Atterholt Group Fiber Geophysics • University of Arizona

Group

Portrait of Jimmy Atterholt

Jimmy Atterholt

Assistant Professor of Geophysics

I’m an observational seismologist and Assistant Professor of Geophysics at the University of Arizona. My research combines fiber-optic sensing with applied mathematics to study lithospheric structure, earthquake dynamics, and geohazards. Day-to-day, my work involves looking at lots and lots of wiggle plots. Before joining Arizona, I was a Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Geological Survey. Outside of research I can usually be found with my dog or working in my garden.

Education

  • PhD Geophysics, California Institute of Technology (2024)
  • BS Mathematics and BS Geological Sciences, Indiana University (2019)

Positions

  • Assistant Professor, University of Arizona (2026-present)
  • Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey (2024-2026)

Students

Portrait of Nikhil Punithan

Nikhil Punithan

PhD Student, Colorado School of Mines

I am a 2nd year geophysics PhD student at the Colorado School of Mines. My research primarily focuses on the use of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to monitor the near surface for geologic hazards. I'm currently working on projects involving the rapid calculation of surface-wave dispersion images from ambient seismic data for near real-time site investigation. When I'm not working on my research, I enjoy hitting the gym, going on sunrise hikes, and reading science fiction novels (I highly recommend Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie).

BS Geophysics and Seismology, Texas A&M University (2023)