Research Profile:

My research focuses on developing new insights into the mechanical behaviour of faults and the tectonics of the lithosphere. I am particularly interested in how fault behaviour effects geological processes such as mountain building, rifting and volcanism. My specialism is in using a wide range of observational techniques from geomorphology, space-borne satellite geodesy (InSAR, GPS), seismology, potential field analysis, paleoseismic trenching and structural geology, and combining these observations with numerical modelling, to study both active and ancient fault zones.

Current areas of interest are:

1. Measuring the frictional mechanics of active faults
2. Linking geophysical inferences of fault mechanics with fault zone geology
3. Tectonics and dynamics of mountain ranges, rifts and subduction zones
4. Mapping historically active faults and estimating seismic hazard

If you are interested in working on one of these topics for a PhD or Masters by Research degree – get in touch

Current Opportunities:

1. GW4+ PhD Studentship: Fault Mechanics and Seismic Hazard in Subduction Zone Forearcs (includes 3-6 month internship in GNS New Zealand with Dr Andy Howell) – PhD project advertisement

Publications:

Journal Articles

• Wimpenny S., Watson S., Brown H., Zebracki M., 2024, Progressing Towards Safe, Inclusive and Equitable Field Research, Nature Geoscience.
• Zhang Y., Wimpenny S., Dal Zilio L., Shan X., 2024, Strain Partitioning and Fault Kinematics in the Northern Qilian Shan (NE Tibet) Determined From Bayesian Inference of Geodetic Data, Geophysical Research Letters, 51.
• Wimpenny S., Craig T., Blackwell A., 2023, Lower-crustal Normal Faulting and Lithosphere Rheology in the Atlas Forelands, Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, 128.
• Rossel L., Benavente C., Zerathe S., Wimpenny S. Aguirre E., Walker R., Grutzner C., Garcia B., Audin L., Combey A., Palomino A., Delgado F., Rodriguez-Pascua M., Cardenas J., Carcaillet J., 2023, Holocene Earthquakes on the Tambomachay Fault near Cusco, Central Andes, Tektonika, 1, 140-157.
• Wimpenny S., Craig T. J., Marcou S., 2023, Re‐examining Temporal Variations in Intermediate‐Depth Seismicity, Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, 128.
• Wimpenny S., Forrest N., Copley A., 2022, Time‐Dependent Decrease in Fault Strength During the 2011–2016 Ibaraki‐Fukishima Earthquake Sequence, Geophysical Journal International, 232, 782‐809.
• O’Kane A., Copley A., Mitra S., Wimpenny S., 2022, The Evolution of Shortening in the NW Himalaya and its Implications for Seismic Hazard, Geophysical Journal International, 231, 2009‐2033.
• Benavente. C., Palomino A., Wimpenny S., et al., 2022, Paleoseismic Evidence of the 1715 CE Earthquake on the Purgatorio Fault in southern Peru, Tectonophysics, 834.
• Wimpenny S., 2022, Weak, Seismogenic Faults Inherited from Mesozoic rifts Control Mountain Building in the Andean Foreland, Geophysics, Geochemistry and Geosystems, 23.
• Benavente C., Wimpenny S., Rossel L., Robert X., Palomino A., Audin L., Aguirre E., Garcia B., 2021, Paleoseismic Evidence for a Mw 7 Pre‐Hispanic Earthquake in the Peruvian Forearc, Tectonics, 40.
• Wimpenny S. and Watson S., 2021, gWFM: A Global Catalogue of Moderate‐Magnitude Earthquakes Studied using Teleseismic Body Waves, Seismological Research Letters, 92, 212‐226.
• Aguirre E., Benavente C., Audin L., Wimpenny S., Baize S., Rosell L., Delgado F., Garcia B., Palomino A., 2021, Earthquake Surface Ruptures on the Altiplano and Geomorphological Evidence of Normal Faulting in the December 2016 (Mw 6.1) Parina earthquake, Peru, Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 106.
• Wimpenny S., Benavente C., Copley A., O’Kane A., Garcia B., Rossel L., Aguirre E., 2020, Observations and Dynamical Implications of Active Normal Faulting in South Peru, Geophysical Journal International, 221, 27‐53.
• Wimpenny S., Copley A., Benavente C., Aguirre E., 2018, Extension and Dynamics in the high Andes revealed by the 1st December 2016 Parina (Huarichancara) Earthquake, Journal of Geophysical Research - Solid Earth, 123‐9, 8198‐8228.
• Copley A., Grutzner C., Jackson J., Howell A., Penney C., Wimpenny S., 2018, Unexpected earthquake hazard revealed by Holocene rupture on the Kenchreai Fault (central Greece): Implications for weak sub‐fault shear zones, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 486, 141‐154.
• Wimpenny S., Copley A., Ingelby T., 2017, Fault Mechanics and Post‐seismic Deformation at Bam, SE Iran, Geophysical Journal International, 209, 1018‐1035.

Other Publications and Outputs:

• Code of Conduct and Ethics and Inclusivity Assessment for field research
• Video guidelines for conducting safe and equitable field research