Karen M. Fischer is a seismologist who studies the structure and dynamics of Earth's interior. Her work focuses on understanding the lithosphere and asthenosphere, how these layers are created, deform and evolve over time, and their roles in plate tectonics and mantle convection. She and her group analyze and model large datasets of seismic waveform data to measure the structure of the crust and mantle, including the signatures of present-day and ancient plate boundaries, mantle flow, and mantle melting processes. This work involves field-based seismometer experiments and the development of new methods to resolve Earth structure with seismic waves. She is a recipient of the Inge Lehmann Medal (American Geophysical Union), the Harry Fielding Reid Medal (Seismological Society of America) and the W. S. Jardetzky Medal (Columbia University). She is an American Geophysical Union Fellow and Beno Gutenberg Lecturer. At Brown her work has been recognized with the Royce Family Professorship in Teaching Excellence, the Karen T. Romer Award for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring, and the Meenakshi Narain Excellence in Research Mentoring Award. She earned her B.S. from Yale University (1983) and her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1989), and she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.
| Chen, K.‐X., Forsyth, D. W., Fischer, K. M. "A Mid‐Lithospheric Discontinuity Detected Beneath 155 Ma Western Pacific Seafloor Using Sp Receiver Functions." Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 51, no. 5, 2024. |
| Golos, E. M., Brunsvik, B., Eilon, Z., Fischer, K. M., Byrnes, J., Gaherty, J. "A New View of Shear Wavespeed and the Lithosphere‐Asthenosphere Boundary in the Southwestern United States." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 129, no. 8, 2024, pp. e2024JB029220. |
| Durand, Stéphanie, Juriček, Marija Putak, Fischer, Karen M. "Hydrous Melting and its Seismic Signature." Elements, vol. 20, no. 4, 2024, pp. 241-246. |
| Carrero Mustelier, Emily, Fischer, Karen M., Hua, Junlin, Gama, Isabella, La Femina, Peter C., Higgins, Machel. "Relationships Between Upper-Plate Structure, Mantle Wedge Melting, and Fore-Arc Sliver Transport in the Nicaraguan Subduction Zone." The Seismic Record, vol. 4, no. 4, 2024, pp. 251-258. |
| Hua, Junlin, Fischer, Karen M., Becker, Thorsten W., Gazel, Esteban, Hirth, Greg. "Asthenospheric low-velocity zone consistent with globally prevalent partial melting." Nature Geoscience, vol. 16, no. 2, 2023, pp. 175-181. |
| Hua, J., Fischer, K. M., Gazel, E., Parmentier, E. M., Hirth, G. "Long‐distance Asthenospheric Transport of Plume‐influenced Mantle from Afar to Anatolia." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 24, 2023, pp. e2022GC010605. |
| Higgins, M., La Femina, P. C., Saballos, A. J., Ouertani, S., Fischer, K. M., Geirsson, H., Strauch, W., Mattioli, G., Malservisi, R. "Cascading Hazards in a Migrating Forearc‐Arc System: Earthquake and Eruption Triggering in Nicaragua." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 127, no. 12, 2022. |
| Gama, Isabella, Fischer, Karen M., Hua, Junlin. "Mapping the Lithosphere and Asthenosphere Beneath Alaska With Sp Converted Waves." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 23, no. 10, 2022. |
| Golos, E. M., Fischer, K. M. "New Insights Into Lithospheric Structure and Melting Beneath the Colorado Plateau." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 23, no. 3, 2022. |
| Gama, Isabella, Fischer, Karen M., Dalton, Colleen A., Eilon, Zachary. "Variations in Lithospheric Thickness Across the Denali Fault and in Northern Alaska." Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 49, no. 24, 2022. |
| Saha, Sriparna, Peng, Ye, Dasgupta, Rajdeep, Mookherjee, Mainak, Fischer, Karen M. "Assessing the presence of volatile-bearing mineral phases in the cratonic mantle as a possible cause of mid-lithospheric discontinuities." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 553, 2021, pp. 116602. |
| Krueger, Hannah E., Gama, Isabella, Fischer, Karen M. "Global Patterns in Cratonic Mid‐Lithospheric Discontinuities From Sp Receiver Functions." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 22, no. 6, 2021. |
