Xiaowei Chen
  • Associate Professor
  • Robert R. Berg Professorship in Geology & Geophysics, September 2024
  • Earthquake Rupture
  • Induced Seismicity
  • Subsurface Structure
  • DAS

Research Interests

Earthquakes remain as one of the most significant earthquake hazards in the society. Most earthquakes occur along plate boundaries, such as west coast of the US and Japan, where large earthquakes have caused major damage. In the last decade, earthquake number has significantly increased in the mid-continent of the US and other regions. Most of these earthquakes are “induced earthquakes” from industry activities, some of the M>5 events caused significant structural damage and interruptions to operations. As an observational seismologist, I am interested in several interlinked problems: how do faults respond to anthropogenic activities; how do earthquakes interact with each other; how do aseismic processes (such as fluid or slow slip) interact with seismic slip; what factors influence earthquake rupture characteristics. Addressing these problems is important for hazard assessment, mitigations, and understanding the evolution of crustal processes. I study earthquakes from a variety of tectonic environments, such as tectonically active regions in western US, Japan, and intraplate regions, such as Oklahoma. In the last few years, I am expanding my research into structural and environmental seismology using dense nodal arrays and DAS (distributed acoustic sensing).


Research Focus

  • Earthquake Rupture
  • Induced Seismicity
  • Subsurface Structure
  • DAS

Educational Background

  • PhD, University of California, San Diego, 2013.
  • MS, University of California, San Diego, 2010.
  • BS, University of Science and Technology of China, 2007.

Awards & Honors

  • Stubbeman-Drace Presidential Professor, University of Oklahoma (May 2020).

  • Editor's citation for excellence in refereeing for JGR-Solid Earth, AGU. (March 29, 2018).

Selected Publications

  • Abercrombie, R. E., X. Chen, Y. Huang, and S. Chu (2025). Comparison of EGF Methods for Ridgecrest Sequence: Can EGFs Help Resolve Ambiguity in Isolating Source Spectra? Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. XX, 1–100, https://doi.org/10.1785/0120240161.

    Ahmad Mohammadi*, Xiaowei Chen, Nori Nakata, Sireesh Dadi (2025). Focal Mechanism and Stress Analysis of the CAPE Site, Utah. PROCEEDINGS, 50th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford University, Stanford, California, February 10-12, 2025 SGP-TR-229.

    Chen, X.,Wu, Q. & Pennington, C. N. (2025). Factors that influence variability in stress drop measurements using spectral decomposition and spectral ratio methods for the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America

    Chen, X., Yin, J., Pennington, C. N., Wu, Q., & Zhan, Z. (2025). Effect of Time Window and Spectral Measurement Options on Empirical Green's Function analysis using DAS Array and Seismic Stations. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, (accepted).

    Abercrombie, R. E., Baltay, A. S., Chu, S., Taira, T., Bindi, D., Boyd, O. S., Chen, X., Cochran, E. S., Devin, E. G., Dreger, D. S., Ellsworth, W. L., Fan, W., Harrington, R. M., Huang, Y., Kemna, K., Liu, M., Oth, A., Parker, G. A., Pennington, C. N., Picozzi, M., Ruhl, C. J., Shearer, P. M., Spallarossa, D., Trugman, D. T., Vandevert, I., Wu, Q., Yoon, C. E., & Yu, E. (2024). Overview of The SCEC/USGS Community Stress Drop Validation Study Using the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, (submitted).

    Shearer, P. M., I. Vandevert, W. Fan, R. E. Abercrombie, D. Bindi, G. Calderoni, X. Chen, W. Ellsworth, R. Harrington, Y. Huang, et al. (2024). Earthquake Source Spectra Estimates Vary Widely for Two Ridgecrest Aftershocks Because of Differences in Attenuation Corrections, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. XX, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.1785/0120240134.

