023: Xihui SHAO (邵锡惠)(PhD, administrative staff at USTC), Zeqiang CHEN (陈泽强, iFLYTEK Company),Yuhan WANG(王雨寒,MS student@ETH),Yu XIAO (肖宇, MS student at USTC),Shihan WU(吴诗韩,research assistant at USTC)
2022: Zhiqi ZAHNG(张智奇)(PhD, postdoc at Xinjiang Oil Company), Xuan YANG(杨旋)(PhD, postdoc at Hefei National Lab), Yazhou Hu(胡亚洲)(M.S., IT company),Jiaqi JIN (靳佳琪, with prof. Bin Liu)(M.S., middle school teacher in Shenzhen), Chang DING (丁畅)(B.S., grad. student at Georgia Tech),Yuchuan LIU(刘煜川)(B.S., engineer in IAT, USTC)
2021: Yuan YANG(杨元)(PhD, engineer at SUSTC), Bem Shadrach Terhemba (Ph.D., postdoc @ USTC), Wei LIU(刘威)(PhD, npostdoc@SUSTC), Yuyang SHE(佘昱阳)(PhD, in Huawei); Hanxiao WU (吴含笑, with prof. Zhiyang DAI) (M.S., PhD student at Stony Brook)
2020: Ting LEI(雷霆)(M.S., PhD student at Univ of Toronto), Shuye HUANG(黄书野)(M.S., PhD student at USC)
2019: Cheng LI(李成)(PhD, lecturer in Anhui Univ of Science and Technology),Yayun ZHANG (张亚运)(PhD, postdoc in South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS),Yan YANG(杨妍) (B.S. & M.S., grad. student at Caltech), Taizi HUANG(黄泰子)(B.S. & M.S., grad. student at Univ of Victoria), Juanjuan WANG(王娟娟) (M.S., Software developer in Shenzhen), Liting DOU (窦立婷) (with prof. Lihua FANG) (M.S., Earthquake Administration of Shanxi Province)
2018:Chao ZHANG (张超)(PhD, Lecturer at Hohai University), Jikun FENG (冯吉坤)(PhD. postdoc at USTC), Lei QIAO(乔垒)(M.S., China Merchants Bank in Shenzhen), Yafeng MENG(孟亚锋)(M.S., Investment Company),Yao WANG(王耀)(M.S., Government officer in Sichuan),Xinsheng MA (马新生)(M.S. co-advisor, Institute of Engineering Mechanics, CEA)
2017: Hongjian FANG (方洪健)(PhD, co-advised with Prof. Haijiang Zhang. postdoc at MIT), Weize QIN(秦维泽)(PhD, Huawei), Muhammad Sohail Khan (PhD, Assist. prof. in Pakistan), Qiushi ZHAIi (翟秋实)(B.S. & M.S., grad. student at Georgia Tech), Chuanming LIU (刘传铭)(B.S. & M.S., grad. student at Univ of Colorado, Boulder),Ping ZHANG(张萍)(B.S. and M.S., grad. student at Australia National Univ), Jing CHEN(陈婧)(M.S., Shanghai Earthquake Administration), Yulong CHANG (常玉龙)(M.S. co-advisor, Hunan Province Earthquake Administration), Suli YAO (姚素丽)(B.S., grad. student at Chinese Univ of Hong Kong)
2016: Jiuxun YIN (尹九洵)(B.S. & M.S., PhD student at Harvard Univ),Xiang LI (李想)(B.S. & M.S., in Aiqiyi, IT company), Shuo YANG(杨硕)(B.S., grad. student at Caltech), Sizhuang DENG(邓斯壮)(B.S., grad. student at Rice Univ)
2015: Yi YUAN (袁艺)(M.S. Chinese Earthquake Administration,the 2nd Monitoring Center), Cheng LEI(雷晨)(M.S. co-advisor, Liaoning Earthquake Administration), Haotian XU(许昊天)(B.S., grad. student at UCLA), Nan WANG(王楠)(B.S., grad. student at SDSU/UCSD joint PhD program)
2014: Yixiao SHENG (盛一笑)(B.S., grad. student at Stanford Univ), Yuchang SHEN (沈榆昌)(B.S., grad. student at Univ of Houston), Yan QIN(秦岩)(B.S., grad. student in Univ of Oklahoma)
2013: Bin LUO (罗彬) (B.S., grad. student at TAMU),Chao GAO (高超)(B.S., grad. student at Univ of Maryland),Wenhao HUANG(黄文浩)(B.S., IT company),Chuangxin LIN (林创新)(B.S., grad. student at Univ of Toronto)
Current Research Collaborations
I have been collaborating with scientists in the US and China (1) to develop new techniques for surface wave tomography, joint surface and body wave travel time tomography, ambient noise analysis, and seismic interferometry and imaging, (2) to understand the crust and upper mantle structure and deformation in the Tibetan Plateau, SW China, North China Craton, Taiwan, eastern Pacific Rise, and Hawaii, and (3) to investigate rupture properties of large earthquakes using array-based techniques.
Collaborating institutes include China Earthquake Administration (Institute of Geophysics), Inst. of Earth Sciences, Academic Sinica, National Central University, Taiwan, Chinese Academy of Science (Institute of Geology and Geophysics), Chinese Univ at Hong Kong, etc.