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Liam Toney

Pronouns: he/him/his
Email: liam@liam.earth
Phone: +1 360 305 8188
Web: liam.earth

Education

University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) | Fairbanks, AK | August 2023
Ph.D. in Geophysics

Pomona College | Claremont, CA | December 2017
B.A. cum laude in Physics; minor in Geology

School for International Training | Jaipur, Rajasthan, India | August 2015–December 2015
Sustainable Development and Social Change program

Research Experience

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geologic Hazards Science Center | Golden, CO | January 2025–present
Research Geologist

USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center | Golden, CO | September 2023–January 2025
Research Geophysicist (Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow)

UAF Wilson Alaska Technical Center | Fairbanks, AK | August 2023–September 2023
Technical Staff Member

UAF Geophysical Institute (GI) | Fairbanks, AK | August 2018–August 2023
Graduate Research Assistant

USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center | Golden, CO | June 2020–December 2022
Student Trainee (Physical Science), Landslide Hazards Program

GNS Science | Waikato, New Zealand | April 2018–May 2018
Ashfall Geovisualization Developer

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) | Albuquerque, NM | June 2017–August 2017
R&D Intern, Geophysics Department

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) | Albuquerque, NM | June 2016–August 2016
Summer REU Intern (placement at SNL as part of the IRIS Undergraduate Internship Program)

Teaching Experience

Remote Online Sessions for Emerging Seismologists (ROSES) Summer School | online | Summer 2021
Co-organizer & Instructor

GEOS 431/631 — Foundations of Geophysics | UAF | Fall 2020
Teaching Assistant

GEOS 436/636 — Programming and Automation for Geoscientists | UAF | Fall 2020
Teaching Assistant

ROSES Summer School | online | Summer 2020
Instructor

Breakthrough Collaborative | Birmingham, AL | Summer 2015
Teaching Fellow

Physics Department | Pomona College | January 2014–May 2016
Teaching Assistant

Publications

  1. Toney, L., West, M., Karasözen, E., Capps, D., Collins, E., Allstadt, K. E., Pursley, J., McFarlin, H., Mangeney, A., Fee, D., Staley, D., Haney, M., Lyons, J. J., & Bellini, J. (in review). Rapid seismic and infrasound assessment of a large landslide in Denali National Park (Alaska) aided by aerial and satellite imagery and numerical flow modeling. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface.

  2. Toney, L., Fee, D., Schmandt, B., & Bishop, J. W. (2023). Examining infrasound propagation at high spatial resolution using a nodal seismic array. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 128, e2023JB027314. doi.org/10.1029/2023JB027314

  3. Toney, L., Fee, D., Witsil, A., & Matoza, R. S. (2022). Waveform features strongly control subcrater classification performance for a large, labeled volcano infrasound dataset. The Seismic Record, 2(3), 167–175. doi.org/10.1785/0320220019

  4. Matoza, R. S., Fee, D., Assink, J. D., Iezzi, A. M., Green, D. N., Kim, K., Toney, L., […], & Wilson, D. C. (2022). Atmospheric waves and global seismoacoustic observations of the January 2022 Hunga eruption, Tonga. Science, 377(6601), 95–100. doi.org/10.1126/science.abo7063

  5. Watson, L. M., Iezzi, A. M., Toney, L., Maher, S. P., Fee, D., McKee, K., Ortiz, H. D., Matoza, R. S., Gestrich, J. E., Bishop, J. W., Witsil, A., Anderson, J. F., & Johnson, J. B. (2022). Volcano infrasound: Progress and future directions. Bulletin of Volcanology, 84. doi.org/10.1007/s00445-022-01544-w

  6. Dannemann Dugick, F., van der Lee, S., Prieto, G. A., Dybing, S. N., Toney, L., & Cole, H. (2021). ROSES: Remote Online Sessions for Emerging Seismologists. Seismological Research Letters, 92(4), 2657–2667. doi.org/10.1785/0220200421

  7. Toney, L., & Allstadt, K. E. (2021). lsforce: A Python-based single-force seismic inversion framework for massive landslides. Seismological Research Letters, 92(4), 2610–2626. doi.org/10.1785/0220210004

