Mathilde Bøttger Sørensen

Position

Professor, Leader for the Geophysic research group

Affiliation

Research groups

Research

With a background from seismology and seismic hazard studies, my research interests cover geohazards in a broad sense, including also e.g. tsunami hazards and earthquake-induced landslides.

Current research activities include studies of:

  • Arctic seismicity and geohazards
  • Tsunami hazard and risk assessment
  • The effect of CO2 injection and storage on seismic hazard and risk
  • Earthquake-induced landslides in intraplate areas
  • Historical earthquakes
Outreach

24-hour hotline of the Norwegian National Seismic Network: 55582617

For media requests in connection with large earthquakes or other significiant geohazard events: mathilde.sorensen@uib.no or 46621089.

Science communication and opinion pieces (mostly in Norwegian):

Other outreach activities:

  • Regular media contact in connection with large earthquakes, including TV and radio interviews and interviews with a number of national, regional and local newspapers
  • Popular scientific presentations to various audiences (including school classes, Bergen Rotary Club and others)
  • “Undrelaboratoriet”: Four short videos about geophysics for 5.-6. grade students, available through nysgjerrigper.no (2021)
  • Panel discussion and introductory presentations in connection with viewings of the Norwegian disaster movie “Skjelvet” (“The Quake”) (2018)
  • Scientific responsible for developing a new exhibition on earthquakes and earthquake observation at Bergen Museum (2005)
Teaching

Current teaching

I am a dedicated teacher, striving to spark motivation and engagement in my students. I am convinced that motivated and engaged students, exposed to student-active learning, are the best learners.

I lead the development of a national course on geohazards which is taught at the Universities of Bergen, Oslo and Tromsø since 2020. At UiB the course is taught under the course code: GEOV217 - Geohazards. The course builds on a course I launched at UiB in 2016, and has been developed in cooperation with more than 20 geohazards experts from around Norway.

Teaching-related awards and prices:

Teaching-related publications and presentations:

  • Sørensen, M.B. (2022). Cooperation in teaching across institutions: Developing a national course on geohazards, presentation at iEarth digital learning forum, 28.04.2022. https://vimeo.com/704456777
  • Sørensen, M.B., Vick, L.M., Cepeda, J., Halpaap, F. and the national geohazards course consortium (2021). A national university course on geohazards in Norway, poster presentation at IAGA-IASPEI Joint Scientific Assembly 21-27 August 2021 (virtual conference).
  • Sørensen, M.B. and the national geohazards course consortium (2021). A national university course on geohazards in Norway, extended abstract and poster presentation at INTERPRAEVENT2020 conference (postponed until 2021, virtual conference).
  • A national course on geohazards, presentation at iEarth digital learning forum, 15.10.2020. https://iearth.no/2020/10/16/iearth-digtale-laeringsforum-15-10-2020/
  • Nytt nasjonalt kurs i geofarer (New national course in geohazards), article on geoforskning.no, 25.08.2020. https://geoforskning.no/nyheter/geofarer/2345-nytt-nasjonalt-kurs-i-geofarer
  • Using flipped classrooms in a course on geohazards, presentation at iEarth digital learning forum, 21.04.2020.
  • Sørensen, M.B. and the national geohazards course consortium (2019). Et nasjonalt universitetskurs i geofarer (A national university course on geohazards), poster presentation at Geofaredagen, Bergen, October 2019.

 

Publications

Peer reviewed journal papers:

2022

  • Rafliana, I., Jalayer, F., Cerase, A., Cugliari, L., Baiguera, M., Salmanidou, D., Necmioglu, Ö, Aguirre-Ayerbe, I., Lorito, S., Fraser, S., Løvholt, F., Babeyko, A., Salgado-Gálvez, M.A., Selva, J., De Risi, R., Sørensen, M.B., Behrens, J., Aniel-Quiroga, I., Del Zoppo, M., Belliazzi, S., Pranantyo, I.R., Amato A., and Hancilar, U. (2022). Tsunami risk communication and management: Contemporary gaps and challenges, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102771

