Vita

Andrea Fabbrizzi, PhD

Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences                                                      

San Diego State University (SDSU)

San Diego, CA 92182, USA

afabbrizzi@sdsu.edu

Research Interest

My work as a Geoscientist focuses on the interplay between tectonics and submarine mass wasting for earthquake and tsunami hazard assessment. I reconstruct complex geological settings both inland and offshore through geological surveys, including trenching, cone penetrometer tests (CPTs), geomorphology, and high-resolution geophysics. This includes using tools like the CHIRP sub-bottom profiler, multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar, and data from submersible robots such as AUVs and ROVs. My ultimate goal is to better understand the role of local fault structures within the regional tectonic framework, including how rupture propagates across fault steps and triggers landslide mobilization.

Education

2019 – 2024 PhD in “Geophysics and Seismology” – JDP Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO, UCSD) & San Diego State University (SDSU) (San Diego, CA - USA)

Thesis: “Seafloor and near-surface geophysical applications on offshore geohazard investigations”

2014 – 2016       Master's Degree (MSc) in “Geology & Petroleum Exploration” - University of Perugia (Italy) supported by Eni E&P and Eni Corporate University S.p.A. The thesis was written through the stage at Eni.

Thesis: “Sedimentological and paleoceanographic characterization of the source rock intervals in the West-African Atlantic margin”

2010 – 2014 Bachelor's Degree in “Geological Sciences” - University of Rome “La Sapienza” (Italy).

Thesis: “Analysis of the distance between trench and volcanic arc in subduction zones”

2004 – 2009 High School Diploma - Liceo Scientifico “I. Newton”, Rome (Italy)

Professional Appointments

January 2025 – present     Postdoctoral Researcher – San Diego State University                

·   Wrote proposal as PI to fund research cruise and final report

·   Organized and led 12-days cruise SR2502 as Chief-Scientist and PI, offshore SoCal

·   Collected, processed and interpreted high-resolution bathymetry and CHIRP sub-bottom profiles

·   Mentored graduate and undergraduate students in seismic interpretation methods and bathymetry processing

·   Acquired sediment cores for ground-truthing, lithostratigraphy and age modeling

·   Coordinated seafloor dredging operations for rock collection

Spring 2023 - Fall 2024     Research Assistant - San Diego State University                                                                                    

·   Wrote proposal as PI to fund research cruise

·   Designed and organized 16-days research cruise SR2303, offshore SoCal

·   Mentored students at sea for high-resolution geophysics data collection, processing and interpretation

·   Worked in trenches on San Andreas fault zone, sediment sample collection

·   Collected sediment cores, soil sampling and borehole logging in San Diego Bay for geohazard assessment

January/May 2019              Graduate Research Fellow - University of South Florida (Tampa, FL - USA)

·       Sedimentological and morphological characterization of beach and storm deposits in barrier island systems; Field surveys on the West Coast of Florida, Florida Keys and Everglades National Park; Cores and Vibracores; GPS and Total Station; Lidar DEM Topobathy; Beach profiles; Coastal morphology.

Nov 2017 - Dec 2018          Graduate Research Fellow - University of Perugia & National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) (Rome - Italy)

·   Geometric and Kinematic 3D Reconstruction of the Central Apennines Seismogenic Faults: Geological mapping and cross-sections; Field survey on coseismic ruptures; Slip rates and throw variation; 3D modeling (Move/Petrel/GIS)

April/October 2016            Intern at Eni Exploration & Production, Upstream - (Milan - Italy)

·       Experimental geological research: Petrophysical well logs correlation (Petrel); Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy; Core and cutting characterization; Molecular Biomarkers (oil/kerogen); TOC/Rock-Eval; Optical Kerogen Analysis; Petroleum potential evaluation of an offshore Eni's drilling field (West-African basin); Final company presentation of the project.

Teaching

Spring 2021 – Spring 2024  Teaching Assistant – SDSU, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences

·       Organization planning and leadership of field trips where students learned to map and measure stratigraphic sections

·       Independently managed preparation of lectures, mentored students and evaluated student performance

·       Trained student on various field methods, e.g., collect sediment samples and cores, sieve and grain size analysis

Spring 2024                          Course: “Geology 101 - Dynamics of Earth Laboratory”

·   Topographic/Geologic Maps; Weathering and Soil; Plate Tectonics; Earthquakes; Minerals and Igneous Rocks; Volcanology Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks; Rock Deformation; Geologic Time; Oceanography; Paleoclimate; Geomorphology.

