Modern surface rupturing earthquakes, historical earthquake ruptures, and prehistorical earthquake records. I am particularly interested in extracting dynamic earthquake data from on and off-fault geological records, such as rupture propagation direction, or the intensity of ground shaking. 

Related papers:

Little, T. A., Kearse, J., Kaneko, Y., & Van Dissen, R. (2025). Geometry of curved slickenlines as a function of rupture direction, asperity durability and coseismic roughening of fault surfaces. Journal of Structural Geology, 190, 105291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2024.10529  [free access]

Barth, N. C., Kearse, J. R., Little, T. A., & Van Dissen, R. J. (2024). Rupture direction of paleoearthquakes on the Alpine Fault, New Zealand, as recorded by curved slickenlines. Geology, 52(12), 917-921. https://doi.org/10.1130/G52543.1 [free access]

Langridge, R. M., Clark, K. J., Almond, P., Baize, S., Howell, A., Kearse, J., Morgenstern, R., Duess, K., Nissen, E., Garcia-Mayordomo, J., & Amos, C. (2023). Late Holocene earthquakes on the Papatea Fault and its role in past earthquake cycles, Marlborough, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 66(2), 317-341. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2022.2117829 [free access]

Morris, P., Little, T., Van Dissen, R., Hemphill-Haley, M., Kearse, J., Hill, M., Vermeer, J., & Norton, K. (2023). A revised paleoseismological record of late Holocene ruptures on the Kekerengu Fault following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 66(2), 342-363. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2022.2059766 [free access]

Morris, P., Little, T., Van Dissen, R., Hill, M., Hemphill-Haley, M., Kearse, J., & Norton, K. (2023). Evaluating 9 m of near-surface transpressional displacement during the Mw 7.8 2016 Kaikōura earthquake: re-excavation of a pre-earthquake paleoseismic trench, Kekerengu Fault, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 66(2), 244-262. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2021.1954958 [free access]

Little, T. A., Morris, P., Hill, M. P., Kearse, J., Van Dissen, R. J., Manousakis, J., Zekkos, D., & Howell, A. (2021). Coseismic deformation of the ground during large-slip strike-slip ruptures: Finite evolution of “mole tracks”. Geosphere, 17(4), 1170-1192. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02336.1 [free access] 

Kearse, J., Little, T. A., Van Dissen, R. J., Barnes, P. M., Langridge, R., Mountjoy, J., Ries, W., Villamor, P., Clark, K., Benson, A., Lamarche, G., Hill, M., & Hemphill‐Haley, M. (2018). Onshore to offshore ground‐surface and seabed rupture of the Jordan–Kekerengu–Needles fault network during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake, New Zealand. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 108(3B), 1573-1595. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170304 [free access]

Little, T. A., Van Dissen, R., Kearse, J., Norton, K., Benson, A., & Wang, N. (2018). Kekerengu fault, New Zealand: Timing and size of Late Holocene surface ruptures. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 108(3B), 1556-1572. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170152 [free access]

Litchfield, N. J., Villamor, P., Van Dissen, R. J., Nicol, A., Barnes, P., Barrell, D. J. A., Pettinga, J., Langridge, R., Little, T., Mountjoy, J., Ries, W., Rowland, J., Fenton, C., Stirling, M., Kearse, J., Berryman, K., Cochran, U., Clark, K. J., Hemphill-Haley, M., Khajavi, N., Zinke, R. (2018). Surface rupture of multiple crustal faults in the 2016 M w 7.8 Kaikōura, New Zealand, Earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 108(3B), 1496-1520. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170300 [free access]