| General, Awards and Honors

ESS Professor Harold Tobin ‘Goes on Tour’ as Ocean Discovery Lecturer for 2024-2025 Academic Year

Close up of Harold Tobin.
Harold Tobin, ESS Professor and Pacific Northwest Seismic Director.

ESS professor Harold Tobin was selected as one of six distinguished lecturers for the Ocean Discovery Lecture Series during the 2024-2025 academic year. This honor places him among a select group of experts invited to share groundbreaking research and insights that have come through scientific ocean drilling, specifically focusing on the international scientific efforts to understand the planet’s most critical subduction fault zones.

Tobin’s lecture series, titled “Megathrust…or Bust? The saga of the IODP NanTroSEIZE Subduction Zone UltraDeep Drilling Project,” explores his decades of work with the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) on the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) project, which has deepened our understanding of megathrust earthquakes and their associated tsunamis through a long-term effort to drill into and instrument the faults of the Nankai subduction zone. Nankai, the location of numerous devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, has often been called the “sibling” of the Cascadia subduction zone for their striking geologic similarities. 

Tobin’s work has led to significant breakthroughs in understanding the mechanics of subduction zone earthquakes. Between 1992 and 2019 he participated as a shipboard scientist on ten scientific ocean drilling expeditions, serving as co-Chief Scientist four times while leading the multi-expedition NanTroSEIZE project for over a decade. Tobin has spent over 500 days at sea since his graduate student days. His career research focus has been on the structure, mechanics, and physical properties of plate boundary faults, including study of the Cascadia, Costa Rica, Barbados, and Nankai subduction zones, as well as the San Andreas fault of California and the Alpine fault of New Zealand.

Harold Tobin with colleagues, leaning over a table looking at a sedimentary core.
Tobin with colleagues analyzing a collected sedimentary core while aboard the research vessel.

Tobin’s lectures reflect the challenges and successes of this groundbreaking work, including the ongoing quest to reach the elusive megathrust fault at 5000 meters below the seafloor. Through his presentations, he shares how these discoveries are revolutionizing the way we understand fault dynamics and earthquake generation. During most of the visits, he has given a second, “bonus” talk on his research group’s current work on the Cascadia subduction zone as well, highlighting contributions of doctoral students Madeleine Lucas and Anna Ledeczi. All told, he will have given 13 invited lectures by the time the tour is over. 

About the Ocean Discovery Lecture Series

The Ocean Discovery Lecture Series, organized by the U.S. Science Support Program (USSSP) and the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), is a prominent platform for scientists to disseminate important research related to sub-seafloor ocean exploration. This series invites prominent researchers to travel across the U.S. and engage with academic and public audiences. The goal is to highlight cutting-edge discoveries made through the IODP, which has been advancing our knowledge of oceanic environments, plate tectonics, and Earth’s interior for more than 30 years. The series provides a vital opportunity for students, faculty, and the public to learn about critical issues such as natural hazards, climate change, and the deep ocean’s role in the Earth’s systems.

The program spans several months each academic year and includes lectures from a diverse range of scientific leaders. It is designed to spark curiosity and foster discussions on the challenges of ocean research, all while emphasizing the importance of continued exploration to understand our planet’s seismic and environmental dynamics.

“The lecture series has been great so far – it gives me an opportunity to visit earth science departments all over the country. I’ve met so many great scientists and students,” says Tobin. “There are so many great people in departments large and small, and it’s a privilege to get to talk about the work of the huge, international NanTroSEIZE team in places that may not normally hear about scientific drilling projects.”

For more information about the lecture series and specific dates, please visit the U.S. Ocean Discovery website.

Lecture Schedule

  • October 7, 2024 — San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
  • February 3, 2025 — Utah State University, Logan, UT
  • February 25, 2025 — Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
  • March 7, 2025 — University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
  • March 31, 2025 — Boise State University, Boise, ID
  • April 3, 2025 — Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  • April 10, 2025 — University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE