Charles J. Ammon
Associate Professor of Geosciences

Department of Geosciences
440 Deike Building
University Park, PA 16870

Voice: (814) 865-2310 / FAX: (814) 863-7823
charlesammon@psu.edu

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maceira, M. and C. J. Ammon. Joint inversion of surface wave velocity and gravity observations and its application to central Asian basins shear velocity structure, J Geophys Res, 114, B02314, doi:10.1029/2007JB005157, 2009

Furlong, K. P., T. Lay, and C.J. Ammon, A Great Earthquake Rupture Across a Rapidly Evolving Three-Plate Boundary, Science, 324, 226-229, doi:10.1126/science.1167476, 2009.

Hayes, G. P., K. P. Furlong, and C. J. Ammon, Intraplate deformation adjacent to the Macquarie Ridge south of New Zealand - The tectonic evolution of a complex plate boundary, Tectonophysics, 463, p. 1-14, 2009

Ammon, C. J., H. Kanamori, and T. Lay, A great earthquake doublet and seismic stress transfer cycle in the central Kuril islands, Nature, 451, 561-565, 2008.

Cho, K. H., R. B. Herrmann, C. J. Ammon and K. Lee (2006), Imaging the Upper Crust of the Korean Peninsula by Surface-Wave Tomography, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 97: 198 - 207, 2007.

Ammon, C. J., H. Kanamori, T. Lay, and A. A. Velasco (2006), The 17 July 2006 Java Tsunami Earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L24308, doi:10.1029/2006GL028005, 2006.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon, and T. Lay (2006), A search for seismic radiation from late slip for the December 26, 2004 Sumatra-Andaman (Mw = 9.15) earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L18305, doi:10.1029/2006GL027286.

Ketter, B. S., A. A. Velasco, C. J. Ammon, and G. E. Randall, Path-specific velocity structure of western China from surface-wave dispersion, Pure and Appl. Geophys., 163, 1235-1255, doi:10.1007/s00024-006-0071-9, 2006.

Ammon, C. J., A. A. Velasco, and T. Lay (2006), Rapid estimation of first-order rupture characteristics for large earthquakes using surface waves: 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L14314, doi:10.1029/2006GL026303.

Ammon, C.J., Megathrust investigations (News and Views), Nature, 440 (7080), 31-32, 2006.

Maceira, M., S.R. Taylor, C.J. Ammon, X. Yang, and A.A. Velasco, High Resolution Rayleigh Wave Slowness Tomography of Central Asia, J. Geophys. Res., 110, doi:10.1029/2004JB003429, 2005.

Julià, Jordi, C. J. Ammon,& A. A. Nyblade, Evidence for mafic lower crust in Tanzania, East Africa, from joint inversion of receiver functions and Rayleigh wave dispersion velocities, Geophys. J. Int. 162, 555-569, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2005.02685.x, 2005.

Ammon, C. J., C. Ji, H.-K. Thio, D. Robinson, S. Ni, H. Kanamori, T. Lay, S. Das, D. Helmberger, V. Hjorleifsdottir, G. Ichinose, J. Polet, D. Wald, Rupture Process of the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake, Science, 308, 1133-1139, 2005.

Lay,T., H. Kanamori, C. J. Ammon, M. Nettles, R. Aster, S. L. Beck, S. Bilek, M. R. Brudzinski, R. Butler, H. R. DeShon, G. Ekström, K. Satake, S. Sipkin, S. N. Ward, The Great Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake of 26, December 2004, Science, 308, 1127-1133, 2005.

Mulugeta T. Dugda, Andrew A. Nyblade, Jordi Julia, Charles A. Langston, Charles J. Ammon, and Silas Simiyu, Crustal structure in Ethiopia and Kenya from receiver function analysis: Implications for rift development in eastern Africa, J. Geophys. Res., 110, doi:10.1029/2004JB003065, 2005

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon, J. Farrell, K. Pankow, Rupture Directivity of the November 3, 2002 Denali Earthquake determined from surface waves, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 94, S293-S299, 2004.

