Maleen Kidiwela

Portrait of Maleen Kidiwela
Maleen Wijeratna Kidiwela Seattle, WA · 2026
§ 01 — About

I study the Earth's subtle vibrations
to reveal what lies beneath.

My research extracts meaningful signals from the continuous hum of the planet — what it tells us when no earthquakes are shaking it. I work primarily with ambient-noise seismology, ocean-bottom instrumentation, and dense passive arrays.

Current work spans Orca Volcano tomography in Antarctica's Bransfield Basin, cross-correlation imaging of the Cascadia subduction zone, and real-time monitoring of submarine volcanism through the Ocean Observatories Initiative. Earlier work investigated North-Atlantic methane seepage with NOAA Ocean Exploration and mobile drone-based atmospheric sensing.

Toolkit
  • Python
  • ObsPy
  • NoisePy
  • Jupyter
  • MATLAB
  • GMT
  • SeisComp
  • Linux
  • HPC / Hyak
§ 02 — Research

Selected projects in seismology
and geophysical data science.

A working portfolio of ocean-bottom experiments, ambient-noise imaging, and real-time volcano monitoring.

  1. Active-source seismic tomography of Orca Volcano, Bransfield Basin 01 / Antarctica
    Bransfield Basin · Active-source seismic

    Orca Volcano Tomography

    Three-dimensional P-wave velocity imaging of an active back-arc volcano. Reveals a magma chamber extending 1–4 km depth with 16–41% melt fraction — a rift transitioning from extension to seafloor spreading.

    TomographyObsPyOBS
  2. Cascadia subduction zone — ambient-noise imaging of the offshore megathrust 02 / Pacific NW
    Cascadia · 13 years ambient noise

    Cascadia Ambient Noise

    Cross-correlation of continuous offshore seismic data resolves plate locking and slow-slip behavior along the megathrust — northern plates locked, central segments fluid-driven. Findings that may alter expectations of megathrust rupture.

    NoisePyCross-Correlationdv/v
  3. Axial Seamount acoustic transponder array — seafloor geodesy on the Juan de Fuca Ridge 03 / Juan de Fuca
    OOI · Seafloor Geodesy

    Axial Seamount Acoustic Ranging

    Processing data from an acoustic transponder array at Axial Seamount to disentangle the contribution of outward-dipping faults and volumetric inflation to the observed inter-eruptive deformation.

    Acoustic rangingGeodesyPython
  4. North Atlantic methane seep plumes rising through the water column 04 / N. Atlantic
    NOAA Ocean Exploration · Marine geophysics

    North Atlantic Methane Seepage

    Mapping methane gas-escape pathways along the U.S. North Atlantic margin — combining multibeam water-column data with geophysical interpretation of seep plumes on the seafloor.

    NOAAMultibeamMethane
§ 03 — Publications

Recent peer-reviewed work.

Selected first-author and contributing papers.

Cascadia subduction zone plate locking model with seismometer deployment
Science Advances · Feb 2026

Stress-testing the Cascadia Subduction Zone reveals variability that could impact how earthquakes spread

M. Kidiwela, M. Denolle, W. Wilcock, K.-F. Feng

First long-term offshore strain monitoring of Cascadia using 13 years of ambient-noise data. The northern plates are locked while the central region shows slow-slip and fluid-driven velocity changes.

DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aea3684
Bransfield Basin tectonic block diagram — Phoenix and Antarctic plates with slab rollback and upwelling mantle melt
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems · 2026

Late-Stage Rift Evolution at Back Arc Basins: Insights from a Tomography Experiment at Orca Volcano, Bransfield Basin

M. Kidiwela et al.

Active-source 3D seismic tomography of Orca Volcano in Antarctica's Bransfield Basin imaging the upper-crustal P-wave velocity structure — a magma chamber from 1–4 km depth with 16–41% melt fraction, marking a rift transitioning to seafloor spreading.

DOI 10.1029/2025GC012224
§ 04 — In the press

Recent coverage of the
Cascadia work.

Selected reporting on the 2026 Science Advances paper — covering both national and university press.

  1. ABC News Earth beneath the Pacific Northwest is tearing apart, scientists say Technology · National coverage 2026
  2. UW News Stress-testing the Cascadia Subduction Zone reveals variability that could impact how earthquakes spread University of Washington · Office of News Feb 27, 2026
  3. The Daily UW New study shows fluid in Cascadia Subduction Zone creates variability in earthquake impacts Student paper · Science desk Apr 14, 2026
  4. Ocean Observatories Initiative Active Protothrusts and Fluid Highways: Seismic Noise Reveals Hidden Subduction Dynamics in Cascadia Science Highlights · OOI Apr 30, 2026
§ 05 — Interactive

Axial Seamount,
rendered in 3D.

Explore bathymetry and earthquake locations at an active submarine volcano on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Rotate, zoom, pan the caldera — drag the timeline to see seismicity unfold.

Drag to rotate Scroll to zoom Open fullscreen
The Earth is never silent. Every rumble, every wave, every tremor carries a story — my work is learning to read it.

— M.K.

§ 06 — Contact

Let's work
together.

Open to research collaborations, scientific consulting, and meeting fellow earth scientists. Most days I'm reachable at the lab in Seattle or by email.