| Nathan, Erica M., Hariharan, Anant, Florez, Darien, Fischer, Karen M. "Multi‐Layer Seismic Anisotropy Beneath Greenland." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 22, no. 5, 2021. |
| Gama, Isabella, Fischer, Karen M., Eilon, Zachary, Krueger, Hannah E., Dalton, Colleen A., Flesch, Lucy M. "Shear-wave velocity structure beneath Alaska from a Bayesian joint inversion of Sp receiver functions and Rayleigh wave phase velocities." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 560, 2021, pp. 116785. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Rychert, Catherine A., Dalton, Colleen A., Miller, Meghan S., Beghein, Caroline, Schutt, Derek L. "A comparison of oceanic and continental mantle lithosphere." Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, vol. 309, 2020, pp. 106600. |
| Tao, Zhongmin, Li, Aibing, Fischer, Karen M. "Hotspot signatures at the North American passive margin." Geology, vol. 49, 2020. |
| Chen, Kai-Xun, Fischer, Karen M., Hua, Junlin, Gung, Yuancheng. "Imaging crustal melt beneath northeast Japan with Ps receiver functions." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 537, 2020, pp. 116173. |
| Hua, J., Fischer, K. M., Wu, M., Blom, N. A. "New Approaches to Multifrequency Sp Stacking Tested in the Anatolian Region." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 125, no. 11, 2020, pp. e2020JB020313. |
| Hua, Junlin, Fischer, Karen M, Mancinelli, Nicholas J, Bao, Tiezhao. "Imaging with pre-stack migration based on Sp scattering kernels." Geophysical Journal International, vol. 220, 2019, pp. 428-449. |
| Daniels, Clara, Peng, Zhigang, Wu, Qimin, Ni, Sidao, Meng, Xiaofeng, Yao, Dongdong, Wagner, Lara S., Fischer, Karen M. "The 15 February 2014 Mw 4.1 South Carolina Earthquake Sequence: Aftershock Productivity, Hypocentral Depths, and Stress Drops." Seismological Research Letters, vol. 91, no. 1, 2019, pp. 452-464. |
| Jadamec, Margarete A., Kreylos, Oliver, Chang, Benjamin, Fischer, Karen M., Yikilmaz, M. Burak. "A Visual Survey of Global Slab Geometries with ShowEarthModel and Implications for a Three-dimensional Subduction Paradigm." Earth and Space Science, vol. 5, no. 6, 2018, pp. 240-257. |
| Eilon, Zachary, Fischer, Karen M, Dalton, Colleen A. "An adaptive Bayesian inversion for upper-mantle structure using surface waves and scattered body waves." Geophysical Journal International, vol. 214, no. 1, 2018, pp. 232-253. |
| Chen, Chen, Gilbert, Hersh, Fischer, Karen M., Andronicos, Christopher L., Pavlis, Gary L., Hamburger, Michael W., Marshak, Stephen, Larson, Timothy, Yang, Xiaotao. "Lithospheric discontinuities beneath the U.S. Midcontinent – signatures of Proterozoic terrane accretion and failed rifting." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 481, 2018, pp. 223-235. |
| Hu, Jiashun, Liu, Lijun, Faccenda, Manuele, Zhou, Quan, Fischer, Karen M., Marshak, Stephen, Lundstrom, Craig. "Modification of the Western Gondwana craton by plume–lithosphere interaction." Nature Geoscience, 2018. |
| Hopper, Emily, Fischer, Karen M. "The Changing Face of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary: Imaging Continental Scale Patterns in Upper Mantle Structure Across the Contiguous U.S. With Sp Converted Waves." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 19, no. 8, 2018, pp. 2593-2614. |
| Hua, Junlin, Fischer, Karen M., Savage, Martha K. "The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary beneath the South Island of New Zealand." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 484, 2018, pp. 92-102. |
| Wagner, Lara S., Fischer, Karen M., Hawman, Robert, Hopper, Emily, Howell, Dorran. "The relative roles of inheritance and long-term passive margin lithospheric evolution on the modern structure and tectonic activity in the southeastern United States." Geosphere, vol. 14, no. 4, 2018, pp. 1385-1410. |
| Mancinelli, Nicholas J., Fischer, Karen M., Dalton, Colleen A. "How sharp is the cratonic lithosphere-asthenosphere transition?." Geophysical Research Letters, 2017. |
| Lekić, Vedran, Fischer, Karen M. "Interpreting spatially stacked Sp receiver functions." Geophysical Journal International, vol. 210, no. 2, 2017, pp. 874-886. |
