Seismologist Duties & Responsibilities
The role and function of a Seismologist includes the following duties and responsibilities:
- Analyze and interpret seismic data to categorize different sources - such as the difference between an earthquake and an explosion
- Use data sets to evaluate hazards
- Review research and literature relating to current discoveries in the field
- Provide evaluative reports to governments, engineering companies or other external stakeholders
- Use computers to model information, gain insight for possible hypotheses, and predict trends
- Use modelling data to construct models of the Earth's subsurface
- Use data to produce maps of seismic activity and intensity after an earthquake
- Develop methodologies to improve upon conventional interpretation approaches, including writing new computer algorithms to manipulate data
- Communicate with the media and public to educate people about earthquakes and earthquake preparedness
- Inform critical infrastructure, emergency response groups and the media when large earthquakes have occurred
- Write scientific reports and publish study findings
- Incorporate site characteristics like soil effects into data collection
- Apply knowledge of secondary perils such as tsunami, liquefaction and landslides
- Perform detailed statistical and data analysis for risk analysis
- Preparing documentation and reports showing the results of the analysis, to be included in the R&D presentations to clients
- Be able to deploy earthquake hazard catastrophe model development
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of Seismologist duties and responsibilities. Job functions for specific Seismologist roles may vary, depending on the industry and type of employer.