Julia, J., R.B. Herrmann, C.J. Ammon and A. Akinci. Evaluation of deep sediment velocity structure in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 94, 334-340, 2004

Julia, J., C. J. Ammon, and R. B. Herrmann, Lithospheric Structure of the Arabian Shield from the Joint Inversion of Receiver Functions and Surface Wave Dispersion, Tectonophysics, 371, 1-21, 2003.

Stich, D., C. J. Ammon, and J. Morales, Orientation of crustal stress in the Ibero-Maghreb region from waveform modeling of small to moderate earthquakes, J. Geophys. Res. V108, B3 10.1029/2002JB002057.

Ammon, C. J., Seismic Source Inversion as a Multiple-Objective Optimization Problem, submitted to the Geophysical Journal International, Fast-Track Publication, August, 2002 (in revision).

Mancilla, F., C. J. Ammon, R. B. Herrmann, and J Morales, Faulting Parameters Of The 1999 Mula Earthquake, Southeastern Spain, Tectonophysics 354, 139-155, 2002.

Mokhtar, T., C. J. Ammon, R. B. Herrmann, and H. A. A. Ghalib, Surface Wave velocities across Arabia, Pure and Applied Geophys., 158: pp 1425-1444, 2001.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon, and S. Beck, Broadband source modeling of the November 8, 1997 Tibet (Mw = 7.5) earthquake and its tectonic implications, J. Geophys. Res., 2000.

Maceira, M., C.J. Ammon, and R.B. Herrmann, Faulting Parameters of the September 25, 1998 Pymatuning, Pennsylvania Earthquake, Seismol. Res. Letters, 71, 714-724, 2000.

Julia, J., C.J. Ammon, R.B. Herrmann, and A.M. Correig, Joint inversion of receiver function and surface wave dispersion observations, Geophys. J. Int., 143, 1-19, 2000.

Ligorría, J. and C. J. Ammon, Iterative deconvolution of teleseismic seismograms and receiver function estimation, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 89, 1395-1400, 1999.

Carlo, D., T. Lay, C. J. Ammon, and J. Zhang, The rupture processes of the great 1995 Antofagasta, Chile earthquake, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 677-709, 1999.

Ghose, S. , M. Hamburger, and C. J. Ammon, Earthquake processes in the eastern Tien Shan, Geophys. Res. Letters, 25, 3181-3184, 1998.

Ammon, C. J., R. B. Herrmann, C. A. Langston and H. Benz, Source parameters of the January 16, 1994 Wyomissing Hills, Pennsylvania earthquakes, Seism. Res. Letters, 69, 261-269, 1998.

McNamara, D. E., W. R. Walter, T. J. Owens and C. J. Ammon, Upper mantle velocity structure beneath the Tibetan Plateau from Pn travel time tomography, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 493-505, 1997.

Herrmann, R. B., and C. J. Ammon, Faulting Parameters of earthquake in the New Madrid, Missouri Region, Engineering Geology, 46, 299-311, 1997.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon, and T. Lay, Rupture Processes of the 1990 Luzon, Philippines (Mw = 7.7) earthquake, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 22,419-22,434, 1996.

Parsons, T., J. McCarthy, W. M. Kohler, C. J. Ammon, H. M. Benz, J. A. Hole and E. E. Criley, The crustal structure of the Colorado Plateau, Arizona: Application of new long-offset seismic data analysis techniques, J. Geophys. Res., 11,173-11,194, 1996.

Courboulex, F. S. K. Singh, J. F. Pacheco, and C. J. Ammon, The October 9, 1995 Colima-Jalisco (Mexico) earthquake (Mw 8), Part II: A study of the rupture process, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1019-1022, 1996.

Zandt, G., S. L. Beck, S. R. Ruppert, C. J. Ammon, D. Rock, E. Minaya, T. C. Wallace and P. G. Silver, Anomalous crust of the Bolivian Altiplano, central Andes: Constraints from broadband regional seismic waveforms, Geophys. Res. Letters, 23, 1159-1162, 1996.