    Cochran, E. S., A. Baltay, S. Chu, R. E. Abercrombie, D. Bindi, X. Chen, G. A. Parker, C. Pennington, P. M. Shearer, and D. T. Trugman (2024). SCEC/ USGS Community Stress-Drop Validation Study: How Spectral Fitting Approaches Influence Measured Source Parameters, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. XX, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.1785/0120240140.

    Ng, R.*, X., Chen, N. Nakata, and J. I. Walter, Precise relative magnitude measurement improves fracture characterization during hydraulic fracturing, Geophysical Journal International, Volume 238, Issue 2, August 2024, Pages 1040–1052, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggae204

    Jiewen Zhang, Hongfeng Yang, Jinping Zi, Jinrong Su, Xiaowei Chen. An improved estimation of stress drop and its application on induced earthquakes in the Weiyuan Shale Gas Field in China. Geophysical Journal International, Volume 236, Issue 3, March 2024, Pages 1785–1803, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggae014

    Dangwal, D.*, M. Behm, X. Chen, and G. S. Soreghan (2023). Imaging an Enigmatic Paleovalley with Passive Seismic Methods (Unaweep Canyon, Colorado, United States), The Seismic Record. 3(2), 116–124, https://doi.org/10.1785/0320220048.

    Wang, Z.*, Behm, M., Persaud, P., Chen, X. & Carpenter, B. M. (2023) New insights on Moho depth and regional lithospheric structure of central Oklahoma based on receiver function analysis from dense seismic networks, Tectonophysics, 854, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2023.229818

    Chen, X. (2023) Source parameter analysis using distributed acoustic sensing – an example with the PoroTomo array, Geophysical Journal International, https://academic.oup.com/gji/article/233/3/2207/7036768

    Pennington, C. N.*, Wu, Q.*, Chen, X., & Abercrombie, R. E., (2023). Quantifying Rupture Characteristics of Microearthquakes in the Parkfield Area Using a High-Resolution Borehole Network. Geophysics Journal International. ggad023, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad023

    Qin, Y.*, Chen, X., Chen, T., & Abercrombie, R. E. (2022) Influence of Fault Architecture on Induced Earthquake Sequence Evolution Revealed by High-resolution Focal Mechanism Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JB025040.

    P Ogwari, JI Walter, X Chen, A Thiel, F Ferrer, I Woelfel (2022), Distinguishing Unique Earthquakes with Overlapping Signals in Oklahoma, SRL. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220220065

  • Qin, Y., Chen, T., Ma, X., & Chen, X., (2022). Forecasting Induced Seismicity in Oklahoma using Machine Learning Methods. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-13435-3

  • Zhang, J., Chen, X., & Abercrombie, R. E., (2022). Spatiotemporal variability of earthquake source parameters at Parkfield, California, and their relationship with the 2004 M6 earthquake, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB022851

  • Pennington, C. N., Uchide, T., & Chen, X. (2022). Slip characteristics of induced earthquakes: Insights from the 2015 Mw 4.0 Guthrie, Oklahoma earthquake. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 127, e2021JB023564. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB023564

  • He, L, Wu, Q.*, Chen, X., Sun, X., Guo, Z. & Chen, Y.J. (2021). Detailed 3D seismic velocity structure of the Prague, Oklahoma fault zone and the implications for induced seismicity. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2021GL096137. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096137

  • Abercrombie, R. E., Trugman, D. T., Shearer, P. M, Chen, X., Zhang, J., Pennington, C., Hardebeck, J. L., Goebel, T., Ruhl, C. J. (2021) Does Earthquake Stress Drop Increase with Depth in the Crust?, JGR, 126, e2021JB022314. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB022314

  • Ortega, A., Walter, J. I., Chen, X. & Carpenter, B. (2021) Spatially Distinct Tectonic Zones Across Oklahoma Inferred from Shear Wave Splitting, Seismological Research Letters, 92 (4): 2551–2561, https://doi.org/10.1785/0220200237 .

