Welcome! I am a postdoc in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at Caltech, working primarily with Dr. Jean-Philippe Avouac. I got my PhD (2023) from the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at the University of California, Davis, advised by Dr. Mike Oskin. My PhD work combined field methods and remote sensing to address a variety of problems in earthquake and fault mechanics. My current research interests rely on using geologic and geodetic data, and numerical models, to understand:
- The mechanics of large earthquakes, especially multi-fault ones
- Fault synchronization and earthquake clustering over millenial timescales
- The distribution of inelastic strain during earthquakes and over multiple earthquake cycles
- Probabilistic displacement hazard assessment for strike-slip faults
You can learn about my work addressing these topics in the research tab. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, gravel biking, reading books and the newspaper, and befriending dogs.
I will be starting a faculty position in the Department of Geosciences at Utah State University in January 2025. I am recruiting graduate students and am especially interested in those wanting to pursue a MSc. Send me an email if you're interested and include your CV and a brief statement of your interests and how they align with my research program. You can reach me at alba@caltech.edu or amrodriguezpadilla@gmail.com. I also have funding to support undergraduate students (from USU or otherwise) for summer research projects, reach out if you are interested!
View of a normal fault in the Volcanic Tableland, Bishop (CA).