| Mancinelli, N.J., Fischer, K.M. "The spatial sensitivity of Sp converted waves—scattered-wave kernels and their applications to receiver-function migration and inversion." Geophysical Journal International, vol. 212, no. 3, 2017, pp. 1722-1735. |
| MacDougall, Julia G., Jadamec, Margarete A., Fischer, Karen M. "The zone of influence of the subducting slab in the asthenospheric mantle." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 122, no. 8, 2017, pp. 6599-6624. |
| Parker Jr., E. Horry, Hawman, Robert B., Fischer, Karen M., Wagner, Lara S. "Estimating crustal thickness using SsPmp in regions covered by low-velocity sediments: Imaging the Moho beneath the Southeastern Suture of the Appalachian Margin Experiment (SESAME) array, SE Atlantic Coastal Plain." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 43, no. 18, 2016, pp. 9627-9635. |
| Hopper, E., Fischer, K. M., Rondenay, S., Hawman, R. B., Wagner, L. S. "Imaging crustal structure beneath the southern Appalachians with wavefield migration." Geophys. Res. Lett., 2016. |
| Hopper, Emily, Fischer, Karen M., Wagner, Lara S., Hawman, Robert B. "Reconstructing the end of the Appalachian orogeny." Geology, vol. 45, no. 1, 2016, pp. 15-18. |
| Biryol, C. Berk, Wagner, Lara S., Fischer, Karen M., Hawman, Robert B. "Relationship Between Observed Upper Mantle Structures and Recent Tectonic Activity Across the Southeastern United States." Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 121, 2016. |
| Parker, E. H., Hawman, R. B., Fischer, K. M., Wagner, L. S. "Constraining lithologic variability along the Alleghanian detachment in the southern Appalachians using passive-source seismology." Geology, vol. 43, no. 5, 2015, pp. 431-434. |
| Fischer, K.M. "Crust and Lithospheric Structure - Seismological Constraints on the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary." Treatise on Geophysics, 2nd edition, edited by Gerald Schubert (editor-in-chief), Oxford: Elsevier, 2015, pp. 587-612. |
| MacDougall, Julia G., Fischer, Karen M., Forsyth, Donald W., Hawman, Robert B., Wagner, Lara S. "Shallow mantle velocities beneath the southern Appalachians from Pn phases." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 42, no. 2, 2015, pp. 339-345. |
| Hopper, Emily, Fischer, Karen M. "The meaning of midlithospheric discontinuities: A case study in the northern U.S. craton." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 16, no. 12, 2015, pp. 4057-4083. |
| Lekić, Vedran, Fischer, Karen M. "Contrasting lithospheric signatures across the western United States revealed by Sp receiver functions." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 402, 2014, pp. 90-98. |
| Ford, H. A., Fischer, K. M., Lekic, V. "Localized shear in the deep lithosphere beneath the San Andreas fault system." Geology, vol. 42, no. 4, 2014, pp. 295-298. |
| Abers, G. A., Fischer, K. M., Hirth, G., Wiens, D. A., Plank, T., Holtzman, B. K., McCarthy, C., Gazel, E. "Reconciling mantle attenuation-temperature relationships from seismology, petrology, and laboratory measurements." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 15, no. 9, 2014, pp. 3521-3542. |
| Calixto, F. J., Robinson, D., Sandvol, E., Kay, S., Abt, D., Fischer, K., Heit, B., Yuan, X., Comte, D., Alvarado, P. "Shear wave splitting and shear wave splitting tomography of the southern Puna plateau." Geophys. J. Int., vol. 199, no. 2, 2014, pp. 688-699. |
| MacDougall, J. G., Kincaid, C., Szwaja, S., Fischer, K. M. "The impact of slab dip variations, gaps and rollback on mantle wedge flow: insights from fluids experiments." Geophys. J. Int., vol. 197, no. 2, 2014, pp. 705-730. |
| Hopper, Emily, Ford, Heather A., Fischer, Karen M., Lekic, Vedran, Fouch, Matthew J. "The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary and the tectonic and magmatic history of the northwestern United States." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 402, 2014, pp. 69-81. |
| Harmon, N., Cruz, M. S. D. L., Rychert, C. A., Abers, G., Fischer, K. "Crustal and mantle shear velocity structure of Costa Rica and Nicaragua from ambient noise and teleseismic Rayleigh wave tomography." Geophys. J. Int., vol. 195, no. 2, 2013, pp. 1300-1313. |