Zandt, G., and C. J. Ammon, Continental Crustal composition constrained by measurements of crustal Poisson's ratio, Nature, 374, 152-154, 1995.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon and T. Lay, Source time function complexity of the great 1989 Macquarie Ridge earthquake, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 3989-4009, 1995.

Randall, G. R. , C. J. Ammon and T. J. Owens (1994). Moment-tensor estimation using regional seismograms from a Tibetan Plateau portable network deployment, Geophys. Res. Letters, 22, 1665-1668, 1995.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon, T. Lay and J. Zhang, Imaging a slow bilateral rupture with broadband seismic waves: the September 2, 1992 Nicaragua Tsunami Earthquake, Geophys. Res. Letters, 21, 2629-2632, 1994.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon and T. Lay, Empirical Green function deconvolution of broadband surface waves: Rupture directivity of the 1992 Landers, California (Mw = 7.3) earthquake, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 84, 735-750, 1994.

Velasco, A. A., C. J. Ammon and T. Lay, Recent large earthquakes near Cape Mendocino and in the Gorda Plate: Broadband source time functions, fault orientations, rupture complexities, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 711-728, 1994.

Lay, T., J. Ritsema, C. J. Ammon, T. C. Wallace, Rapid source-mechanism analysis of the April 29, 1993 Cataract Creek (Mw = 5.3), northern Arizona earthquake, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 84, 451-457, 1994.

Lay, T., C. J. Ammon, A. A. Velasco, J. Ritsema, T. C. Wallace and H. J. Patton, Near-real time seismology: rapid analysis of earthquake faulting, GSA Today, 4, 132-134, 1994.

Ammon, C. J., T. Lay, A. A. Velasco and J. E. Vidale, Routine estimation of earthquake source complexity: the October 18, 1992 Colombian earthquake, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 84, 1266-1271, 1994.

Mangino, S. G., G. Zandt and C. J. Ammon, The receiver structure beneath Mina, Nevada, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 83, 542-560,1993.

Ammon, C. J., A. A. Velasco, T. Lay, Rapid estimation of rupture directivity: Application to the 1992 Landers (Ms = 7.4) and Cape Mendocino (Ms = 7.2) California Earthquakes, Geophysical Research Letters, 20, 97-100, 1993.

Ammon, C. J., and G. Zandt, The receiver structure beneath the southern Mojave Block, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 83, 737-755, 1993.

Ammon, C. J., and J. E. Vidale, Tomography without Rays, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 83, 509-528, 1993.

Ammon, C. J., The isolation of receiver effects from teleseismic P waveforms, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 81, 2504-2510, 1991.

Langston, C. A., and C. J. Ammon, Scattering of teleseismic body waves along the Hayward-Calaveras Fault system, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 81, 576-591, 1991.

Langston, C. A., K. P. Furlong, K. S. Vogfjord, R. H. Clouser and C. J. Ammon, Analysis of teleseismic body waves radiated from the Loma Prieta Earthquake, Geophys. Res. Letters, 17, 1405-1408, 1990.

Ammon, C. J., G. E. Randall and G. Zandt, On the non-uniqueness of receiver function inversions, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 15303-15318, 1990.

Ammon, C. J., J. Zucca and P. Kasameyer, An S-to-P Converted phase recorded near Long Valley/Mono Craters Region, California, J. Geophys. Res., 94, 17,721-17,727, 1989.

Articles Published in Nonrefereed Journals & Proceedings

Herrmann, R. B., C. J. Ammon, J. Julia, and T. Mokhtar, Proceedings of the Joint inversion of Receiver Functions and Surface-Wave Dispersion, at the 21st annual Seismic Research Symposium, Las Vegas, NV - September, 1999.