2021

  • Jeddi, Z., Ottemöller, L., Sørensen, M.B., Rezaei, S., Gibbons, S.J., Strømme, M.L., Voss, P.H. and Dahl-Jensen, T. (2021). Improved Seismic Monitoring with OBS Deployment in the Arctic: A Pilot Study from Offshore Western Svalbard, Seismological Research Letters, doi: 10.1785/0220200471.
  • Behrens, J., Løvholt, F., Jalayer, F., Lorito, S., Salgado-Gálvez, M.A., Sørensen, M., Abadie, S., Aguirre-Ayerbe, I., Aniel-Quiroga, I, Babeyko, A., Baiguera, M., Basili, R., Belliazzi, S., Grezio, A., Johnson, K., Murphy, S., Paris, R., Rafliana, I., De Risi, R., Rossetto, T., Selva, J., Taroni, M., Del Zoppo, M., Armigliato, A., Bureš, V., Cech, P., Cecioni, C., Christodoulides, P., Davies, G., Dias, F., Bayraktar, H.B., González, M., Gritsevich, M., Guillas, S., Harbitz, C.B., Kanoglu, U., Macías, J., Papadopoulos, G.A., Polet, J., Romano, F., Salamon, A., Scala, A., Stepinac, M., Tappin, D., Thio, H.K., Tonini, R., Triantafyllou, I., Ulrich, T., Varini, E., Volpe, M., and Vyhmeister, E. (2021). Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard and Risk Analysis - A Review of Research Gaps. Front. Earth Sci., doi:10.3389/feart.2021.628772.
  • Basili R., Brizuela B., Herrero A., Iqbal S., Lorito S., Maesano F.E., Murphy S., Perfetti P., Romano F., Scala A., Selva J., Taroni M., Thio H.K., Tiberti M.M., Tonini R., Volpe M., Glimsdal S., Harbitz C.B., Løvholt F., Baptista M.A., Carrilho F., Matias L.M., Omira R., Babeyko A., Hoechner A., Gurbuz M., Pekcan O., Yalçıner A., Canals M., Lastras G., Agalos A., Papadopoulos G., Triantafyllou I., Benchekroun S., Agrebi Jaouadi K., Ben Abdallah S., Bouallegue A., Hamdi H., Oueslati F., Amato A., Armigliato A., Behrens J., Davies G., Di Bucci D., Dolce M., Geist E., Gonzalez Vida J.M., González M., Macías Sánchez J., Meletti C., Ozer Sozdinler C., Pagani M., Parsons T., Polet J., Power W., Sørensen M.B, Zaytsev A. (2021), The making of the NEAM Tsunami Hazard Model 2018 (NEAMTHM18). Front. Earth Sci., doi: 10.3389/feart.2020.616594.
  • Mäntyniemi, P., Sørensen, M.B. and Tatevossian, R.E. (2021). Testing the Environmental Seismic Intensity scale on data derived from the earthquakes of 1626, 1759, 1819 and 1904 in Fennoscandia, northern Europe, Geosciences, 11, 14, doi: 10.3390/geosciences11010014.

2020

  • Lecocq, T., Hicks, S.P., van Noten, K., van Wijk, K., Koelemeijer, P., de Plaen, R., Massin, F., Hillers, G., Anthony, R.E., Apoloner, M.-T., Arroyo-Solórzano, M., Assink, J.D., Büyükakpınar, P., Cannata, A., Cannavo, F., Carrasco, S., Caudron, C., Chaves, E.J., Cornwell, D.G., Craig, D., den Ouden, O., Diaz, J., Donner, S., Evangelidis, C.P., Evers, L., Fauville, B., Fernandez, G.A., Giannopoulos, D., Gibbons, S.J., Girona, T., Grecu, B., Grunberg, M., Hetényi, G., Horleston, A., Inza, A., Irving, J., Jamalreyhani, M., Kafka, A., Koymans, M.R., Labedz, C.R., Larose, E., Lindsey, N.J., McKinnon, M., Megies, T., Miller, M.S., Minarik, W., Moresi, L., Márquez-Ramírez, V.H., Möllhoff, M., Nesbitt, I.M., Niyogi, S., Ojeda, J., Oth, A., Proud, S., Pulli, J., Retailleau, L., Rintamäki, A.E., Satriano, C., Savage, M.K., Shani-Kadmiel, S., Sleeman, R., Sokos, E., Stammler, K., Stott, A.E., Subedi, S., Sørensen, M.B., Taira, T., Tapia, M., Turhan, F., van der Pluijm, B., Vanstone, M., Vergne, J., Vuorinen, T., Warren, T., Wassermann, J., and Xiao, H. (2020). Global quieting of high-frequency seismic noise due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures, Science, 369, 1338-1343, doi: 10.1126/science.abd2438.
  • Jeddi, Z., Voss, P.H., Sørensen, M.B., Danielsen, F., Dahl-Jensen, T., Larsen, T.B., Nielsen, G., Hansen, A., Jakobsen, P. and Frederiksen, P.O. (2020). Citizen Seismology in the Arctic, Front. Earth Sci. 8:139, doi:10.3389/feart.2020.00139.
  • Mäntyniemi, P.B., Sørensen, M.B., Tatevossian, T.N., Tatevossian, R.E. and Lund, B. (2020). A Reappraisal of the Lurøy, Norway, Earthquake of 31 August 1819, Seismol. Res. Lett., 91(5), 2462-2472, doi: 10.1785/0220190363.
  • Li, B., Sørensen, M.B., Atakan, K., Li, Y. and Li, Z. (2020). Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment for the Shanxi Rift System, North China, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 110, 127-153, doi: 10.1785/0120190099.