| Parker, E. Horry, Hawman, Robert B., Fischer, Karen M., Wagner, Lara S. "Crustal evolution across the southern Appalachians: Initial results from the SESAME broadband array." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 40, no. 15, 2013, pp. 3853-3857. |
| MacDougall, Julia G., Fischer, Karen M., Anderson, Megan L. "Seismic anisotropy above and below the subducting Nazca lithosphere in southern South America." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 117, no. B12, 2012. |
| Yuan, Huaiyu, Romanowicz, Barbara, Fischer, Karen M, Abt, David. "3-D shear wave radially and azimuthally anisotropic velocity model of the North American upper mantle." Geophys. J. Int., vol. 184, no. 3, 2011, pp. 1237-1260. |
| Lekic, V., French, S. W., Fischer, K. M. "Lithospheric Thinning Beneath Rifted Regions of Southern California." Science, vol. 334, no. 6057, 2011, pp. 783-787. |
| Till, Christy B., Elkins-Tanton, Linda T., Fischer, Karen M. "A mechanism for low-extent melts at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 11, no. 10, 2010. |
| Abt, David L., Fischer, Karen M., Abers, Geoffrey A., Protti, Marino, González, Victor, Strauch, Wilfried. "Constraints on upper mantle anisotropy surrounding the Cocos slab from SK ( K ) S splitting." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 115, no. B6, 2010. |
| French, S. W., Warren, L. M., Fischer, K. M., Abers, G. A., Strauch, W., Protti, J. M., Gonzalez, V. "Constraints on upper plate deformation in the Nicaraguan subduction zone from earthquake relocation and directivity analysis." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 11, no. 3, 2010. |
| MacKenzie, Laura S., Abers, Geoffrey A., Rondenay, Stéphane, Fischer, Karen M. "Imaging a steeply dipping subducting slab in Southern Central America." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 296, no. 3-4, 2010, pp. 459-468. |
| Abt, David L., Fischer, Karen M., French, Scott W., Ford, Heather A., Yuan, Huaiyu, Romanowicz, Barbara. "North American lithospheric discontinuity structure imaged by Ps and Sp receiver functions." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 115, no. B9, 2010. |
| Rychert, Catherine A., Shearer, Peter M., Fischer, Karen M. "Scattered wave imaging of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary." Lithos, vol. 120, no. 1-2, 2010, pp. 173-185. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Ford, Heather A., Abt, David L., Rychert, Catherine A. "The Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary." Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, vol. 38, no. 1, 2010, pp. 551-575. |
| Ford, Heather A., Fischer, Karen M., Abt, David L., Rychert, Catherine A., Elkins-Tanton, Linda T. "The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary and cratonic lithospheric layering beneath Australia from Sp wave imaging." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 300, no. 3-4, 2010, pp. 299-310. |
| French, S. W., Fischer, K. M., Syracuse, E. M., Wysession, M. E. "Crustal structure beneath the Florida‐to‐Edmonton broadband seismometer array." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 36, no. 8, 2009. |
| Abt, David L., Fischer, Karen M., Abers, Geoffrey A., Strauch, Wilfried, Protti, J. Marino, González, Victor. "Shear wave anisotropy beneath Nicaragua and Costa Rica: Implications for flow in the mantle wedge." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 10, no. 5, 2009, pp. n/a-n/a. |
| Hoernle, Kaj, Abt, David L., Fischer, Karen M., Nichols, Holly, Hauff, Folkmar, Abers, Geoffrey A., van den Bogaard, Paul, Heydolph, Ken, Alvarado, Guillermo, Protti, Marino, Strauch, Wilfried. "Arc-parallel flow in the mantle wedge beneath Costa Rica and Nicaragua." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 451, no. 7182, 2008, pp. 1094-1097. |
| MacKenzie, Laura, Abers, Geoffrey A., Fischer, Karen M., Syracuse, Ellen M., Protti, J. Marino, Gonzalez, Victor, Strauch, Wilfried. "Crustal structure along the southern Central American volcanic front." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 9, no. 8, 2008, pp. n/a-n/a. |