Spring 2021 - Fall 2023     Course: “Oceanography 100 – Ocean Planet”

·   Plate Tectonics; Isostasy & Bathymetry; Ocean Circulation; Waves & Tides; Ecosystems; Productivity/Pollution.

Spring 2022                          Course: “GEOL336 - Sedimentology & Lithostratigraphy”

·       Depositional Environments; Lithostratigraphy; Biostratigraphy; Sequence Stratigraphy; Basin Analysis; Field Trips (Anza Borrego desert/Salton Sea, CA).

Peer-reviewed Publications

Published

Fabbrizzi, A. (2024). Seafloor and Near-Surface Geophysical Applications on Offshore Geohazard Investigations. [PhD Thesis]: University of California, San Diego. 31634665. https://www.proquest.com/docview/3147639441.

Fabbrizzi, A., Parnell-Turner, R., Gregg, P. M., Fornari, D. J., Perfit, M. R., Wanless, V. D., & Anderson, M. (2022). Relative Timing of Off-axis Volcanism from Sediment Thickness Estimates on the 8°20’N Seamount Chain, East Pacific Rise. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 23, e2022GC010335. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010335;

Porreca, M., Fabbrizzi, A., Azzaro, S., Pucci, S., Del Rio, L., Pierantoni, P. P., Giorgietti, C., Del Rio, L., Gerald, R., Barchi, M. R., (2020). 3D geological reconstruction of the M. Vettore seismogenic fault system (Central Apennines, Italy): Cross-cutting relationship with the M. Sibillini thrust. Journal of Structural Geology, 131, 103938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2019.103938

In preparation

Fabbrizzi, A., Maloney, J., Keith, B. (in review). Velero Basin, Outer California Borderland: mapping of submarine mass-transport complex using new high-resolution marine geophysics. Marine Geology.

Fabbrizzi, A., Maloney, J., Derosier, B., Keith, B. (in prep). Interplay between tectonics and repeated submarine mass transport deposits in Cortes Basin: novel high-resolution geophysics in the Outer California Borderland.

Conferences

Sept 2024                               Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Annual Meeting - (Palm Springs, CA - USA).

Poster presentation: Fabbrizzi, A., Maloney, J.M., Keith, B. (2024, 09). Geohazard at Velero Basin, Outer California Borderland: mapping seafloor mass wasting using new high-resolution marine geophysics. https://central.scec.org/publication/13890

Dec 2023                                AGU Annual Meeting 2023 – (San Francisco, CA – USA)

Oral presentation: Fabbrizzi, A., Maloney, J.M., Derosier, B., Keith, B., Quintero, S., & Guerrero, H. (2023, 10). High-Resolution Geophysical Mapping of the Outer California Borderland: Tectonics and Repeated Submarine Landslides in Cortes Basin.

Oct 2023                                 Geological Society of America (GSA) Connects 2023 Meeting – (Pittsburgh, PA – USA)

Poster presentation: Fabbrizzi, A., Maloney, J.M., Derosier, B., Keith, B., Quintero, S., & Guerrero, H. (2023, 10). High-Resolution Geophysical Mapping of the Outer California  Borderland: Tectonics and Repeated Submarine Landslides in Cortes Basin 10.1130/abs/2023AM-391106

Sept 2023                               Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Annual Meeting - (Palm Springs, CA - USA).

Poster presentation: Fabbrizzi, A., Maloney, J.M., Derosier, B., Keith, B., Quintero, S., & Guerrero, H. (2023, 09). Quaternary Slope Failure History from Repeated Submarine Landslide Deposits at Cortes Basin, Outer California Borderland. https://www.scec.org/meetings/2023/am/poster/142

Sept 2022                               Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Annual Meeting - (Palm Springs, CA - USA)

Poster presentation: Fabbrizzi, A., Marquez, E. D., Singleton, D. M., Maloney, J.M., Rockwell, T. K., Driscoll, N. W., & Rugg, S. (2022, 09). Inner California Borderland High-Resolution Fault Mapping: Rose Canyon Fault Releasing Stepover in San Diego Bay Pull-apart Basin. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32399.87203