  8. Toney, L., Fee, D., Allstadt, K. E., Haney, M., & Matoza, R. S. (2021). Reconstructing the dynamics of the highly similar May 2016 and June 2019 Iliamna Volcano (Alaska) ice–rock avalanches from seismoacoustic data. Earth Surface Dynamics, 9(2), 271–293. doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-271-2021

  9. Fee, D., Toney, L., Kim, K., Sanderson, R. W., Iezzi, A. M., Matoza, R. S., De Angelis, S., Jolly, A. D., Lyons, J. J., & Haney, M. (2021). Local explosion detection and infrasound localization by reverse time migration using 3-D finite-difference wave propagation. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9. doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.620813

  10. Toney, L., Abbott, R. E., Preston, L. A., Tang, D. G., Finlay, T., & Phillips-Alonge, K. (2019). Joint body- and surface-wave tomography of Yucca Flat, Nevada using a novel seismic source. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 109(5), 1922–1934. doi.org/10.1785/0120180322

Conference Presentations

Toney, L., West, M., Karasözen, E., Staley, D., Capps, D., Collins, E., Allstadt, K. E., McFarlin, H., Bellini, J., Haney, M., Fee, D., Lyons, J. J., & Mangeney, A. (2024). Rapid seismic and infrasonic assessment of a large landslide in Denali National Park (Alaska) aided by aerial and satellite imagery and numerical flow modeling. Abstract EP51C-1366 presented at 2024 AGU Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., 9–13 December. (poster)

Toney, L., Allstadt, K. E., Collins, E., & Yeck, W. (2024). [Un]supervised clustering of [non-]earthquake signals commonly recorded on regional seismic networks. Abstract 64 presented at 2024 SSA Annual Meeting, Anchorage, AK, 29 April–3 May. (poster)

Toney, L., Fee, D., Witsil, A., & Matoza, R. S. (2023). Automatic generation and support vector classification of a large, labeled collection of explosion infrasound waveforms at Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu. Abstract 390 presented at IAVCEI Scientific Assembly 2023, Rotorua, New Zealand, 30 January–3 February. (talk)

Toney, L., Fee, D., Schmandt, B., & Bishop, J. W. (2022). Examining the infrasound wavefield recorded by the iMUSH large-N nodal seismic array. Abstract S52E-0098 presented at 2022 AGU Fall Meeting, Chicago, IL, 12–16 December. (poster)

Toney, L., Fee, D., Allstadt, K. E., Haney, M., & Matoza, R. S. (2022). Seismoacoustic characterization of very large ice–rock avalanches on Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, USA. Presented at Cities on Volcanoes 11, Heraklion, Crete, 12–17 June. (invited talk)

Toney, L., Fee, D., Witsil, A., & Matoza, R. S. (2021). Explosion-source classification on a large, labeled collection of volcanic infrasound waveforms using machine learning. Abstract V33D-02 presented at 2021 AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 13–17 December. (talk)

Toney, L., Fee, D., & Witsil, A. (2020). An assessment of support vector machines for volcanic infrasound signal classification on local scales. Abstract S001-0012 presented at 2020 AGU Fall Meeting, online, 1–17 December. (poster)

Toney, L., Fee, D., Allstadt, K. E., Haney, M., & Matoza, R. S. (2019). A tale of two very large avalanches: Probing the limits of seismoacoustic avalanche characterization on Iliamna volcano, Alaska. Abstract S23D-0658 presented at 2019 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 9–13 December. (poster)

Toney, L., Fee, D., Haney, M., Matoza, R. S., & Allstadt, K. E. (2019). Seismoacoustic insights from the May 22nd, 2016 Iliamna volcano rock and ice avalanche. Abstract 47 presented at 2019 SSA Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, 23–26 April. (poster)

Toney, L., Abbott, R. E., & Preston, L. A. (2017). Joint body-and surface-wave tomography of Yucca Flat, Nevada. Abstract S33A-0854 presented at 2017 AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, LA, 11–15 December. (poster)

