RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am currently working with Dr. Garret Ito and Dr. Robert Dunn at the University of Hawaii on seismic anisotropy. We are trying to understand the radial and azimuthal anisotropy observed in areas where mantle plumes are interacting with mid-ocean ridges, such as the Reykjanes ridge south of Iceland. We are using geodynamic models of mantle flow to generate synthetic surface waves and seismic inversion to retrieve the anisotropic velocity structure of those models. The results are compared with real velocity models to infer how the plume material is spreading beneath a mid-ocean ridge and affects the formation of oceanic lithosphere.
During my PhD at the University of Florida, I participated in the Chile Ridge Subduction project in an international team led by Dr. Raymond Russo installing 59 broadband sensors in a remote area in Chilean Patagonia. I used those results to calculate velocity models and azimuthal anisotropy of the upper crust near the Chile Triple Junction zone using seismic ambient noise. I also investigated the occurrence of Non-Volcanic Tremors in the subduction zone north of the Chile Triple Junction and their relation with ocean tides.
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EDUCATION
PhD. in seismology, University of Florida, Department of Geology.
B.S. in geology, Universidad de Chile, Department of Geology.
PUBLICATIONS
1.Gallego, A., Garrett, I., Dunn, R. Analysis of surface wave azimuthal anisotropy using geodynamic models and application to the Iceland hotspot. (In preparation)
2. Gallego, A., Russo, R. M., Comte, D., Mocanu, V. I., VanDecar, J. C., Murdie, R. E. Tidal Modulation of Continuous Non-Volcanic Seismic Tremor in the Chile Triple Junction Region. (Submited)
3. Gallego, A., Panning, M., Russo, R. M., Comte, D., Mocanu, V. I., VanDecar, J. C., Murdie, R. E. Azimuthal Anisotropy in the Chile Ridge Subduction Region Retrieved from Ambient Noise. Lithosphere., 3, 393-400 (2011)
4. Gallego, A., Russo, R. M., Comte, D., Mocanu, V. I., VanDecar, J. C., Murdie, R. E. Seismic Noise Tomography in the Chile Ridge Subduction Region, Northern Patagonia. Geophysical Journal International., 182, 1478-1492 (2010)
5. Gallego, A. Non Volcanic Tremors and Seismic Noise Tomography at the Chile Triple Junction. University of Florida. Phd Thesis (2010) [pdf]
6. Russo, R. M., VanDecar, J. C., Comte, D., Mocanu, V. I., Gallego, A., Murdie, R. E. Subduction of the Chile Ridge: Upper Mantle Structure and Flow., GSA Today., 20, 4-10 (2010)
7. Mora, C., Comte, D., Russo, R. M., Gallego, A., Mocanu, V. I., Aysen seismic swarm (January 2007) in southern Chile: analysis using joint hypocenter determination. Journal of Seismology. 14, 683-691 (2010).
8. Russo, R. M., Gallego, A., Comte, D., Mocanu, V. I., Murdie, R. E., and VanDecar, J.C. Source-side shear wave splitting and upper mantle flow in the Chile Ridge subduction region. Geology. 38, 707-710 (2010).
9. Russo, R. M., Gallego, A., Comte, D., Mocanu, V. I., Murdie, R. E., and VanDecar, J.C. Triggered seismic activity in the Liquiñe-Ofqui fault zone, southern Chile, during the 2007 Aysen seismic swarm. Geophysical Journal International. 184, 1317-1326 (2011).
TEACHING
2007-2010 Teaching assistant in: Physical Geology, Exploring Geological Sciences, Introduction to Earth Sciences, Environmental Geology.
Last Update: May 2012