Dec 2020                                AGU Fall Meeting 2020

Poster presentation: Fabbrizzi, A., Parnell-Turner, R., Gregg, P., Fornari, D., Perft, M., Wanless, D., Anderson, M. (2020). Dating Off-axis volcanism on 8°20′N Seamounts using sediment thickness from Near-bottom Chirp. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.15260.56966

Sept 2019                               Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Annual Meeting - (Palm Springs, CA - USA)

July 2019                                Workshop in Tools, Data and Model for 3D Seismotectonics (Perugia - Italy)

Sept 2018                               Congress of the Italian Geological Society and the Italian Society of Mineralogy and Petrology (Catania, Sicily - Italy)

Poster presentation: Tectonic and geodynamic control on large earthquakes and complex earthquake sequences. http://www.sgicatania2018.it (p. 315)

Oct 2017                                 Petroleum Geology Student Contest - (Potenza - Italy), by Shell Italy E&P

Poster presentation with honorable mention Master's thesis selected in the abstract book: https://www.socgeol.it (p. 30)

Research Funding and Awards

March 17th 2025             Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC) for proposal "Marine geohazard assessment in the Outer California Borderland: fault network and mass wasting investigation”

Total Budget: $ 29,623

Sept 17th 2024                UC Ship Funds Program Award for proposal "Interplay between tectonics and repeated submarine landslides across the Outer California Borderland” - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (San Diego, CA - USA)

Total Budget: $ 825,493

Nov 30th 2022                UC Ship Funds Program Award for proposal "Investigation of the Outer California Borderland: Active Faulting and Crustal Deformation” - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (San Diego, CA - USA) - https://doi.org/10.7284/909885

Total Budget: $ 850,000

Spring semester 2019      Tharp Graduate Research Fellowship - University of South Florida (Tampa, FL - USA)

Total Budget: $ 1,450              

Spring semester 2019     Graduate Research Assistantship - University of South Florida (Tampa, FL - USA)

School of Geosciences | Coastal Research

Total Budget: $ 4,379.44

Nov 2017/Dec 2018        European Fund - Project: "Central Apennines 2016/17 earthquake" with the University of Perugia & INGV

Total Budget: € 10,289           

April/July 2016               Eni's Fellowship - Geology & Geophysics Project

                                     Total Budget: € 1,200

Research Cruises

Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2025         Oceanographic Cruise SR2502 (R/V Sally Ride) - SIO, UCSD  

Role: Chief Scientist and PI – Acoustic sub-bottom profiler and multibeam bathymetry acquisition, processing and interpretation; gravity-cores and sea floor dredging operations;

Project: Interplay between tectonics and repeated submarine landslides across the Outer California Borderland

Feb 18-Mar 5, 2023            Oceanographic Cruise SR2303 (R/V Sally Ride) - SIO, UCSD

Role: Co-chief Scientist and PI – Acoustic sub-bottom profiler and multibeam bathymetry acquisition, processing and interpretation; sea floor dredging operations assistant;

Project: Offshore fault and submarine landslide mapping within the Outer California Borderland and Catalina crater

Jan 4-11, 2023                      Oceanographic Cruise SR2301 (R/V Sally Ride) - SIO, UCSD

Role: Scientist – Acoustic sub-bottom profiler and multibeam bathymetry acquisition and processing, vibra-coring and ROV operations assistant;

Project: Acoustics, Paleo-landscapes, and Environments at Sea within the Inner California Borderland

Aug 27-Sept 11, 2022         Oceanographic Cruise SR2203 (R/V Sally Ride) - SIO, UCSD

Role: Scientist – Acoustic sub-bottom profiler and multibeam bathymetry acquisition and processing;

                                                Project: Active deformation and sea floor mapping within the Inner California Borderland

Memberships

Geological Society of America (GSA); American Geophysical Union (AGU); Seismological Society of America (SSA); American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG); Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC)

Informatic Skills

IHS Kingdom 2020; ArcGIS Pro (ESRI Model Building certification); QGIS (curricular exam: grade 30/30 with honors); NaviModel Producer (EIVA); GMT (Generic Mapping Tools); MATLAB; Bash Unix; LaTex; 3D Move; Petrel E&P Platform (acquired at Eni); Decision Space (acquired at Eni); AutoCAD (academic certificate); Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop & Illustrator); Microsoft Office (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook).

Media Coverage

https://earth.sdsu.edu/all-aboard-to-map-the-seafloor/

https://southern.scec.org/article/671

https://earth.sdsu.edu/assessing-potential-seismic-hazard-in-san-diego-bay/