Rate My Professor Scott Marshall

Dr. Scott T. Marshall serves as Professor of Geophysics, Satellite Geodesy, and Fracture Mechanics and Director of the Environmental Sciences Program in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Appalachian State University. He holds a B.S. from Wright State University, an M.S. from the University of Idaho, and a Ph.D. in Geosciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Joining Appalachian State University as an associate professor of geophysics and structural geology in 2008, he has advanced to full professor. His research employs mathematical modeling, computer programming, and data analysis to investigate planetary processes, with a focus on fault and fracture mechanics, satellite geodesy, near-surface geophysics, and Earth science data analysis. Much of this work has been funded by the Southern California Earthquake Center and other agencies, contributing to advancements in earthquake modeling and seismic hazard assessment.

Marshall's research interests center on the physics governing fracture and fault behavior, including modeling complex networks of active earthquake-producing faults in southern California to analyze fault slip, surface deformation, stress field perturbations, fault interactions, and seismic potential. He utilizes satellite geodesy techniques, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), to measure spatiotemporal patterns of tectonic and non-tectonic deformation, fault activity, locations, and geometry. Additionally, he performs field-based geophysical surveys using Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), direct current electrical resistivity, and seismic refraction to image shallow subsurface structures for geological and environmental applications. In 2016, he was recognized as one of Appalachian State University’s Faculty of Distinction. Notable publications include "Mechanical Models Suggest Fault Linkage through the Imperial Valley, California, USA" (Dorsett et al., 2019, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America), "Geomorphic evidence for the geometry and slip rate of a young, low-angle thrust fault" (Hughes et al., 2018, Earth and Planetary Science Letters), "Fault slip rates and interseismic deformation in the western Transverse Ranges, California" (2013), and "Effects of nonplanar fault topology and mechanical interaction on fault-slip distributions in the Ventura Basin, California" (2008). His contributions extend to developing open-access tools for community fault models and mentoring students in research.