Brianna outdoors beside a wooded pond

Brianna Birkel

Computational geophysics Ph.D. bringing a research-driven approach to analyzing complex data, testing and validating models, and clearly communicating scientific results.

Explore my workView CV

About Me

I'm Brianna Birkel, a researcher with a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Southern California. I use observational data and computational models to investigate complex problems, assess evidence, and communicate what the results mean.

My research focuses on seismic wave amplification in the Los Angeles Basin, using observational data, numerical modeling, and geophysical analysis to understand how complex subsurface structures affect ground motion and seismic hazard. I also developed generalized differential ambient noise tomography (GDANT), a new seismic imaging method, and used it to study shallow subsurface structure in the Nepal Himalaya.

I enjoy working across disciplines and making technical ideas accessible through research and teaching. I'm interested in research scientist roles inside or outside geophysics where I can build useful models, evaluate them against observations, and collaborate on problems with practical impact.

Methods & strengths

  • Data analysis
  • Numerical modeling
  • Model–data comparison
  • Computational geophysics
  • Scientific communication
  • High-performance computing
Brianna Birkel in doctoral graduation regalia outside the USC Earth Sciences building

Research Projects

Read my dissertation
Observed and simulated basin/reference PSA amplification versus period in Los Angeles, San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Chino, with 95% event-bootstrap confidence intervals.
Basin amplification: observations compared with CVM-H and CVM-SI.

Ground-motion modeling

Validating Ground-Motion Simulations

Testing how well Southern California’s 3D velocity models reproduce observed shaking, from regional patterns to basin amplification and surface-wave arrivals.

PythonModel ValidationHPC
Ambient noise from ocean microseisms reaches two seismic stations; cross-correlation of the station records reveals a time lag.
Ambient-noise cross-correlation between two seismic stations.

Tomographic method development

Generalized Differential Ambient Noise Tomography

A seismic imaging method I developed to combine ambient noise measurements into constraints focused on a chosen region of the subsurface.

Inverse ProblemsAmbient NoiseSynthetic Benchmarks
Shear-wave velocity beneath the Melamchi ridgeline, with topography, station locations, settlements, and masked regions of low resolution.
Shear-wave velocity along the ridgeline. Warmer colors indicate slower material and cooler colors faster material; masked regions have low resolution because of the array geometry.

Dense-array seismology

Shallow Subsurface Imaging in the Nepal Himalaya

Applying my GDANT method to dense seismic observations to image shallow structure beneath the Melamchi Valley and investigate its links to mountain hydrology.

Seismic ImagingHydrologyLandslides
Earthquake locations in the Nepal Himalaya in four panels: a longitude–latitude map, depth profiles against latitude and longitude, and a three-dimensional view. Points are colored by local magnitude (ML).
Earthquake locations viewed from the surface, in depth profiles, and in three dimensions. Together, these views show the catalog’s horizontal and vertical distribution; color indicates local magnitude (ML).

Earthquake catalog development

Locating Himalayan Microseismicity

An earthquake-catalog workflow combining machine learning–based phase detection with association and relocation of small Himalayan earthquakes.

Machine LearningSignal AnalysisEarthquake Location

Research Software

Open-source Python package

spatial-vtk

I developed spatial-vtk to evaluate how well ground-motion simulations reproduce observations. It brings data preparation, model comparisons, and spatial analysis into a reusable Python toolkit with a command-line interface.

Documentation GitHub
Observed waveforms, synthetic waveforms, and metadata flow through input preparation, quality control, metric calculations, and spatial validation to produce figures, reports, and dashboard outputs.
From observed and simulated waveforms to spatial patterns in model performance.View full workflow

  1. Prepare data

    Preprocess waveforms, organize metadata, and check data quality.

  2. Compare models

    Measure ground-motion residuals and waveform agreement.

  3. Explore spatial patterns

    Connect model performance with geology through maps, statistics, and clustering.

Used in my ground-motion validation research

Curriculum Vitae

Open CV (PDF)Download CV

Your browser cannot display this PDF inline. Open the CV in a new tab.

Teaching & Mentorship

Teaching is one of my favorite parts of academic life. My teaching approach emphasizes curiosity, real-world relevance, active engagement and building intuition around complex systems. I aim to create an inclusive, supportive learning environment where students feel confident asking questions and exploring ideas.

Courses taught

Teaching assistant · University of Southern California

PHYS 135A

Physics for the Life Sciences

Introductory mechanics, fluids, waves, and thermodynamics for students in the life sciences and health professions. The course combines quantitative problem solving with laboratory experiments to connect physical principles with observable phenomena.

CORE 103

Processes of Change in Science

Social and economic impacts of natural hazards; the power and limitations of science through a geophysical lens; and the roles of media, government, and lobbyists in hazard response.

GEOL 240

Earthquakes

Causes of earthquakes and the nature of large faults, earthquake hazard and risk, the world’s great earthquakes, and understanding the Richter scale.

GEOL 160

Introduction to Geosystems

Natural geological and environmental systems, their variability, and processes near Earth’s surface in the region that supports most life: the biosphere.

GEOL 107

Oceanography

The physical, chemical, and geological character of oceans and ocean basins, ocean processes and agents, and the economic value of the oceans.

In students' words

“You can tell that Brianna really cares about the course and [is] in tandem with the students. It was a pleasure getting to have her as our TA, and she will go far with the passion that is based in her teaching. Each lab she certainly did her best to communicate effectively, and work with students' learning types.”
GEOL 240 student · Fall 2024
“This discussion section was a rock this entire semester! With other classes feeling unimportant and irrelevant to the world around us, our discussions were always engaging and super pertinent to what we are all experiencing outside of the classroom. It was a super safe and encouraging learning environment.”
CORE 103 student · Fall 2020
Read more student feedback
“Brianna was super informative and had virtually every answer for any question that I asked. Her quizzes were rigorous, but she prepared me for the midterms and reflected the information discussed in the pre labs. She also made labs very interactive and fostered a fun environment.”
GEOL 240 student · Fall 2024
“Brianna Birkel has proven to be a very knowledgeable and helpful teaching assistant. While working in the laboratory, she provides clear and concise instruction and even demonstrates experiments for us in a fascinating and informative manner. The best part about her is that she is quite approachable and will always help you understand the content and subject matter.”
GEOL 240 student · Fall 2024
“Brianna did an absolutely phenomenal job of guiding the discussion. She really proposed ideas which made us rethink the way that disaster mitigation, the government, and even science in general are structured. I like that we were able to submit our own discussion questions because it enabled me to think really critically of the texts before class. The amount of reading each week was very manageable, but extremely effective at giving us the proper background information to contribute to the discussion. The breakout rooms were my favorite part of class because I was able to connect with other students and chat with them in a way that felt very casual and comfortable. Brianna was also very considerate of our mental health during this extremely chaotic time, which is greatly appreciated and allowed us to engage with the course material without too much stress. I am really happy to have taken this class and know that it has changed my perspective in many ways.”
CORE 103 student · Fall 2020
“Brianna served as an excellent TA for the lecture. She managed to explain all the concepts very well that even a business student like myself was able to understand. I also loved how she was always able to utilize her labs to help us understand the world around us. I certainly learned a lot through this course because of her.”
GEOL 107 student · Spring 2020

Contact Me

Let's connect about opportunities in data analysis, AI evaluation, geophysics, or research collaborations.