# Ramón Arrowsmith

Ramón Arrowsmith is a geoscientist and professor at Arizona State University specializing in active faulting, earthquake geology, and tectonic geomorphology. He is the Associate Director for Operations at ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration and a co-founder of OpenTopography, a platform that provides free high-resolution topographic data for Earth science research.

## Academic Career

Dr. Arrowsmith earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Spanish from Whittier College in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University in 1995 and his dissertation title was 'Coupled Tectonic Deformation and Geomorphic Degradation along the San Andreas Fault System'. Since 1995, Dr. Arrowsmith has been a professor at Arizona State University. From 2017 to 2020 he was the Deputy Director of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE). Since 2020, Arrowsmith currently serves as SESE's Associate Director for Operations. Arrowsmith was elected a fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2009 and served on the leadership of its Structural Geology and Tectonics division in 2022.

## Awards

In 2009, Arrowsmith was elected a fellow of the Geological Society of America. In 2007 and 2013, he was named the Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration Undergraduate Professor of the Year. In 2020, Arrowsmith was the recipient of the American Geophysical Unions Paul G. Silver Award for Outstanding Scientific Service for his significant contributions to the fields of seismology, geomorphology, and fault zone activity.

## Research

Ramon Arrowsmith's research focuses on understanding the mechanics and history of fault zones through geology, paleoseismology, and tectonic geomorphology. By combining field studies, geophysical methods, and high-resolution topographic analysis, his work provides critical insights into seismic hazards and the evolution of Earth's landscapes.
Arrowsmith's interdisciplinary approach has applications beyond Earth sciences, influencing fields including climate change research, urban planning, and disaster mitigation. Arrowsmith has made contributions towards understanding the ties between climate controlled surface processes and rapid exhumation in the Southern Himalayan Front, providing insight into the internal tectonic deformation of the Himalayas. He has also utilized LiDAR-based digital elevation models to refine estimates for the magnitude and recurrence of slip events that cause earthquakes in the San Andreas Fault system (SAF). His work in the SAF system has assisted in revealing major earthquakes in the region including the 7.9 magnitude Fort Tejon earthquake in 1857 occurred from minor slips of roughly 5 meters, contrasting with previous estimates of high slips of 10 meters or more
Arrowsmith's work with technology capturing High Resolution Topography (HRT) has provided insight into the potential uses of the technology. He is also the co-founder of OpenTopography, which provides HRT data for research. OpenTopography centralizes access to topographic data, tools and resources which are used to further our understanding of Earth's surface, vegetation and the surrounding environment. Using Opentopography software will help in the future to facilitate visualizing faulting in different regions. Opentopography can be combined with geophysical methods to further understand the formation of faults and how they might affect the surrounding environment.