Travis Alongi

US Geological Survey 350 N. Akron Rd. Moffett Field, CA 94035

Research Interests

Geophysicist specializing in fault structure, earthquake seismology, and seismic imaging. Strong background in offshore and onshore fault characterization, seismicity-based fault modeling, and software development (Python). Experienced in both academic and government research settings.


Education

PhD, Seismology – University of California, Santa Cruz (December 2023)

B.S Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) – San Jose State University (December 2007)


Publications

Alongi, T., Rodriguez Padilla, A. (2026) pwrlaw_dmg: Python scripts for testing various impacts on power law behavior of fault damage zones: U.S. Geol. Surv. Software Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P1KBHVKX

Alongi, T., Elliott, A. J., Skoumal, R. J., Shelly, D. R., & Hatem, A. E. (2026). SURF: An Automated Method for Building Nonplanar 3D Fault Models from Earthquake Hypocenters. Seismological Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220250126

Milani, R.A., J.L. Vermeer, S.B. DeLong, B.E. Philibosian, C. Wikstrom, T.V. Alongi, and M.N. Hammer (2025).  Point cloud and digital elevation data from terrestrial laser scanning of the San Andreas Fault and coast redwood trees near Fort Ross, California: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P14AWYPD

Alongi, T., & Skoumal, R. (2025). SURF: A python package for reconstructing faults from seismicity patterns (Version 1.0.0). U.S. Geol. Surv. Software Release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P1MM9HMW

Alongi, T., Brodsky, E. E., Kluesner, J., & Brothers, D. (2024). Characteristics of the fault damage zone from high-resolution seismic imaging along the Palos Verdes Fault, California. AGU Advances, 5(4), https://doi.org/10.1029/2023AV001155.

Alongi, T., Balster-Gee, A.F. Kluesner, J.W., Snyder, G.R., Brothers, D.S., Conrad, J.E., Marcuson, R.K., (2024), Multichannel minisparker and chirp seismic reflection data collected during USGS field activity 2021-614-FA along the Palos Verdes Fault Zone: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9HCOSDF

Alongi, T., Brodsky, E.E., Kluesner, J.W., Brothers, D.S., (2022), Using Active Source Seismology to Image the Palos Verdes Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Distance, Depth, and Geology, Earth and Planetary Science Letters https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117871

Alongi, T., Balster-Gee, A.F.,Kluesner, J.W., Sliter, R.W., (2022), Reprocessed multichannel seismic-reflection data collected offshore central and Southern California during USGS field activity L-4-90-SC: U.S. Geological Survey data release,https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FOES4K

Alongi, T., Schwartz, S. Y., Shaddox, H. R., & Small, D. T. (2021). Probing the Southern Cascadia Plate Interface with the Dense Amphibious Cascadia Initiative Seismic Array. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126, e2021JB022180. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB022180


Research Positions

Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellow

U.S. Geological Survey — Moffett Field, CA
November 2023 – Present

Graduate Researcher, Seismology Laboratory

University of California, Santa Cruz
July 2018 – October 2023

Teaching Assistant, Earth & Planetary Sciences Department

University of California, Santa Cruz
July 2018 – July 2021

Research Assistant

IGPP Seismology Laboratory, UC Santa Cruz
October 2017 – June 2018

IRIS Summer Intern

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
June 2017 – September 2017


Presentations

Fault complexity and roughness measured with seismicity at Parkfield, CA

What is the fault zone structure at depth: a study of creeping faults in California

Seismicity as a Fault Mapping Tool: Automated nonplanar 3D fault models with SURF (invited talk)

How is surface creep related to deep structure?: A depth-dependent geometric complexity study of the creeping San Andreas Fault

Measuring Fault Zone Complexity at Depth (talk)

Non-planar 3D Fault Models from Earthquake Hypocenters (talk)

An Automated Method for Building Non-planar 3D Fault models from Earthquake Hypocenters

What does seismicity tell us about fault geometries (talk)

Microseismicity to Model Non-planar Fault Systems (talk)

What Controls the Along Strike Variability of a Fault Damage Zone (invited talk)

