I'm a third-year PhD student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah. I study the ways humans impact rock arches and towers. I love doughnuts, sunflowers, and red rocks, so Utah is a great place to be!
(in progress)
University of UtahDepartment of Geology and Geophysics
Thesis: Anthropogenic induced resonance and vibration fatigue of natural arches and towers.
Department of Physics
Department of Geology and Geophysics
Women's Resource Center
Physics Department
How is the structural health of rock arches and towers affected by anthropogenic sources of energy?
Rock arches and towers are dynamic natural features that bend, sag, sway and shake in response to a variety of environmental forcings. My goal is to understand how arches respond to man-made energy sources, like helicopters, trains, highway noise, and even some earthquakes. We use seismometers to measure the resonant frequencies of rock arches and towers, and record their vibration response under exposure to controlled and uncontrolled anthropogenic energy sources. We compare the resulting vibrations to what the landform experiences naturally. The vibration velocity of the geologic landform can increase from 10-100 times its normal level, so we are trying to learn what that means for the landform's health. If the arch or tower doesn't experience instantaneous damage, what is the result of the landform experiencing higher vibrations over time?
We combine numerical modeling methods with laboratory and field methods to approach these questions, which means we get to work in a number of beautiful places around Utah. We are funded by the National Science Foundation and by the University of Utah.
Moore, J.R., P.R. Geimer, R. Finnegan, and J. Bodtker (2020). Between a Beam and Catenary: Influence of Geometry on Gravitational Stresses and Stability of Natural Rock Arches, Geomorphology. doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107244
Geimer, P.R., R. Finnegan, and J.R. Moore (2020). Sparse Ambient Resonance Measurements Reveal Dynamic Properties of Freestanding Rock Arches, Geophysical Research Letters, 47, e2020GL087239. doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087239
Moore, J.R., P.R. Geimer, R. Finnegan, and C. Michel (2019). Dynamic analysis of a large freestanding rock tower (Castleton Tower, Utah, USA), Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 109(5), 2125-2131. doi.org/10.1785/0120190118
Moore, J.R., P.R. Geimer, R. Finnegan, and M.S. Thorne (2018) Use of Seismic Resonance Measurements to Determine the Elastic Modulus of Freestanding Rock Masses, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 51(12), 3937-3944. doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1554-6
Finnegan, R., J.R. Moore, and P.R. Geimer. (2019) Vibration response of rock arches and towers to helicopter-sourced infrasound. Abstract 506450, presented at: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Dec 9-13.
Moore, J.R., P.R. Geimer, R. Finnegan, and C. Michel (2019) Modal Analysis of a Freestanding Sandstone Monolith (Castleton Tower, Utah). Abstract 505782, presented at: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Dec 9-13.
Geimer, P.R., J.R. Moore, and R. Finnegan (2019) In-Situ Nonlinear Elastic Response of Sandstone Landforms Under Dynamic Loading. Abstract 507404, presented at: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Dec 9-13.
Finnegan, R. (2018) Helicopter-induced resonance of Two Bridges, Bryce Canyon National Park. Poster presented at: Global Change and Sustainability Center Symposium, Salt Lake City, UT, Feb 15.
The Geologic Toll of Helicopter Flights, Physics
Helicopter infrasound shakes historic rock formations, Physics World
Not-so-good vibrations? Chopper tours may be damaging Utah’s arches, Deseret News
Helicopters might be weakening Utah’s arches and towers, U. study finds, KSL.com
Taking the Pulse of a Sandstone Tower in Utah, The New York Times
Popular Utah rock-climbing spot vibrates in time with earth, wind, and waves, Ars Technica
Climbers in Utah Scaled a 400-Foot Rock to Measure How It Moves, Atlas Obscura
Earth Science Outreach and Education Endeavors