Postdoctoral Researcher · Universidad de Concepción · EASER

Javier
Ojeda Vargas

Geophysicist specializing in seismology applied to geological hazards. Integrating physics-based ground motion simulation, seismic hazard assessment, and satellite geodesy to understand earthquakes — from slow slip to megathrust ruptures — and their implications for society.

Publications Short CV ↗
ORCID Web of Science Scopus Google Scholar ResearchGate ANID Researcher Portal LinkedIn
JO
11
WoS Papers
320+
Citations (WoS)
7
h-index (WoS)
25.97
ANID Score (Earth Sciences)
35+
Conference Presentations
6
International Research Visits
3+
Yrs. Consulting
10+
Yrs. Teaching

Stats partially retrieved from public profiles. Last updated: —

What I work on

Research Areas

Strong Ground Motion Simulation

Physics-based, stochastic broadband, and empirical simulations for seismic hazard, applied to mine tailings, infrastructure and cities. Specialist in hybrid methods (finite-fault stochastic, PWSIM, and empirical methods).

Seismo-Geodesy

Combining GNSS and seismology to characterize coseismic and interseismic deformation. Global search of subtle short-term transient signatures compared with active deformaton and seismic signatures.

Seismic Hazard Assessment

Probabilistic and scenario-based hazard analysis for civil and mining engineering: design spectra, spectral matching, desaggregation, and tailings dam safety under megathrust and inslab scenarios.

Slow Earthquakes & Aseismic Slip

Detection and characterization of slow slip events, seismic swarms, and transient deformation using continuous GNSS time series — from regional to global scales.

Active Tectonics

Fault characterization, subduction segmentation, and deformation kinematics. Marine seismology at the Chile Triple Junction; Coulomb stress interactions.

Seismic Noise & Environmental Signatures

Ambient noise monitoring for urban mobility (COVID-19), site characterization (ORSCA network in Concepción), and environmental change detection.

Formation

Education

Oct 2021 – Dec 2024

Ph.D. Earth & Environmental Sciences

Université Paris Cité · Institut de Physique du Globe, Paris — Supervisor: J.-M. Nocquet

Cotutelle
Mar 2020 – Dec 2024

Ph.D. in Geology

Universidad de Chile · Departamento de Geología, Santiago — Supervisor: S. Ruiz

Cotutelle
Mar 2017 – Sep 2018

M.Sc. in Geophysics

Universidad de Chile · Departamento de Geofísica, Santiago — Supervisor: S. Ruiz

Mar 2011 – Aug 2016

B.S. in Geophysics

Universidad de Chile · Departamento de Geofísica, Santiago

Positions

Appointments

Since Aug 2025 · Current

Visiting Professor

Dept. Civil Engineering, Universidad de Concepción

Current
Since Jan 2025 · Current

Postdoctoral Researcher

Anillo de Tecnologías EASER, Universidad de Concepción

Current
Jul – Dec 2024

Researcher

Programa de Riesgo Sísmico, Universidad de Chile

Apr 2016 – Aug 2019

Research Assistant

Programa de Riesgo Sísmico, Universidad de Chile

International collaborations

Research Visits

Apr – Jun 2026 · Current
🇪🇸 Barcelona Supercomputing Center — Wave Phenomena Group
HPC simulations on MareNostrum; accelerograms & synthetic catalogs. Collabs: N. Zamora & J. de la Puente. Funded by EASER-ANID
Sep – Oct 2024
🇺🇸 UC Berkeley — Berkeley Seismology Lab
Transient deformation in the Chilean subduction margin. Collab: R. Bürgmann. Funded by SZNet-NSF
Dec 2023 – Mar 2024
🇺🇸 UC Berkeley — EPS Department
Global analysis of transient deformation in GNSS time series. Collab: R. Bürgmann. Funded by ANID
Nov – Dec 2022
🇫🇷 Université Côte d'Azur — Géoazur
Algorithms for transient deformation detection. Supervisor: J.-M. Nocquet. Funded by ANR-France
Jul & Dec 2019
🇮🇹 INGV — Sezione di Roma 1
Strong motion simulation of the 2016 Norcia earthquake. Collabs: A. Akinci & E. Tinti. Funded by CPS-INGV
Nov 2017 – Feb 2018
🇫🇷 IPGP — Équipe de Sismologie
Transfer functions for stochastic finite-fault methods. Supervisor: F. Bonilla. Funded by VAA-UChile

Academic output

Publications

Reviewer Service in 10+ articles submitted to Tectonophysics, AGU Earth and Space Science, Terra Nova, Seismica, Seismological Research Letters, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America

2024
Seismic Image of the Central to Southern Andean Subduction Zone Through Finite-Frequency TomographyJGR-SE · IF 4.5
Kondo Y., et al., incl. Ojeda J.
J. Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 129, e2024JB028844
DOI ↗ PDF
2024
In search for the lost truth about the 1922 & 1918 Atacama earthquakes in ChileJSAMES · IF 1.8
Vigny C., Klein E., Ojeda J.
J. South American Earth Sciences, 143, 104983
DOI ↗ PDF
2023
Seismic and aseismic slip during the 2006 Copiapó swarm in North-Central ChileJSAMES · IF 1.8
Ojeda J., Morales-Yáñez C., Ducret G., Ruiz S., Grandin R., Doin M.-P., Vigny C., Nocquet J.-M.
J. South American Earth Sciences, 123, 104198
DOI ↗ PDF
2023
Afterslip of the Mw8.3 2015 Illapel earthquake imaged through time-dependent inversion of GNSS dataJGR-SE · IF 4.5
Tissandier R., Nocquet J.-M., Klein E., Vigny C., Ojeda J., Ruiz S.
J. Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 128, e2022JB024778
DOI ↗ PDF
2023
Stochastic strong ground motion simulation in the Santiago Metropolitan region for an Mw 7.8 intermediate-depth earthquakeJSAMES · IF 1.8
Flores C., Ojeda J., Otarola C., Arriola S., Ruiz S.
J. South American Earth Sciences, 130, 104501
DOI ↗ PDF
2023
Long-term Array Observation by Ocean Bottom Seismometers at the Chile Triple JunctionJSAMES · IF 1.8
Ito A., Shiobara H., Miller M., Sugioka H., Ojeda J., Tassara C., et al.
J. South American Earth Sciences, 124, 104285
DOI ↗ PDF
2021
Hybrid Broadband Strong-Motion Simulation for the M6.5, 30 October 2016 Norcia, Italy EarthquakeSoil Dyn. · IF 4.8
Ojeda J., Akinci A., Tinti E., Arriola S., Ruiz S.
Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 149, 106866
DOI ↗ PDF
2021
Seismic noise variability as an indicator of urban mobility during COVID-19 in Santiago, ChileSolid Earth · IF 3.1
Ojeda J., Ruiz S.
Solid Earth, 12, 1075–1085
DOI ↗ PDF
2020
Global quieting of high-frequency seismic noise due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measuresScience · IF 49.7
Lecocq T. et al. (215 authors, incl. Ojeda J.)
Science, 369(6509), 1338–1343
DOI ↗ PDF
2020
The 1960 May 21 Mw 8.1 Concepción earthquake: A deep megathrust foreshock that started the central-south Chilean seismic sequenceSRL · IF 3.3
Ojeda J., Ruiz S., del Campo F., Carvajal M.
Seismological Research Letters, 91(3), 1617–1627
DOI ↗ PDF
2018
Stochastic strong motion simulation for the Mw 9.0 Tohoku-Oki 2011 mega-earthquake considering P, SV and SH amplification transfer functionsBSSA · IF 2.8
Ruiz S.*, Ojeda J.*, Pastén C., Otarola C., Silva R. (* equal contribution)
Bull. Seismological Society of America, 108(5A), 2333–2346
DOI ↗ PDF
2026*
Foreshocks along the Chilean Subduction ZoneSci. Adv. · IF 14.1
De la Peña-Silva J.T., Ruiz S., Brodsky E., Maksymowicz A., Ojeda J., Ceroni D., Cabrera L., Potin B.
Under review in Science Advances
2026*
Bimodal seismic-aseismic behavior of a weakly coupled megathrust segment offshore Copiapó, ChileEPSL · IF 5.2
Klein E., Ojeda J., Rousset B., Vigny C., Ruiz S., Potin B., Baez J.C., Zigone D.
Under review in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Preprint ↗
2026*
Assessment of site response and building damage following the Mw 6.4 Copiapó earthquakeEq. Spectra · IF 4.5
Montalva G., Heresi P., Jünemann R., Calderón S., Leyton F., Ojeda J., Delgado-González Y., Bastías N., et al.
Under review in Earthquake Spectra
Dataset ↗
2026*
Empirical models for effective amplitude and Fourier phase spectra of ground motions in the Chilean subduction zoneBSSA · IF 2.8
Osses-Valenzuela M., Montalva G., Ojeda J., Leyton F., Calderón S., Heresi P., Jünemann R.
Under review in Bull. Seismological Society of America
2026*
Did the 1960 Concepción earthquake promote the Valdivia megathrust rupture? Insights from Coulomb stress modelingSRL · IF 3.3
Castro-Araya F., Morales-Yáñez C., González-Carrasco J., Ojeda J.
Submitted to Seismological Research Letters
2026*
Soil-Structure Interaction effect on seismic records: Case study of the 2014 Iquique EarthquakeSoil Dyn. · IF 4.8
Calderón S., Montalva G., Ojeda J., Barría J., Lema G.
Submitted to Soil Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering
2026*
Numerical simulation of the cyclic behavior of CMU PG-RM shear walls and two-story houseJ. Build. Eng. · IF 7.5
Ruz B., Calderón S., Ojeda J., Jünemann R., Sandoval C., Montalva G.
Submitted to Journal of Building Engineering
prep.
Global search of short-term transient deformation from GNSS time seriesScience · IF 49.7
Ojeda J., Nocquet J.-M., Ruiz S., Bürgmann R.
To be submitted to Science (presented at AGU23)
prep.
Tracking the aseismic slip history along the Chilean subduction zone: GPS observations 2006–2024Sci. Adv. · IF 14.1
Ojeda J., Nocquet J.-M., Ruiz S., Bürgmann R.
To be submitted to Science Advances (presented at S2FEQ25)
prep.
Towards a full-time dependent view of slip at faults using GNSSJGR · IF 4.5
Nocquet J.-M., Ojeda J.
To be submitted to J. Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
prep.
Generation of synthetic ground motions using coseismic slip and coupling-based subfault models for large Chilean earthquakesJGR · IF 4.5
Osses-Valenzuela M., Ojeda J., Bastías N., Montalva G.
To be submitted to J. Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (presented at SSA25 & EGU26)
prep.
Cascading fault ruptures at the Chile Triple Junction: Insights from OBS-recorded microseismicityGRL · IF 5.1
Ojeda J., Flores-Allende R., Ito A., Shiobara H., Ruiz S.
To be submitted to Geophysical Research Letters
prep.
Structural segmentation of the Mocha Fracture Zone revealed by amphibious seismic tomographyGRL · IF 5.1
Hernández-Soto N., Miller M., Sippl C., Ojeda J., González-Vidal D., Azúa K., et al.
To be submitted to Geophysical Research Letters
prep.
Active deformation along the Northern Andes fold and thrust belt: constraints on the 8 June 2025 Mw 6.3 Colombia earthquakeTectonophysics · IF 3.0
León-Ibáñez P., Ojeda J., Pinzón N., Delgado F.
To be submitted to Tectonophysics
prep.
Temporal and spatial variability of anelastic attenuation and its effects on ground motion in Central ItalyBSSA · IF 2.8
Gabrielli S., Akinci A., Gutiérrez C., Ojeda J., Arriola S., Ruiz S.
To be submitted to Bull. Seismological Society of America (presented at SSA25)
prep.
Simulation of strong motion records for moderate magnitude Chilean earthquakesBSSA · IF 2.8
Araya K., Ojeda J., Arriola S., Akinci A., Ruiz S.
To be submitted to Bull. Seismological Society of America (presented at GIASIS 2024)
prep.
Parallel Wave SIMulation code (PWSIM) to reproduce high-frequency ground motion recordsBSSA · IF 2.8
Arriola S., Gutiérrez C., Ojeda J., Flores C., Otarola C., Akinci A., Ruiz S.
To be submitted to Bull. Seismological Society of America (presented at GIASIS 2025)
prep.
Strong-ground motion simulations for moderate interplate events Mw 4.8–6.0 felt in Lima, BSSA · IF 2.8
Flores C., Tavera H., Ojeda J., Ruiz S.
To be submitted to Bull. Seismological Society of America

