Large mainshocks can alter stress field on subsurface asperities across broad spatial and temporal windows, which would promote or inhibit fault motion. Beyond rapid rupture during earthquakes, fault can also slip at a steady rate without seismic radiation. In between these two end members, slow slip events have been documented within the conditionally stable transition zone.

Wildfires release large amounts of greenhouse gases, carbonaceous aerosols, and other pollutants, therefore having complex impacts on the earth climate, local weather, and air quality. To study the transport of the wildfire emissions, a plume height dataset has been developed. The resulting dataset from 2002 to 2010 captured well the observed MISR plume height distribution. By adding the plume height dataset in the climate model, the plume-rise enhanced AOD downstream of the wildfire spots by 20 to 50%.

Mn oxides are among the most ubiquitous and reactive mineral phases in natural environments and significantly influence the cycles of essential elements such as C and N, as well as the transport and fate of a wide range of metals. The structure and reactivity of Mn oxides were extensively studied but most of these studies used pure Mn oxide minerals, which are barely found in real geological or engineering settings.