2019

  • Bellwald, B., Urlaub, M., Hjelstuen, B., Sejrup, H.P., Sørensen, M.B., Forsberg, C.F. and Vanneste, M. (2019). NE Atlantic continental slope stability from a numerical modeling perspective, Quaternary Science Reviews 203, 248-265.

2018

  • Rodriguez, J., Havskov, J., Sørensen, M.B. and Santos, L.F. (2018). Seismotectonics of the south-west Dominican Republic using recent data, Journal of Seismology, 22, 883-896, doi:10.1007/s10950-018-9738-9.

2017

  • Grezio, A., Babeyko, A., Baptista, M.A., Behrens, J., Costa, A., Davies, G., Geist, E.L., Glimsdal, S., González, F.I., Griffin, J., Harbitz, C.B., LeVeque, R.J., Lorito, S., Løvholt, F., Omira, R., Mueller, C., Paris, R., Parsons, T., Polet, J., Power, W., Selva, J., Sørensen, M.B. and Thio, H.K. (2017). Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Analysis: Multiple Sources and Global Applications, Reviews of Geophysics, 55, 1158–1198, doi:10.1002/2017RG000579

2016

  • Havskov, J., Sørensen, M.B., Vales, D., Özyazicioglu, M., Sánchez, G. And Li, B. (2016). Coda Q in Different Tectonic Areas, Influence of Processing Parameters, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol 106(3), doi: 10.1785/0120150359.
  • Woessner, J., Danciu, L., Giardini, D., Crowley, H., Cotton, F., Grünthal, G., Valensise, G., Arvidsson, R., Basili, R., Demircioglu, M.B., Hiemer, S., Meletti, C., Musson, R., Rovida, A.N., Sesetyan, K., Stucchi, M. and the SHARE Consortium (incl. M.B. Sørensen) (2015). The 2013 European Seismic Hazard Model: key components and results, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 13, 3553-3596, doi: 10.1007/s10518-015-9795-1.

2015

  • Sørensen, M.B. and Lang, D.H. (2015). Incorporating Simulated Ground Motion in Seismic Risk Assessment: Application to the Lower Indian Himalayas, Earthquake Spectra, 31(1), 71-95, doi:10.1193/010412EQS001M.
  • Li, B., Sørensen, M.B. and Atakan, K. (2015). Coulomb stress evolution in the Shanxi rift system, North China, since 1303 associated with coseismic, post-seismic and interseismic deformation, Geophysical Journal International, 203, 1642-1664, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggv384.
  • Li, B., Atakan, K., Sørensen, M.B. and Havskov, J. (2015). Stress pattern of the Shanxi rift system, North China, inferred from the inversion of new focal mechanisms, Geophysical Journal International, 201, 505-507, doi:10.1093/gji/ggv025.
  • Li, B., Havskov, J., Ottemöller, L. and Sørensen, M.B. (2015). New magnitude scales ML and spectrum-based Mw for the area around Shanxi Rift System, North China, Journal of Seismology, 19, 141-148, doi:10.1007/s10950-014-9455-y.
  • Li, B., Li, Z., Sørensen, M.B., Løvlie, R., Liu, L. and Atakan, K. (2015). Regional stress field around the Taigu fault zone in Shanxi Province, China, Earthquake Science, 28(5-6), 333-345.
  • Atakan, K., Bjerrum, L.W., Bungum, H., Dehls, J.F., Kaynia, A.M., Keers, H., Kierulf, H.P., Kværna, T., Langeland, T., Lindholm, C.D., Maupin, V., Ottemöller, L., Sørensen, M.B. and Yuen, M.Y. (2015). The European Plate Observing System and the Arctic, Arctic, 68 (S1), doi:10.14430/arctic4446.