Scientific communication

Invited Seminars

2026
Wave Phenomena Group Seminar · Barcelona Supercomputing Center
Living on a Playground: From Tectonic Deformation to Ground Motions in Chile
Barcelona, Spain · 20 May 2026
★ Invited
2025
International Workshop on DAS & Earthquakes · UdeC
DAS Applications in Seismology: What has been done in Chile so far?
Concepción, Chile · 19 Aug 2025
★ Invited
2025
Seminario Ingeniería Sísmica · UdeC
Sismología aplicada a la Ingeniería: Deformación y Movimiento Fuerte del Suelo
Concepción, Chile · 26 Mar 2025
★ Invited
2024
Active Tectonics Meetings, EPS · UC Berkeley
Interaction between fast and slow earthquakes along the Chilean subduction zone
Berkeley, California · 22 Oct 2024
★ Invited
2024
Reuniones Geocientíficas · DGEO, UdeC
Explorando la distribución espacial de deformación transitoria en datos GPS continuos
Concepción, Chile · 31 May 2024
★ Invited
2024
Active Tectonics Meetings, EPS · UC Berkeley
Global search of short-term transient deformation in cGPS time series
Berkeley, California · 17 Jan 2024
★ Invited
2023
AGU Annual Meeting · Session MR016
Global search of short-term transient in cGPS time series
San Francisco, California · 14 Dec 2023
★ Invited Speaker
2022
Mardi Séismes · Géoazur, Université Côte d'Azur
Seismic and aseismic slip during the 2006 Copiapó swarm in North-Central Chile
Valbonne, France · 29 Nov 2022
★ Invited
2022
IEEE GRSS Student Chapter · Universidad de El Salvador [Remote]
Descifrando Señales de la Subducción Chilena: Una Mirada desde la Sismo-Geodesia
Remote · 20 Jun 2022
★ Invited

9 invited seminars total · 75+ conference presentations · Full conference list →

In the field

Fieldwork Experience

May & Oct 2025
Seismic Monitoring Network (ORSCA)
🇨🇱 Región del Biobío · FONDEQUIP EQM160015, UdeC
Nov 2023
High-Precision GPS Measurements
🇨🇱 Región de Atacama · Project S5, ANR France
Jun 2023
Alpine Geology & Tectonics Field School
🇫🇷 La Clusaz, French Alps · IPGP (1 week)
May 2022
Active Faults & Geomorphology — "Living Faults in Greece"
🇬🇷 Peloponnese, Greece · IPGP (2 weeks)
Feb 2021
Marine Seismology — OBS Recovery
🇨🇱 Chile Triple Junction · JAMSTEC-EPIC Campaign
Oct 2018
Applied Geophysics — Magnetic Field Profiles
🇨🇱 Región de Antofagasta · INSUD ACT172002, PIA-Anillo
Nov 2016
Amphibious Seismic Array Installation (50 sensors)
🇨🇱 Región de Tarapacá · NSF-PICTURES MGL1610
May 2016
Structural Geology Field School
🇨🇱 Región de Atacama · Tutor: M. Farías, Universidad de Chile

Technology transfer & industry collaboration

Consulting & Technical Collaboration

Since Aug 2025 · Current
🇨🇱 Omega Servicios Geofísica — External Consultant
Technical consulting for geophysical instrumentation acquisition and support in MASW processing (Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves). Contact: A. Navarro-Aránguiz
Since May 2025 · Current
🇨🇱 Colegio de Geofísicas y Geofísicos de Chile A.G. — Institutional service & leadership
Director of Seismology. Coordination of scientific activities, professional engagement, and technical discussions related to seismology and seismic hazards in Chile.
Jan – Feb 2025
🇨🇦 Hatch Consulting — Technical Assistance
Generation of design spectra using spectral matching techniques and applications to seismic design of tailings dams following intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes. Experience also contributed to undergraduate thesis evaluation.
Nov 2021 – Jan 2022
🇨🇱 Mining Industry Consulting — Technical Assistance
Seismic deaggregation analysis, spectral matching, and simulation of synthetic ground motions for operational and maximum credible earthquake scenarios. Experience applied to undergraduate supervision and graduate thesis evaluation.

Science for everyone

Outreach & Media

2021 · Ongoing — President since 2025

Fundación Geonautas

Co-founder of a non-profit dedicated to communicating Earth Sciences to the public in Chile, promoting disaster risk culture.

2020 – 2023

Tatemblando — Podcast

Co-creator of a Spanish-language seismology podcast on Spotify, making earthquake science accessible and engaging.

2021 – 2024

Rocadictos — Radio

Editorial committee member and panelist, Radio Universidad de Chile (102.5 FM). 25+ episodes as a panelist during my Ph.D. studies.

2016 – 2024

Explora ANID

Scientific advisor & coordinator. 25+ school talks, science festivals (FECI 2020–2022), Exposismos at Parque Metropolitano.

Full outreach page — news, media, school visits, EGU blog ↗

Get in touch

Contact

✉️
Email
jojeda@udec.cl
📍
Location
Concepción, Chile
🏛️
Institution
Universidad de Concepción · Civil Engineering Department