2026—present
Laureate Postdoctoral Fellow
The Australian National University · Canberra, Australia
Research
Planetary seismology
Marine seismology
Seismic imaging
My research uses seismology to investigate the structure and evolution of Earth and other planetary bodies. I am particularly interested in developing methods that extract robust structural information from challenging observations, including sparse datasets, noisy signals, and complex reverberations. My work combines seismic data processing, imaging, waveform analysis, and probabilistic approaches to study deep structure and to make the most of limited planetary seismic observations.
Appointments
2024—2026
Postdoctoral Associate
University of Maryland · College Park, MD, USA
Education
2019—2024
Ph.D. in Geosciences
University of Rochester · Rochester, NY, USA
Dissertation: Lithospheric Imaging Through Reverberant Layers
Advisor: Prof. Tolulope Olugboji
2016—2019
M.S. in Geophysics
China Earthquake Administration · Beijing, China
2012—2016
B.S. in Geophysics
University of Science and Technology of China · Hefei, China
Publications
Published and submitted · * Corresponding author
Zhang, Z.*, and Lekić, V. (2026). A Transdimensional Framework for Array-Based Seismic Phase Detection and Characterization. Geophysical Journal International. In revision.
Carr, S., Olugboji, T., Waszek, L., Zhang, Z., and Schmerr, N. (2026). On the Origin of Mid-Mantle Discontinuities Beneath the Central Pacific as Revealed by Long-Period SS and PP Precursors. Geophysical Journal International, 246(3), ggag266. DOI
Zhang, Z.*, Olugboji, T., and Kim, D. (2025). Probabilistic Deconvolution of SS Waves for Imaging Fine Mantle Stratification (SHARP-SS). Geophysical Journal International, 241(2), 852–862. DOI
Zhang, Z.*, and Olugboji, T. (2024). Crustal Imaging with Noisy Teleseismic Receiver Functions Using Sparse Radon Transforms. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 114, 1600–1612. DOI
Olugboji, T., Zhang, Z., Carr, S., Ekmekci, C., and Mujdat, C. (2024). On the Detection of Upper Mantle Discontinuities with Radon-Transformed Receiver Functions (CRISP-RF). Geophysical Journal International, 236(2), 748–763. DOI
Zhang, Z.*, and Olugboji, T. (2023). Lithospheric Imaging through Reverberant Layers: Sediments, Oceans, and Glaciers. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 128(5), e2022JB026348. DOI
Shi, Y., Gao, Y., Zhang, H., Zhang, Z., and Li, G. (2023). Crustal Azimuthal Anisotropy in Lateral Collision Zone of the SE Margin of the Tibetan Plateau and Its Tectonic Implications. Geophysical Journal International, 234(1), 1–11. DOI
Shi, Y., Gao, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Y., and Li, G. (2023). Azimuthal Anisotropy of Receiver Functions in the Central South China Block and its Tectonic Implications. Annals of Geophysics, 66(2), SE213. DOI
Zhang, Z.*, and Olugboji, T. (2021). The Signature and Elimination of Sediment Reverberations on Submarine Receiver Functions. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 126(5), e2020JB021567. DOI
Gao, Y., Chen, A., Shi, Y., Zhang, Z., and Liu, L. (2019). Crustal Shear-Wave Splitting in Sanjiang Lateral Collision Zone of the SE Margin of Tibetan Plateau and Its Tectonic Implications: Preliminary Results by the Temporary Seismic Linear Array. Geophysical Prospecting, 67, 2432–2449. DOI
Zhang, Z., and Gao, Y. (2019). Crustal Thicknesses and Poisson’s Ratios beneath the Chuxiong-Simao Basin in the Southeast Margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Earth and Planetary Physics, 3(1), 69–84. DOI
Teaching
2025
Guest Lecture · GEOL 447: Observational Geophysics
University of Maryland
2023
Teaching Assistant · EES 2/425: Seismic Signal and Noise
University of Rochester
2021, 2019
Teaching Assistant · EES 2/414: Earth Science Data Analysis
University of Rochester
2020
Teaching Assistant · EES 211: Nature’s Fury
University of Rochester