From Hypocentral Seismicity Patterns to 3D Fault Models

From Hypocentral Seismicity Patterns to 3D Fault Models

Offshore Faults and Earthquakes in California (invited talk)

Constraining 3D Fault Geometry with a Data-Drive Approach at the San Andreas - Calaveras Fault Junction

Offshore Fault Damage and Slip Behavior: Insights from Microseismicity and Seismic Imaging (invited talk)

Fault Damage Zone Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Imaging and the Relationship with Fluid Seeps Along the Palos Verdes fault (talk)

Understanding Fault Damage and Slip with Marine Seismic Methods

What Controls the Shallow Fault Damage Zone and Fluid Flow? Insights from New High-Resolution Seismic Imaging (poster)

The Palos Verdes Fault damage zone from the seafloor to the basement: revealed using multi-resolution controlled source seismic reflection datasets

Using Active Source Seismology to Image a Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Depth, Distance, and Geology poster

Using Active Source Seismology to Image a Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Depth, Distance, and Geology poster

Using Active Source Seismology to Image a Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Depth, Distance, and Geology (talk)

Using Active Source Seismology to Image a Strike-Slip Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Depth, Distance, and Geology (talk)

Using Active Source Seismology to Image a Strike-Slip Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Depth, Distance, and Geology (talk)

Using Active Source Seismology to Image a Strike-Slip Fault Damage Zone as a Function of Depth, Distance, and Geology (talk)

Probing the Southern Cascadia Plate Interface with a Dense Amphibious Cascadia Initiative Seismic Array (talk)

Probing the Southern Cascadia Plate Interface with a Dense Amphibious Cascadia Initiative Seismic Array (talk)

Probing the Southern Cascadia Plate Interface with a Dense Amphibious Cascadia Initiative Seismic Array (talk)

Fault Damage Zones in 3D with Active-Source Seismic Data poster

Fault Damage Zones in 3D with Active-Source Seismic Data poster

Using the Cascadia Initiative to Investigate Seismicity and Possible Shallow Slow Slip Along the Southernmost Section of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. poster

Refining the Tonga Slab Geometry Using Slab Phases of Seismic Waves


Honors and Awards


Conference convenership & community involvement

2026 Earthquake Science Center Seminar Series, Co-chair & organizer USGS

2025 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Co-chair Characteristics of faults and fault zones and their influence on earthquake physics: observations, models, and experiments

2024 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Co-chair Characteristics of faults and fault zones and their influence on earthquake physics: observations, models, and experiments

2023 Seismological Society of America Meeting, Convener Above the Seismogenic Zone: Fault Damage and Healing the Shallow Crust

2022 Seismological Society of America Meeting, Convener Fault Damage Zones: What We Know and Do Not (1 & 2)


Field Experience

2026 Central San Andreas Fault Mapping

2026 Pittsburgh Kirby Hills Fault - coring

2026 San Ramon Nodal Seismic Deployment

2025 San Andreas Fault Trenching - Little Rabbit Valley

2025 Parkfield Bridge - Creeping San Andreas Fault

2024 Montezuma Hills Fault Trenching - Talbert Lane

2024 San Andreas Fault Trenching - Little Rabbit Valley

2024 Mee Ranch and Mustang Ranch

2023 Seismic Refraction Survey

2021 RV Sproul

2019 RV Bold Horizon

2018 Blue Mountain Geothermal

2017 IRIS pascal


Teaching Experience

Teaching Assistant, Geophysical Data Science (9/2021 - 12/2021)

Teaching Assistant, Environmental Geology (3/2020 - 7/2020)

Teaching assistant, Geology of National Parks (4/2019 - 7/2019)

Teaching assistant, Environmental Geology (4/2020 - 7/2020)

Student assistant, California Historical Geology (1/2016 – 7/2016)


Relevant Coursework

Earthquake Physics, Crustal Deformation, Order of Magnitude Estimation, The Dynamic Earth, Practical Geophysics, Seismotectonics, Machine Learning for Geophysicists, Topics in Geophysics, Scientific Computing, Foundations in Applied Mathematics, Structural Geology, Data Analysis in Earth Science, Foundations in Earth Science.