Short Bio
I use marine geophysics to study how the Earth's tectonic plates form, bend, break, subside, and slide past each other. I'm interested in the large-scale processes that shape the Earth's crust and upper mantle, and how these processes affect people and communities, leading much of my research to focus on the complex interactions that occur at plate boundaries. I mainly use controlled-source seismic methods but also incorporate a variety of other geophysical techniques to deepen our understanding of each tectonic setting. If you're interested in working with me as an undergraduate student, graduate student (MS/PhD), or postdoctoral researcher, feel free to reach out to me to discuss future opportunities.
Education
PhD University of Hawai‘i–Mānoa
BS University of Wisconsin–Madison
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, Auburn University (2022-Present)
Associate Research Scientist/Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (2019-2022)
Postdoctoral Researcher, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (2016-2019)
Innovation
Selected Publications:
Boston, B., Shillington, D. J., Watts, A. B., Cilli, P., Dunn, R., Ito, G., Wessel, P., ten Brink, U., 2025. Crustal Structure along and surrounding the Hawaiian Islands: Volcanic Island Construction across Scarred Oceanic Crust. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 130, e2024JB030377. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JB030377
Shuck, B., Boston, B., Carbotte, S. M., Han, S., Becel, A., Miller, N. C., Canales, J. P., Hutchinson, J., Merrill, R., Beeson, J., Gurun, P., Little, G., Nedimovic, M., Savard, G., Tobin, H., 2025. Slab tearing and segmented subduction termination driven by transform tectonics. Science Advances, 11(39), eady8347. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ady8347
Watts, A. B., Xu, C., Wessel, P., Shillington, D. J., Boston, B., Dunn, R., 2025. New seismic and gravity constraints on plate flexure and mantle rheology along the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain. Nature Communications, 16, 11013. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65442-3
Carbotte, S.M., Boston, B., Han, S., Shuck, B., Beeson, J., Canales, J.P., Tobin, H., Miller, N., Nedimovic, M., Trehu, A., Lee, M., Lucas, M., Jian, H., Jiang, D., Moser, L., Anderson, C., Judd, D., Fernandez, J., Campbell, C., Goswami, A., Gahlawat, R., 2024. Subducting plate structure and megathrust morphology from deep seismic imaging linked to earthquake rupture segmentation at Cascadia. Science Advances, 10, 23, eadl3198. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl3198