2013

  • Bondevik, S., Gjevik, B. and Sørensen, M.B. (2013). Norwegian seiches from the giant 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Geophysical Research Letters, 40, 3374-3378, doi:10.1002/grl.50639.
  • Bjerrum, L.W., Sørensen, M.B., Ottemöller, L. and Atakan, K. (2013). Ground motion simulations for Izmir, Turkey: parameter uncertainty, Journal of Seismology, 17(4), 1223-1252, doi:10.1007/s10950-013-9389-9.

2012

  • Sørensen, M.B., Spada, M., Babeyko, A., Wiemer, S. and Grünthal, G. (2012). Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment for the Mediterranean Sea, Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 117, B01305, doi:10.1029/2010JB008169

​​​​​​​2011

  • Sørensen, M.B., Voss, P., Havskov, J., Gregersen, S. and Atakan, K. (2011). The seismotectonics of Western Skagerrak, Journal of Seismology, doi:10.1007/s10950-011-9235-x.

​​​​​​​2010

  • Sørensen, M.B., Stromeyer, D. and Grünthal, G. (2010). A macroseismic intensity prediction equation for intermediate depth earthquakes in the Vrancea region, Romania, Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 30(11), 1268-1278.
  • Sørensen, M.B., Stromeyer, D. and Grünthal, G., (2010). Intensity attenuation in the Campania region, Southern Italy, Journal of Seismology, 14, 209-223.
  • Bjerrum, L.W., Sørensen, M.B. and Atakan K. (2010). Strong ground-motion simulation of the 12 May 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, using various slip models, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 100(5B), doi: 10.1785/0120090239.
  • Bjerrum, L.W., Atakan, K. and Sørensen, M.B. (2010). Reconnaissance report and preliminary ground motion simulation of the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 8(6), doi: 10.1007/s10518-010-9198-2.
  • Chan, C.H., Sørensen, M.B., Stromeyer, D., Grünthal, G., Heidbach, O., Hakimhashemi, A. and Catalli, F. (2010). Forecasting Italian seismicity through a spatio-temporal physical model: importance of considering time-dependency and reliability of the forecast, Annals of Geophysics, 53(3), doi:10.4401/ag-4761.

​​​​​​​2009

  • Sørensen, M.B., Stromeyer, D. and Grünthal, G., 2009. Attenuation of macroseismic intensity – a new relation for the Marmara Sea region, NW Turkey, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 99(2A), 538-553.

​​​​​​​2008

  • Sørensen, M.B. and Atakan, K., 2008. Continued Earthquake Hazard in Northern Sumatra, Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, vol 89, no 14, 133-134.
  • Chatelain, J.-L., Gullier, B., Cara, F., Duval, A.-M., Atakan, LK., Bard, P.-Y. and the WP02 SESAME team (incl. M.B. Sørensen) (2008). Evaluation of the influence of experimental conditions on H/V results from ambient noise recordings, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering, 6, 33-74, doi: 10.1007/s10518-007-9040-7.

​​​​​​​2007

  • Gibbons, S.J., Sørensen, M.B., Harris, D.B. and Ringdal, F., 2007. The detection and location of low magnitude earthquakes in northern Norway using multi-channel waveform correlation, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 160, 285-309.
  • Sørensen, M.B., Atakan, K. and Pulido, N., 2007b. Simulation of ground motions for the December 26, 2004 M=9.3 Sumatra earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 97(1A), S139-S151, doi:10.1785/0120050608.
  • Sørensen, M.B., Ottemöller, L., Havskov, J., Atakan, K., Hellevang, B. and Pedersen, R.B., 2007. Tectonic processes in the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone based on earthquake occurrence and bathymetry, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 97(3), 772-779, doi: 10.1785/0120060025.
  • Sørensen, M.B., Atakan, K. and Pulido, N., 2007a. Sensitivity of ground motion simulations to earthquake source parameters: a case study for Istanbul, Turkey, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 97(3), 881-900, doi: 10.1785/0120060044.

​​​​​​​2006

  • Akinci, A., Malagnini, L., Herrmann, R.B., Gok, R. and Sørensen, M.B., 2006. Ground motion scaling in the Marmara region, Turkey, Geophysical Journal International, 166, 635-651.
  • Sørensen, M.B., Oprsal, I., Bonnefoy-Claudet, S., Atakan, K., Mai, P.M., Pulido, N. and Yalciner, C., 2006. Local site effects in Ataköy, Istanbul, Turkey, due to a future large earthquake in the Marmara Sea, Geophysical Journal International, 167,1413-1424, doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.03204.x.