  • Ortega, A., & Chen, X. (2021) Spatiotemporal Clustering of Seismicity during the 2018 Kilauea Volcanic Eruption, Res. Letters, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090859

  • Pennington, C., Chen, X., Abercrombie, R., Wu, Q.* (2021) "Cross Validation of Stress Drop Estimates and Interpretations for the 2011 Prague, OK, Earthquake Sequence Using Multiple Methods." Geophy. Res., DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JB020888

  • Patel, S., Kolawole, F., Walter, J., Chen, X, and Marfurt, K. J. (2021), "Seismic illumination of small-offset seismogenic faults, Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma." Interpretation, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2020-0135.1

  • Abecrombie, R., Chen, X., Zhang, J. (2020). "Repeating Earthquakes with Remarkably Repeatable Ruptures on the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield." Geophysical Research Letters, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089820

  • Deng, K., Liu, Y., Chen, X. (2020). "Correlation Between Poroelastic Stress Perturbation and Multi-disposal Wells Induced Earthquake Sequence in Cushing, Oklahoma." Geophysical Research Letters, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089366

  • Chen, X., Abercrombie, R. E. (2020). "Improved approach for stress drop estimation and its application to an induced earthquake sequence in Oklahoma." Geophysical Journal International, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggaa316

  • Qin, Y., Chen, X., Walter, J., Haffener, J., Trugman, D., Carpenter, B. M., Weingarten, M., Kolawole, F. (2019). "Deciphering the stress state of seismogenic faults in Oklahoma and southern Kansas based on an improved stress map." Journal of Geophysical Research – Solid Earth, DOI: 10.1029/2019JB018377

  • Rosson, Z., Walter, J. I., Goebel, T., Chen, X. (2019). "Narrow Spatial Aftershock Zones for Induced Earthquake Sequences in Oklahoma." Geophysical Research Letters, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083562

  • Zhai, G., Shirzaei, M., Manga, M., Chen, X. (2019). "Pore-pressure diffusion, enhanced by poroelastic stresses, controls induced seismicity in Oklahoma." PNAS, Vol. 116, No. 33, 16228-16233, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1819225116

  • Wu, Q.*, Chen, X., Abercrombie, R. E. (2019). "Source Complexity of the 2015 Mw 4.0 Guthrie, Oklahoma Earthquake." Res. Letters, Vol. 46, DOI: 2019GL082690. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL082690

  • Sweet, J. R., Anderson, K. R., Bilek, S., Brudzinski, M., Chen, X., Deshon, H., Hayward, C., Karplus, M., Keranen, K., Langston, C., Lin, F.-C., Magnani, B., Woodward, R. L. (2018). "A community experiment to record the full seismic wavefield in Oklahoma." Seismological Research Letters, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180079

  • Cheng, Y., Chen, X. (2018). "Characteristics of seismicity inside and outside the Salton Sea Geothermal Field." Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170311

  • Haffener, J., Chen, X., Murray, K. E. (2018). "Multi-scale analysis of spatiotemporal relationship between injection and seismicity in Oklahoma." Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JB015512

  • Pei, S., Peng, Z., Chen, X. (2018). "Locations of injection-induced earthquakes in Oklahoma controlled by crustal structures." Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014983

  • Wu, Q.*, Chapman, M., Chen, X. (2018). "Stress Drop Variations of Induced Earthquakes in Oklahoma." Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170335

  • Chen, X., Haffener, J., Goebel, T. W., Meng, X., Peng, Z., Chang, J. (2018). "Temporal correlation between seismic moment and injection volume for an induced earthquake sequence in central Oklahoma." Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014694

  • Qin, Y., Chen, X., Carpenter, B. M., Kolawole, F. (2018). "Coulomb Stress Transfer Influences Fault Reactivation in Areas of Wastewater Injection." Geophysical Research Letters, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079713

