SDSU researchers spent 12 days at sea identifying potential hazards to coastal communities
Written by Bryana Quintana About 70% of earth’s surface is ocean, yet only 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored. One matter overlooked by the general public and scientific circles alike is how shifting faults and landslides thousands of feet under the water can lead to earthquakes and tsunamis on land. This is what […]
The SDSU and UCSD crew deploy and recover a dredge, which collects rocks from the seafloor. Credits: Andrea Fabbrizzi / San Diego State University
About 70% of earth’s surface is ocean, yet only 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored. One matter overlooked by the general public and scientific circles alike is how shifting faults and landslides thousands of feet under the water can lead to earthquakes and tsunamis on land.
This is what San Diego State University associate professor Jillian Maloney and her team of researchers spent 12 days at sea investigating.
“These are hazards to people living in Southern California and making sure we’re prepared for these kinds of disasters saves lives and protects infrastructure,” Maloney said.
In Southern California, earthquakes are the primary cause of most large underwater landslides. Tsunamis can be triggered by earthquakes or sizable landslides which move huge volumes of sediment from higher to lower elevations, displacing large amounts of water.
Local faults like the San Andreas are well-studied and can be more easily monitored because they are on land. But faults far off the coast and well below the water are much more difficult to study and even detect.
That’s where the Research Vessel (R/V) Sally Ride came in. The vessel, managed by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is equipped with specialized scientific instruments and used exclusively for research.
With funding from the UC Ship Funds Program and a mission to map the seafloor to better predict and protect coastal communities from natural disasters, Maloney’s crew set out for the waters around San Clemente Island. About 100 miles off the San Diego coast, they saw nothing but blue sky, ocean and the occasional small island for nearly two weeks.
The team used the boat’s sonar technology to map the region’s complex topography, generating images showing the faults, tectonic segments and landslides hidden beneath the water.
“We identified faults that appear to be recently active, and that is an indication that they do pose a hazard,” Maloney said. “We identified new faults that could have earthquakes that we didn’t know about before and we did identify repeated landslide deposits, an indication that tsunamis are another hazard we should be considering.”
Maloney’s team also conducted sediment coring — quickly dropping a 10-foot tube into the water to extract a section of sediment that reflects thousands of years of seafloor history. Examining the cores for changes in sediment reveals when landslides, earthquakes and other natural events occurred. This informs on future risks.
SDSU researchers embark on a scientific mission off the coast of San Diego. Credits: Andrea Fabbrizzi / San Diego State University
“Besides new fault segments and new submarine landslides, we found that there may be smaller landslides that we are not able to see on a sediment core,” said the project’s chief scientist, postdoctoral researcher Andrea Fabbrizzi. “That could be very important because having more ‘invisible’ landslides can change the seismic and tsunami hazard for coastal California.”
“Geological features that we don’t see are out there and must be investigated more to have a better picture of the hazard those features represent for global coastal regions,” he added.
Maloney emphasized that offshore faults and landslides must also be included in hazard assessments, just as cities account for seismic activity on land when developing building codes and emergency plans. Recognizing these threats is key for such large metropolitan areas — whose critical infrastructure includes communications cables running along the global seafloor which transfer more than 95% of the world’s data.
“Earthquakes and tsunamis, we know from experience, are hazardous to life and property. A landslide that breaks a communication cable could be a big deal for people living here, or anything that’s on the seafloor,” Maloney said. “So we hope this work can get us closer to understanding the possibility of those affecting us so that we can be better prepared.”
.
Studio S
SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
Meet ArtsConnect, UC San Diego’s Invitation to SoCal Arts Lovers
ArtsConnect brings those experiences into view, helping residents discover what they can see, hear and create at UC San Diego while experiencing the campus in a new way.
Ask most people what UC San Diego is known for, and the arts may not be the first answer. Yet this fall, San Diegans can watch Ghostbusters with a live orchestra, try their hand at glassmaking and wander among more than 20 works of public art woven throughout the university’s La Jolla campus.
ArtsConnect brings those experiences into view, helping residents discover what they can see, hear and create at UC San Diego while experiencing the campus in a new way.
Courtesy of UC San Diego | Photo Cred: Erik Jensen
“The arts are at the heart of UC San Diego’s student-centered mission and vision,” says Alysson Satterlund, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life. “Whether creating, participating in, or experiencing performances, the arts are essential to a healthy and truly fun Triton student experience.”
That invitation often begins where the arts intersect with other fields.
“Some of the most innovative work and discovery happen where disciplines don’t usually share a stage,” says Cristina Della Coletta, Dean of the UC San Diego School of Arts and Humanities. “So through our unique intersection of the arts with science, technology, and medicine, we are improving lives, physically and emotionally.
Take The Inaudible Ocean, a collaboration between Department of Music Professor Lei Liang and Scripps Institution of Oceanography Assistant Project Scientist Josh Jones. Over eight years, the pair recorded earthquakes, ship noise, whale songs and other sounds in remote underwater locations. They transformed those recordings into a live music experience that allowed audiences to hear the ocean in an entirely new way. The work premiered on campus in May and continues to evolve.
The arts also connect the campus to the global art world and diverse perspectives. Chief Campus Curator Jessica Berlanga Taylor recently curated the Mexico Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, featuring RojoNegro, the collective formed by Noé Martínez and María Sosa. The collective will unveil a compelling new permanent installation for UC San Diego’s celebrated Stuart Collection later this fall.
ArtPower offers another easy entry point, bringing touring performers to venues including the outdoor Epstein Family Amphitheater and the intimate Loft. The nearly three dozen performances featured through its 2026-2027 season span music, dance, film, theater and conversation.
Among the fall highlights is Ghostbusters in Concert on Sept. 25, pairing the beloved 1984 film with a live performance of Elmer Bernstein’s score. Tickets start at $35, and the amphitheater is located next to the UC San Diego Blue Line trolley station.
“Every member of our community should have access to world-class art, so we work hard to remove the barriers that stand in the way,” says Colleen Kollar Smith, executive artistic director of the Campus Performances and Events Office. “That means affordable ticket prices, and performances, voices and experiences where people see themselves reflected on stage and know they belong.”
The arts at UC San Diego are not only something to watch. The Craft Center offers public classes and workshops in ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, culinary arts and even surfboard shaping. At the new Glass Center, beginners and experienced makers can explore glassmaking through classes, demonstrations and studio experiences.
Whether you want to attend a performance, make something yourself or spend an afternoon exploring public art, there is an easy way in. And the invitation extends well beyond students and alumni.
Kollar Smith says it best: “Visit, participate, spectate or create. You’re invited, and we hope you’ll connect with us soon.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