| Harmon, Nicholas, Gerstoft, Peter, Rychert, Catherine A., Abers, Geoffrey A., Salas de la Cruz, Mariela, Fischer, Karen M. "Phase velocities from seismic noise using beamforming and cross correlation in Costa Rica and Nicaragua." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 35, no. 19, 2008. |
| Abt, David L., Fischer, Karen M. "Resolving three-dimensional anisotropic structure with shear wave splitting tomography." Geophys. J. Int., vol. 173, no. 3, 2008, pp. 859-886. |
| Syracuse, Ellen M., Abers, Geoffrey A., Fischer, Karen, MacKenzie, Laura, Rychert, Catherine, Protti, Marino, González, Víctor, Strauch, Wilfried. "Seismic tomography and earthquake locations in the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican upper mantle." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 9, no. 7, 2008. |
| Rychert, C. A., Fischer, K. M., Abers, G. A., Plank, T., Syracuse, E., Protti, J. M., Gonzalez, V., Strauch, W. "Strong along-arc variations in attenuation in the mantle wedge beneath Costa Rica and Nicaragua." Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 9, no. 10, 2008. |
| Rychert, Catherine A., Rondenay, Stéphane, Fischer, Karen M. "P -to- S and S -to- P imaging of a sharp lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath eastern North America." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 112, no. B8, 2007. |
| Rychert, Catherine A., Fischer, Karen M., Rondenay, Stéphane. "A sharp lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary imaged beneath eastern North America." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 436, no. 7050, 2005, pp. 542-545. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Li, Aibing, Forsyth, Donald W., Hung, Shu-Huei. "Imaging three-dimensional anisotropy with broadband seismometer arrays.", 2005, pp. 99-116. |
| Rondenay, Stéphane, Bostock, Michael G., Fischer, Karen M. "Multichannel inversion of scattered teleseismic body waves: Practical considerations and applicability.", 2005, pp. 187-203. |
| Li, Aibing, Forsyth, Donald W., Fischer, Karen M. "Rayleigh wave constraints on shear-wave structure and azimuthal anisotropy beneath the Colorado Rocky Mountains.", 2005, pp. 385-401. |
| Savage, M. K., Fischer, K. M., Hall, C. E. "Strain modelling, seismic anisotropy and coupling at strike-slip boundaries: applications in New Zealand and the San Andreas fault." Geological Society, London, Special Publications, vol. 227, no. 1, 2004, pp. 9-39. |
| Butler, Rhett, Lay, Thome, Creager, Ken, Earl, Paul, Fischer, Karen, Gaherty, Jim, Laske, Gabi, Leith, Bill, Park, Jeff, Ritzwolle, Mike, Tromp, Jeroen, Wen, Lianxing. "The global seismographic network surpasses its design goal." Eos Trans. AGU, vol. 85, no. 23, 2004, pp. 225. |
| Harmon, Nicholas. "Variations in shear-wave splitting in young Pacific seafloor." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 31, no. 15, 2004. |
| Rondenay, Stéphane, Fischer, Karen M. "Constraints on localized core-mantle boundary structure from multichannel, broadband SKS coda analysis." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 108, no. B11, 2003. |
| Weeraratne, Dayanthie S., Forsyth, Donald W., Fischer, Karen M. "Evidence for an upper mantle plume beneath the Tanzanian craton from Rayleigh wave tomography." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 108, no. B9, 2003. |
| Li, Aibing, Forsyth, Donald W., Fischer, Karen M. "Shear velocity structure and azimuthal anisotropy beneath eastern North America from Rayleigh wave inversion." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 108, no. B8, 2003. |
| Fisher, Jesse L., Wysession, Michael E., Fischer, Karen M. "Small-scale lateral variations in D″ attenuation and velocity structure." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 30, no. 8, 2003. |
| Li, Aibing, Fischer, Karen M., van der Lee, S., Wysession, M. E. "Crust and upper mantle discontinuity structure beneath eastern North America." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 107, no. B5, 2002. |
| Li, A., Forsyth, D. W., and Fischer, K. M. "Evidence for shallow isostatic compensation of the southern Rocky Mountains from Rayleigh wave tomography." Geology, vol. 30, 2002, pp. 683-686. |
| Fischer KM. "Flow and fabric deep down." Nature, vol. 415, no. 6873, 2002, pp. 745-8. |