  • Savage, H. M., Kirkpatrick, J. D., Mori, J. J., Brodsky, E. E., Ellsworth, W. L., Carpenter, B. M., Chen, X., Cappa, F., Kano, Y. (2017). "Scientific Exploration of Induced SeisMicity and Stress (SEISMS)." Scientific Drilling, Vol. 23, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-23-57-2017

  • Goebel, T., Weingarten, M., Chen, X., Haffener, J., Brodsky, E. (2017). "The 2016 Mw5.1 Fairview, Oklahoma earthquakes: evidence for long-range poroelastic triggering at >40 km from fluid disposal wells." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 472, 50-61, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.05.011

  • Chen, X., Nakata, N., Pennington, C. N., Haffener, J., Chang, J. C., He, X., Zhan, Z., Ni, S., Walter, J. I. (2017). "The Pawnee earthquake as a result of the interplay among injection, faults, and foreshocks." scientific report, Vol. 7, No. 4945, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04992-z. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-04992-z

  • Chen, X., Nakata, N. (2017). "Preface to the Focus Section on the 3 September 2016 Pawnee, Oklahoma, Earthquake." Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 88, No. 4, 953-955, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220170078

  • Pennington, C., Chen, X. (2017). "Coulomb Stress Interactions during the Mw 5.8 Pawnee Sequence." Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 88, No. 4, 1024-1031, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220170011

  • Zhang, Q., Lin, G., Zhan, Z., Chen, X., Qin, Y., Wdowinski, S. (2017). "Absence of remote earthquake triggering within the Coso and Salton Sea geothermal production fields." Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 44, No. 2, 726–733, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071964

  • Chen, X., McGuire, J. J. (2016). "Measuring earthquake source parameters in the Mendocino triple junction region using a dense OBS array: Implications for fault strength variations." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 453, 276-287, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.08.022

  • Chen, X., Shearer, P. M. (2016). "Analysis of Foreshock Sequences in California and Implications for Earthquake Triggering." Pure and Applied Geophysics, 173 (2016), 133–152, DOI 10.1007/s00024-015-1103-0.

  • Toomey, D.R., R.M. Allen, A.H. Barclay, S.W. Bell, P.D. Bromirski, R.L. Carlson, Chen, J.A. Collins, R.P. Dziak, B. Evers, D.W. Forsyth, P. Gerstoft, E.E.E. Hooft, D. Livelybrooks, J.A. Lodewyk, D.S. Luther, J.J. McGuire, S.Y. Schwartz, M. Tolstoy, A.M. Tréhu, M. Weirathmueller, and W.S.D. Wilcock. (2014). The Cascadia Initiative: A sea change in seismological studies of subduction zones. Oceanography 27(2):138–150

  • Chen, X., Shearer, P. M. (2013). "California foreshock sequences suggest aseismic triggering process." Geophysical Research Letters, VOL. 40, 2602–2607, doi:10.1002/grl.50444.

  • Hauksson, E., Stock, J., Bilham, R., Boese, M., Chen, X., Fielding, E. J., Galetzka, J., Hudnut, K. W., Hutton, K., Jones, L. M., Kanamori, H., Shearer, P. M., Steidl, J., Treiman, J., Wei, S., Yang, W. (2013). "Report on the August 2012 Brawley Earthquake Swarm in Imperial Valley, Southern California." Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 84, No. 2, 177–189.

  • Chen, X., Shearer, P., Abercrombie, R. (2012). "Spatial migration of earthquakes within seismic clusters in Southern California: Evidence for fluid diffusion." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (1978–2012), Vol. 117, No. B4.

  • Chen, X., Shearer, P. (2011). "Comprehensive analysis of earthquake source spectra and swarms in the Salton Trough, California." Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, No. B9, B09309.

  • Chen, X., Shearer, P., Walter, F., Fricker, H. (2011). "Seventeen Antarctic seismic events detected by global surface waves and a possible link to calving events from satellite images." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (1978–2012), Vol. 116, No. B6.