Toney, L., Abbott, R. E., Knox, H. A., Preston, L. A., & Hoots, C. R. (2016). Surface-wave tomography of Yucca Flat, Nevada. Abstract S51A-2744 presented at 2016 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 12–16 December. (poster)

Invited Talks

Sandia National Laboratories Ground-based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Seminar | March 2022
Theory, implementation, and applications of seismoacoustic backprojection at local and regional scales

Geophysical Society of Alaska Luncheon Series | April 2021
Reconstructing massive avalanches at Iliamna Volcano using seismic and acoustic signals

Open Source Code Contributions

PyGMT | github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt
Contributor

lsforce | github.com/DOI-USGS/lsforce
Co-developer

rtm | github.com/uafgeotools/rtm
Co-developer

infresnel | github.com/liamtoney/infresnel
Developer

sonify | github.com/liamtoney/sonify
Developer

SAUL | github.com/liamtoney/saul
Developer

Service

Referee
Earth Surface Dynamics (n = 1)
Geophysical Journal International (n = 1)
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface (n = 2)
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (n = 1)
Natural Hazards (n = 2)
Scientific Reports (n = 1)
Seismological Research Letters (n = 2)
Surveys in Geophysics (n = 1)

Member | March 2023–April 2025
EarthScope Consortium Engagement Activities Advisory Committee

Student Member | March 2021–February 2023
AGU Seismology Section Executive Committee

President | April 2021–April 2022
GI Graduate Student Association (GIGSA)

Vice President | May 2020–April 2021
GIGSA

Treasurer | April 2019–May 2020
GIGSA

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Activities

Co-founder & Member | September 2020–March 2023
GI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee

Member | October 2021
UAF Seismology Faculty Search: DEI Evaluation Committee

Participant | Spring 2021
UAF Unlearning Racism in Geoscience Pod

Member | Fall 2020 & Spring 2021
UAF Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence: Student Experience/Access to Resources Team

Honors & Awards

Group Special Thanks for Achieving Results (STAR) Award | January 2025
USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center

Group STAR Award | May 2024
USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center

Outstanding Student Presentation Award | February 2023
AGU

Outstanding Student Performance Award | April 2021
GI

Brian R. Zelenka Memorial Scholarship | April 2021
Geosciences Department, UAF

Secretary of Energy Achievement Award | January 2021
U.S. Department of Energy (as part of the Source Physics Experiment, Phase II, Dry Alluvium Geology team)

Honorable Mention, John Hunter Excellence in Plotting Contest | July 2020
SciPy

Distinction in the Senior Exercise | December 2017
Physics Department, Pomona College

Tileston Physics Prize | September 2014, September 2015
Physics Department, Pomona College

Professional Affiliations

European Geosciences Union | 2025–present

International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior | 2022–present

Seismological Society of America | 2019–present

American Geophysical Union | 2016–present

Technical Skills

Programming Languages

Software Tools

Fieldwork

Date Duration Activity Location Role
May 2025 3 days Seismoacoustic campaign deployment Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA Project lead
June 2024 1 week LASER1 response exercise Slumgullion landslide, Colorado, USA Infrasound lead
August 2023 1 week Seismoacoustic campaign deployment Mount Yasur, Vanuatu Infrasound team member
July 2022 4 days Infrasound array installation Barry Arm, Alaska, USA Assistant
June–July 2021 3 weeks Geophysical station installation/maintenance Akutan/Unalaska/Unimak islands, Alaska, USA Assistant
July–August 2019 4 weeks Seismic and infrasound station installation/maintenance Adak/Atka/Chuginadak/Umnak islands, Alaska, USA Assistant
April 2018 1 day Volcanic gas flux measurement Whakaari/White Island, New Zealand Assistant
April 2018 2 days Microgravity survey Mount Tongariro, New Zealand Assistant
February 2018 1 week Seismic deployment Southland, New Zealand Assistant
July 2016 1 week Active-source seismic survey Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, USA Assistant

  1. Landslide Assessments, Situational Awareness, and Event Response Research ↩︎

Last updated 26 June 2025