Faculty

Brian Atwater, Ph.D.
Brian has been a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey since 1973. Initially he explored the postglacial rise of sea level in California and the frequency of ice-age floods from Montana. Since 1985 he has been using coastal geology to help identify and quantify hazards posed by earthquakes and tsunamis. Though focused mainly on Washington State, this work has extended to comparative studies in Alaska, Chile, and Japan, and technical assistance in India, Indonesia, and Thailand. His most widely used publication is a public-safety booklet, "Surviving a Tsunami -- Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan." Brian is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and an affiliate professor at the University of Washington.