Contact Info

Dr. Yeşim Çubuk Sabuncu
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Service and Research Division

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Research

I am a computational seismologist, my work explores earthquakes, seismic cycles, crustal structure, and temporal changes in seismic velocities by analyzing large seismological datasets and applying advanced modeling techniques through high-performance computing.

A key area of my research is ambient noise interferometry, which I use to detect relative seismic velocity changes associated with recurring volcanic eruptions in the Reykjanes Peninsula. I also employ noise-based methods to understand co-seismic and post-seismic velocity changes caused by earthquakes in the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ).

My work extends to physics-based volumetric seismic cycle simulations spanning thousands of years, providing insights into earthquake sequences and aseismic slip within the SISZ. Through the European ChEESE-2P project, these efforts aim to enhance seismic hazard assessments in Iceland by leveraging advancements in methodology and exascale computing.

Another focus of my research is distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), particularly for volcanic tremor detection. I am passionate about geophysical fieldwork and have participated in collaborative DAS experiments in Iceland, such as DASBummBumm, as well as seismic nodal deployments under the IS-Noise and IS-Tremor projects in diverse environments.

During my doctoral research, I developed a 3D radially anisotropic subsurface model for western Turkey, revealing previously unknown crustal features beneath fault zones. My broader aim is to contribute to advancing earthquake science in Iceland and Turkey, improving capabilities for monitoring and forecasting seismic and volcanic activity.

Publications


Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Jónsdóttir, K., Árnadóttir, T., Mordret, A., Caudron, C., Lecocq, T., De Plaen, R. (2024). Temporal Seismic Velocity Changes Associated With the Mw 6.1, May 2008 Ölfus Doublet, South Iceland: A Joint Interpretation From dv/v and GPS. JGR: Solid Earth, 129(4), e2023JB027064 (2024)

Sun, Y., Melgar, D., Ruiz-Angulo, A., Ganas, A., Taymaz, T., Crowell, B., Xu, X., Tsironi, V., Karasante, I., Yolsal-Çevikbilen, S., Erman, C., Serkan Irmak, T., Cubuk-Sabuncu, T., Eken T. (2024). The 2020 Mw 7.0 Samos (Eastern Aegean Sea) Earthquake: joint source inversion of multitype data, and tsunami modelling. Geophysical Journal International, Volume 237, Issue 3, June 2024, Pages 1285–1300 (2024)

Cetin, K. O., Kalkan, E., Askan, A., Bohnhoff, M., Ergintav, S., Konca, A. Ö., Taymaz, T., Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., and Gulerce, Z.(2024). Preface for the Focus Section on the 6 February 2023, Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Earthquakes. Seis. Res. Lett., 95 (2A), 560-561. (2024)

Fichtner, A., Klaasen, S., Thrastarson, S., Cubuk‐Sabuncu, Y., Paitz, P., Jónsdóttir, K. (2022). Fiber‐optic observation of volcanic tremor through floating ice sheet resonance.The Seismic Record 2022; 2 (3): 148–155. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0320220010 (2024)

Klaasen, S., Thrastarson, S., Cubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Jónsdóttir, K., Gebraad, L., Paitz, P., Fichtner, A. (2023). Subglacial volcano monitoring with fibre-optic sensing: Grímsvötn, Iceland. Volcanica, 6(2), pp. 301-311 (2023)

Ardid, A., Dempsey, D., Caudron, C., Cronin, S., Kennedy, B., Girona, T., Potter, S., Lamb, O., Miller, C., Cabrera, L., Ruiz, S., Pacheco, J., Mora, M., Maranto, A., Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., De Angelis, S., and Roman, D. (2023-preprint). Generalized Eruption Forecasting Models using Machine Learning Trained on Seismic Data from 24 Volcanoes. Research Square. (2023)

Fichtner, A., Klaasen, S., Thrastarson, S., Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Paitz, P., and Jónsdóttir, K. (2022). Fiber‐optic observation of volcanic tremor through floating ice sheet resonance. The Seismic Record, 2(3), 148-155. (2022)

Thrastarson, S., Torfason, R., Klaasen, S., Paitz, P., Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Jónsdóttir, K., and Fichtner, A. (2022). Detecting seismic events with computer vision: applications for fiber-optic sensing. ESS Open Archive, Authorea Preprints. DOI: 10.1002/essoar.10509693.1 (2022)

Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Jónsdóttir, K., Caudron, C., Lecocq, T., Parks, M. M., Geirsson, H., and Mordret, A. (2021). Temporal Seismic Velocity Changes During the 2020 Rapid Inflation at Mt. Þorbjörn‐Svartsengi, Iceland, Using Seismic Ambient Noise. Geop. Res. Lett., 48, e2020GL092265. (2021)

Fichtner, A., van Herwaarden, D.-P., Afanasiev, M., Simutė, S., Krischer, L., Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Taymaz, T., Colli, L., Saygin, E., Villaseñor, A., Trampert, J., Cupillard, P., Bunge, H.-P., and Igel, H. (2018). The collaborative seismic earth model: generation 1. Geop. Res. Lett., 45 (9), 4007-4016 (2018)

Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Taymaz, T., and Fichtner, A. (2017). 3-D crustal velocity structure of western Turkey: Constraints from full-waveform tomography. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 270, 90-112. (2017)

Confal, J. M., Eken, T., Tilmann, F., Yolsal-Çevikbilen, S., Çubuk-Sabuncu, Y., Saygin, E., and Taymaz, T. (2016). Investigation of mantle kinematics beneath the Hellenic-subduction zone with teleseismic direct shear waves. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 261, 141-151. (2016)

Çubuk, Y., Yolsal-Çevikbilen, S., and Taymaz, T. (2014). Source parameters of the 2005–2008 Balâ–Sırapınar (Central Turkey) earthquakes: implications for the internal deformation of the Anatolian plate. Tectonophysics, 635, 125-153. (2014)