hilst@mit.edu

Robert D. van der Hilst

Department Head, Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Schlumberger Professor of Geosciences

PhD, Geophysics, Utrecht U., 1990

Biographical Overview

Rob van der Hilst received his PhD in Geophysics from Utrecht University in 1990. After postdoctoral research at the University of Leeds (1990-1992) and the Australian National University (1992-1995) he joined the faculty of MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) in 1996. Rob was the Director of the Earth Resources Laboratory (ERL) between 2004 and June of 2012. In January of 2012 Rob took on the role as Department Head of the Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. In addition to his work at MIT, Rob has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) and the Institut de Physique de Globe de Paris (France). Rob’s research interests include: Seismic imaging of the Earth’s interior structure from reservoir to planetary scales (travel time and waveform tomography; inverse scattering); Geodynamics of convergent plate boundaries and the mode of mantle convection; Heterogeneity and anisotropy of Earth’s crust and upper mantle; Continental evolution.

Publications

H. Fang, H. Yao, H. Zhang, Y.C. Huang, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2015, "Direct inversion of surface wave dispersion for three-dimensional shallow crustal structure based on ray tracing: methodology and application", Geophysical Journal International, 201, 1251 - 1263
B. Froment, J.J. McGuire, R.D. Van der Hilst, Pé dard, E.C. Roland, H. Zhang, J.A. Collins, 2014, "Imaging along-strike variations in mechanical properties of the Gofar transform fault, East Pacific Rise", Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 119, 7175 - 7194
S. Burdick, M.V. De Hoop, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2012, "Source-Indexed Migration Velocity Analysis with Global Passive Data"
H. Yao, P. Gouedard, J. Collins, J. McGuire, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2012, "Structure of young East Pacific Rise lithosphere from ambient noise correlation analysis of fundamental- and higher-mode Scholte-Rayleigh waves"
P. Gouedard, H. Yao, F. Ernst, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2012, "Surface-wave eikonal tomography for dense geophysical arrays"
P. Gouedard, P. Roux, M. Campillo, A.R. Verdel, H. Yao, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2011, "Source (and receiver) depopulation potential and surface wave tomography using correlation method in a scattering medium", Geophysics, 76
Y.C. Huang, H. Yao, B.S. Huang, K.L. Wen, W.G. Huang, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2010, "Phase velocity variation at very short periods in the Taipei Basin, Taiwan, from correlation of ambient seismic noise", Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 100: 2250-2263
P. Gouedard, H. Yao, R.D. Van der Hilst, A.R. Verdel, 2010, "Surface-wave eikonal tomography in a scattering environment"
S. Burdick, R.D. Van der Hilst, M.V. De Hoop, 2008, "One-way wave propagators for velocity analysis on curvilinear coordinates"
N. Ribe, E. Stutzmann, Y. Ren, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2007, "Buckling instabilities of subducted lithosphere beneath the transition zone", Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 254(1-2): 173-179
P. Ma, P. Wang, L. Tenorio, M.V. De Hoop, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2007, "Imaging of structure at and near the core-mantle boundary using a generalized radon transform: 2. Statistical inference of singularities", Journal of Geophysical Research, 112
Y. Ren, E. Stutzmann, R.D. Van der Hilst, J. Besse, 2007, "Understanding seismic heterogeneities in the lower mantle beneath the Americas from seismic tomography and plate tectonic history", Journal of Geophysical Research, 112
M.V. De Hoop, R.D. Van der Hilst, P. Shen, 2007, "Wave-equation reflection tomography: annihilators and sensitivity kernals"
M.V. De Hoop, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2006, "A method of wave equation reflection tomography", Geophysical Journal International, 167(3): 1332ñ1352
M.V. De Hoop, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2005, "On sensitivity kernels for wave equation transmission tomography", Geophysical Journal International, 160 (2): 621-633
E. Sze, R.D. Van der Hilst, 2003, "Core mantle boundary topography from short period PcP, PKP, and PKKP data", Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 135: 27-46