| Fischer, Karen M. "Waning buoyancy in the crustal roots of old mountains." Nature, vol. 417, no. 6892, 2002, pp. 933-936. |
| Smith, G. P., Wiens, D. A., Fischer, K., Dorman, L., Webb, S., Hildebrand, J. "A Complex Pattern of Mantle Flow in the Lau Backarc." Science, vol. 292, no. 5517, 2001, pp. 713-716. |
| Fouch, Matthew J., Fischer, Karen M., Wysession, Michael E. "Lowermost mantle anisotropy beneath the Pacific: Imaging the source of the Hawaiian plume." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 190, no. 3-4, 2001, pp. 167-180. |
| Wysession, M. E., Fischer, K. M., Al-eqabi, G. I., Shore, P. J., Gurari, I. "Using MOMA Broadband Array ScS-S data to image smaller-scale structures at the base of the mantle." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 28, no. 5, 2001, pp. 867-870. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Parmentier, E. M., Stine, Alexander R., Wolf, Elizabeth R. "Modeling anisotropy and plate-driven flow in the Tonga subduction zone back arc." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 105, no. B7, 2000, pp. 16181. |
| Fouch, Matthew J., Fischer, Karen M., Parmentier, E. M., Wysession, Michael E., Clarke, Timothy J. "Shear wave splitting, continental keels, and patterns of mantle flow." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 105, no. B3, 2000, pp. 6255. |
| Hall, Chad E., Fischer, Karen M., Parmentier, E. M., Blackman, Donna K. "The influence of plate motions on three-dimensional back arc mantle flow and shear wave splitting." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 105, no. B12, 2000, pp. 28009. |
| Wysession, M. E. "Lateral Variations in Compressional/Shear Velocities at the Base of the Mantle." Science, vol. 284, no. 5411, 1999, pp. 120-125. |
| Fischer, K. M., Fouch, M. J., Wiens, D. A., Boettcher, M. S. "Anisotropy and Flow in Pacific Subduction Zone Back-arcs." Pure and Applied Geophysics, vol. 151, no. 2-4, 1998, pp. 463-475. |
| Fouch, Matthew J., Fischer, Karen M. "Shear wave anisotropy in the Mariana Subduction Zone." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 25, no. 8, 1998, pp. 1221-1224. |
| Fouch, Matthew J., Fischer, Karen M. "Mantle anisotropy beneath northwest Pacific subduction zones." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 101, no. B7, 1996, pp. 15987. |
| Wysession, Michael E., Fischer, Karen M., Clarke, Timothy J., Al-eqabi, Ghassan I., Fouch, Matt J., Shore, Patrick J., Valenzuela, Raul W., Li, Aibing, Zaslow, Julia M. "Slicing into the earth." Eos Trans. AGU, vol. 77, no. 48, 1996, pp. 477. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Wiens, Douglas A. "The depth distribution of mantle anisotropy beneath the Tonga subduction zone." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 142, no. 1-2, 1996, pp. 253-260. |
| K. M. Fischer, L. A. Salvati, S. E. Hough, E. Gonzalez, C. E. Nelsen, and E. G. Roth. "Sediment-induced amplification in the Northeastern United States: A case study in Providence, Rhode Island." Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 85, 1995, pp. 1388-1397. |
| Yang, Xiaoping, Fischer, Karen M., Abers, Geoffrey A. "Seismic anisotropy beneath the Shumagin Islands segment of the Aleutian-Alaska subduction zone." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 100, no. B9, 1995, pp. 18165. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Yang, Xiaoping. "Anisotropy in Kuril-Kamchatka Subduction Zone structure." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 21, no. 1, 1994, pp. 5-8. |
| Yang, Xiaoping, Fischer, Karen M. "Constraints on North Atlantic upper mantle anisotropy from S and SS phases." Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 21, no. 4, 1994, pp. 309-312. |
| K. M. Fischer and S. E. Hough. "Site response in Providence, Rhode Island: Constraints from ambient noise measurements." Seismological Research Letters, vol. 63, 1992, pp. 525-532. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Creager, Kenneth C., Jordan, Thomas H. "Mapping the Tonga Slab." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 96, no. B9, 1991, pp. 14403. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Jordan, Thomas H. "Seismic strain rate and deep slab deformation in Tonga." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 96, no. B9, 1991, pp. 14429. |