Herrmann, R. B., C. J. Ammon, J. Julia, Proceedings of the Joint inversion of Receiver Functions and Surface-Wave Dispersion, the 22nd annual Seismic Research Symposium, New Orleans, LA - September, 2000.

Randall, G. E and C. J. Ammon, Proceedings of the Joint inversion of waveforms and spectra for earthquake faulting parameters, the 22nd annual Seismic Research Symposium, New Orleans, LA - September, 2000.

Ammon, C. J., M. L. Pyle , G. E. Randall, and A. A. Velasco., Refining faulting parameters and depth estimates for earthquakes in eastern Asia, Proceedings of the 23rd Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, October 2-5, 2001, pages 483-489, 2001.

Herrmann, R. B., C. J. Ammon, and J. Julia, Application of Joint Receiver-Function Surface-Wave Dispersion For Local Structure in Eurasia, Proceedings of the 23rd Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, October 2-5, 2001, pages 46-54, 2001.

Ammon, C. J., G. E. Randall, J. Julia, and E. Arias, Improving Estimates of Depth, Magnitude, and Faulting Parameters of Earthquakes in Central Asia, Proceedings of the 24th Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, September 16-19, 2002, 8 pages, 2002.

Ammon, C. J., G. E. Randall, J. Julia, R. B. Herrmann, and E. Arias, Systematic inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion for crustal structure in central Asia, Proceedings of the 24th Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, September 16-19, 2002, 9 pages, 2002.

Herrmann, R. B., and C. J. Ammon, Algorithms for region structure: Progress and applications, Proceedings of the 24th Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, September 16-19, 2002, 5 pages, 2002.

Ammon, C. J., R. Herrmann, M. Pasyanos, W. Walter, and M. Kosarian, Simultaneous Inversion of Receiver Functions, Multi-Mode Dispersion, and Travel-Time Tomography for Lithospheric Structure Beneath the Middle East and North Africa, Proceedings of the 24th Seismic Research Review: Worldwide Monitoring of Nuclear Explosions, September 16-19, 2002, 2003, pages 34-42, 2002.

Ammon, C. J., G. Randall, J. Julia, R. Herrmann, E. Arias, and T. Diehl, Systematic Inversion of Receiver Functions Surface-Wave Dispersion for Crustal Structure in Central Asia, Proceedings of the 25th Seismic Research Review: Building the Knowledge Base, October 2-5, 2003, pages 17-23, 2003.

Ammon, C. J., G. Randall, and J. Julia, Improving Estimates of Depth, Magnitude, and Faulting Parameters of Earthquakes in Central Asia, Proceedings of the 25th Seismic Research Review: Building the Knowledge Base, October 2-5, 2003, pages 17-23, 2003.

Ammon, C. J., R. Herrmann, M. Pasyanos, W. Walter, and M. Kosarian, Simultaneous Inversion of Receiver Functions, Multi-Mode Dispersion, and Travel-Time Tomography for Lithospheric Structure Beneath the Middle East and North Africa, Proceedings of the 25th Seismic Research Review: Building the Knowledge Base, October 2-5, 2003, pages 34-42, 2003.

Ammon, C. J., M. Kosarian, R. B. Herrmann, M. E. Pasyanos, W. R. Walter, and H. Tkalcic, Simultaneous inversion of receiver functions, multi-mode dispersion, and travel-time tomography for lithospheric structure beneath the middle east and north Africa, Proceedings of the 26th Seismic Research Review: Trends in Nuclear Explosion Monitoring, September 21-23, 2004, pages 17-28, 2004.

Ammon, C. J. , W. Sevilla, R. B. Herrmann, and G. E. Randall, Systematic inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion for crustal structure in central Asia, Proceedings of the 26th Seismic Research Review: Trends in Nuclear Explosion Monitoring, September 29-38, 2004, pages 17-28, 2004.

Ammon, C. J. and T. Lay, USArray Records the 9 October 2006 North Korean Nuclear Test, Eos, Trans. American Geophys. Union, 88, pages 37, 38, 2007.