 

Publication data from the CRIStin database:

Academic article
Report
Academic literature review
Poster
Doctoral dissertation
Academic lecture
Popular scientific lecture

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Projects

Ongoing pojects:

  • Quantifying the relation between Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and earthquake risk (UiB strategic PhD funds; 2021-2025), Project leader

  • HNet Phase 3 (Seismic Monitoring Network for the Horda Platform Region; CLIMIT Demo project; 2021-2024)

  • SEISMIC RISK – Mitigation of induced seismic risk in urban environments (Academy of Finland; 2020-2023)

  • Nordic EPOS - A FAIR Nordic EPOS Data Hub (NordForsk Nordic Research Infrastructure Hub; 2020-2022), PI for University of Bergen in 2022

  • AGITHAR (Accelerating Global Science in Tsunami Hazard and Risk analysis; COST Action; 2019-2023), Management Committee member and Working Group leader

Past projects

  • UAK (Useful Arctic Knowledge; RCN, 2018-2020); PI for University of Bergen, WP leader

  • INTAROS (Integrated Arctic Observation System; EU-H2020; 2016-2021); PI for University of Bergen, Theme leader for Natural Hazards

  • EPOS-Norway (European Plate Observing System – Norway; RCN, 2016-2020)

  • Earthquake Hazard and Risk in Cuba (Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 2012-2015); PI for University of Bergen, WP leader

  • SHARE (Seismic Hazard Harmonization in Europe; EU-FP7; 2009-2012)

  • TRANSFER (Tsunami Risk and Strategies for the European Region ; EU-FP6; 2006-2009)

  • SAFER (Seismic Early Warning for Europe; EU-FP6; 2006-2009)

  • RELIEF (Reliable Information on Earthquake Faulting; EU-FP5; 2002-2005)

  • SESAME (Site effects assessment using ambient excitations; EU-FP5; 2001-2004)

Veiledning

Jeg tilbyr masterprosjekter innen jordskjelvseismologi og geofarer. Ta kontakt via epost hvis du er interessert i å utvikle et prosjekt med meg som veileder.

Prosjekter jeg har veiledet:

PhD:

  • Maren Kjos Karlsen (pågående): Quantifying the relation between Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and earthquake risk; main supervisor.
  • Quetzalcoatl Rodríguez-Pérez (2013): Study of the seismic source parameters and its relation with other seismic engineering parameters, co-supervisor.
  • Louise Bjerrum (2011): Deterministic seismic hazard assessments through hybrid ground motion simulation: Case studies for Wenchuan, China and Izmir, Turkey, co-supervisor.
  • Bin Li (2015): Seismotectonics and seismic hazard of the Shanxi rift system, North China; main supervisor.

MSc:

  • Tor Parmentier (pågående): The development and propagation of liquid water content (LWC) in the snowpack of various snow types, main supervisor.
  • Håvard Monstad (pågående): Jordskjelv og massebevegelser i Nærøydalen, main supervisor.
  • Anne Lise Grønstad (2022): Undersøkelser av potensiell sammenheng mellom skred og jordskjelv i fjorder på Sunnmøre:  Ferjefri-E39 fjordkryssinger, co-supervisor.
  • Martin Andersen Høie (2022): Deglasiasjonen av Sulafjorden, Sunnmøre: skred, stratigrafi og sedimentasjonsmiljø, co-supervisor.
  • Torbjørn Haga (2019): Jordskjelv som utløser massebevegelser i Norge og stabilitetsanalyse av Preikestolen med seismisk last, main supervisor.
  • Helga Indrøy (2019): A Comparison of a Classical PSHA and a Rupture Forecast for California, main supervisor.
  • Kristina Smirnova (2019): Potential Seismogenic Faults in Norway, co-supervisor.
  • Annette Ellingsen (2018): Seismicity and Crustal Structure in North Greenland, main supervisor.
  • Marthe Vestly (2017): Earthquake triggered submarine slides in Norway, main supervisor.
  • Mahmood Khan (2016): Processing of earthquake data and probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in Bangladesh, co-supervisor.
  • Krister Moberg (2015): Seismic hazard of the Izmir region, Turkey, based on a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment and stochastic ground motion simulations, main supervisor.
  • Randi Tveit (2013): Implications of a M=6.0 earthquake along the Øygarden Fault Zone for the city of Bergen: Ground motion simulations and estimation of local site effects, main supervisor.
  • Torunn Lutro (2011): Local site effects in Izmir, Turkey: Combining empirical and analytical approaches, co-supervisor.
  • Aase Oliv Bjørge (2011): Scenario based seismic risk assessment in Izmir, Western Turkey, based on simulated earthquake ground motions and vulnerability of building categories, co-supervisor.