| McNutt, Marcia, Fischer, Karen, Kruse, Sarah, Natland, James. "The origin of the Marquesas fracture zone ridge and its implications for the nature of hot spots." Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 91, no. 3-4, 1989, pp. 381-393. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Jordan, Thomas H., Creager, Kenneth C. "Seismic constraints on the morphology of deep slabs." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 93, no. B5, 1988, pp. 4773. |
| McNutt, Marcia K., Fischer, Karen M. "The South Pacific superswell.", 1987, pp. 25-34. |
| Fischer, Karen M., Purdy, G. M. "Seismic amplitude modeling and the shallow crustal structure of the East Pacific Rise at 12°N." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 91, no. B14, 1986, pp. 14006. |
| Fischer, Karen M., McNutt, Marcia K., Shure, Loren. "Thermal and mechanical constraints on the lithosphere beneath the Marquesas swell." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 322, no. 6081, 1986, pp. 733-736. |
| Fischer, K. M., and McCann, W. R. "Seismic velocity modeling and earthquake relocation in the northeast Caribbean." Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 74, 1984, pp. 1249-1262. |
Dr. Fischer and her group analyze and model large datasets of seismic waveform data to measure the structure of the Earth's crust and mantle. A particular focus is understanding the lithosphere and asthenosphere, how these layers are created, deform and evolve over time, and their roles in plate tectonics and mantle convection. This work involves assessing the competing roles of mantle temperature, composition (including water and carbon) and partial melting in creating observed seismic structure, and in turn applying this knowledge to models for the evolution of the mantle, including mantle viscosity, flow and melting processes. A related goal is to evaluate the signatures of present-day and ancient plate boundaries in the lithosphere. Her research has included field deployments of seismometers to study the structure and evolution of the North American continental lithosphere and mantle dynamics and melting in the Nicaragua-Costa Rica and New Zealand subduction zones. Her work also involves the development of new methods to measure Earth structure with seismic waves.
Professor Fischer's research is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Division of Earth Science, the Division of Ocean Science and the Office of Polar Programs.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | PhD | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 1983 | BA | Yale University |
Meenakshi Narain Excellence in Research Mentoring Award, Brown University - 2023
W. S. Jardetzky Medal, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University - 2022
AGU College of Fellows Distinguished Lecturer – 2021 to 2022
Harry Fielding Reid Medal, Seismological Society of America - 2019
NSF EarthScope Program Lecturer (2017-2018)
Beno Gutenberg Lecture, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (2016)
Jack E. Oliver Visiting Professor, Cornell University (2013-2015)
Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2010)
Karen T. Romer Prize for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring, Brown University (2009)
NSF MARGINS Program Distinguished Lecturer (2006-2008)
Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence, Brown University (2004-2007)
American Geophysical Union
Seismological Society of American
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
I enjoy teaching courses at the introductory level (including EEPS 0220, Understanding Earth and Environmental Processes), courses in geophysics (EEPS 1650, Earthquake Seismology; EEPS 2650, Advanced Seismology) and interdisciplinary seminars.
| EEPS 0220 - Earth Processes |
| EEPS 0220 - Understanding Earth and Environmental Processes |
| EEPS 1650 - Earthquake Seismology |
| EEPS 2920A - Measuring Climate and Environmental Change with Geophysical Data |
| GEOL 0220 - Physical Processes in Geology |
| GEOL 1650 - Earthquake Seismology |
| GEOL 2650 - Advanced Seismology |
