He studied physics, geology, and economics at Yale ('81), then gained his PhD from Caltech ('86). Toiling at UC Santa Cruz and the USGS in Menlo Park led to teaching at UCLA for a decade. While at UCLA, he was Acting then Interim Director of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics.
In 2006, John escaped to verdant Seattle. There, he was a professor at the University of Washington, Director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and Washington State Seismologist.
His honors include the Macelwane Medal (1994) and the Gutenberg Lecturer (2009) from the American Geophysical Union, Researcher of the Year by the College of the Environment at UW (2011), and membership in the National Academy of Science (2017).
SCEC Participation
SCEC Board of Directors, Chair (2017 - 2018) SCEC Director (2017 - 2018) SCEC Advisory Council, Chair (2016 - 2017) SCEC Advisory Council, Member (2010 - 2016) SCEC Science Planning Committee, Group Leader (2002, 2004 - 2006) SCEC Mentor (2002)
Wang, W., & Vidale, J. E. (2020, 08). Study of fault zone damage and healing in the 2019 Ridgecrest aftershock sequence. Poster Presentation at 2020 SCEC Annual Meeting. SCEC Contribution 10539
Li, Y., Malin, P. E., & Vidale, J. E. (2007). Parkfield fault-zone guided waves: Low-velocity damage zone on the San Andreas fault at depth near SAFOD site at Parkfield by fault-zone trapped waves. Scientific Drilling Journal,(Special Issue, No. 1), 73-77. doi: 10.2204 /iodp.sd.s01.09.2007. SCEC Contribution 1139
Peng, Z., Vidale, J. E., Ishii, M., & Helmstetter, A. (2007). Seismicity rate immediately before and after main shock rupture from high-frequency waveforms in Japan. Journal of Geophysical Research, 112(B03306). doi: 10.1029/2006JB004386. SCEC Contribution 1029
Li, Y., Chen, P., Cochran, E. S., Vidale, J. E., & Burdette, T. (2006). Seismic Evidence for Rock Damage and Healing on the San Andreas Fault Associated with the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield Earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 96(4B), S349-S363. doi: 10.1785/0120050803. SCEC Contribution 924
Cochran, E. S., Li, Y., Vidale, J. E., & Burdette, T. (2006). Anisotropy in the Shallow Crust Observed around the San Andreas Fault Before and After the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield Earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 96(4B), S364-S375. doi: 10.1785/0120050804. SCEC Contribution 1080
Peng, Z., Vidale, J. E., & Houston, H. (2006). Anomalous Early Aftershock Decay Rate of the 2004 Mw6.0 Parkfield, California, Earthquake. Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L17307. doi: 10.1029/2006GL026744. SCEC Contribution 1028
Li, Y., Vidale, J. E., & Cochran, E. S. (2004). Low-Velocity Damaged Structure of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield from Fault-Zone Trapped Waves. Geophysical Research Letters, 31(12), L12S06, 1-5. doi: 10.1029/2003GL019044. SCEC Contribution 762
Li, Y., Vidale, J. E., Day, S. M., Oglesby, D. D., Cochran, E. S., & Field Working Group, . (2003). Postseismic Fault Healing on the Rupture Zone of the 1999 M 7.1 Hector Mine, California, Earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 93(2), 854-869. doi: 10.1785/0120020131. SCEC Contribution 685
Vidale, J. E., & Li, Y. (2003). Damage to the shallow Landers fault from the nearby Hector Mine earthquake. Nature, 421, 524-526. doi: 10.1038/nature01354. SCEC Contribution 1062
Li, Y., Vidale, J. E., Day, S. M., & Oglesby, D. D. (2002). Study of the 1999 M 7.1 Hector Mine, California, Earthquake Fault Plane by Trapped Waves. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 92(4), 1318-1332. doi: 10.1785/0120000909. SCEC Contribution 551
Li, Y., & Vidale, J. E. (2001). Healing of the shallow fault zone from 1994-1998 after the 1992 M7.5 Landers, California, earthquake. Geophysical Research Letters, 28(15), 2999-3002. SCEC Contribution 552
Li, Y., Chester, F. M., & Vidale, J. E. (2001). Shallow Seismic Profiling at the Punchbowl Fault Zone, Southern California. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 91(6), 1820-1830. doi: 10.1785/0120000050. SCEC Contribution 507
Li, Y., Vidale, J. E., Xu, F., & Aki, K. (2000). Depth-Dependent Structure of the Landers Fault Zone from Trapped Waves Generated by Aftershocks. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105(B3), 6237-6254. SCEC Contribution 478
Li, Y., Aki, K., & Vidale, J. E. (1998). A delineation of the Nojima fault ruptured in the M7.2 Kobe, Japan, earthquake of 1995 using fault zone trapped waves. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103(B4), 7247-7263. SCEC Contribution 449
Kohler, M. D., Vidale, J. E., & Davis, P. M. (1997). Complex Scattering Within D" Observed on the Very Dense Los Angeles Region Seismic Experiment Passive Array. Geophysical Research Letters, 24(15), 1855-1858. doi: 10.1029/97GL01823. SCEC Contribution 353
Li, Y., & Vidale, J. E. (1996). Low-Velocity Fault-Zone Guided Waves: Numerical Investigaions of Trapping Efficiency. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 86(2), 371-378. SCEC Contribution 284