Thomas Jordan

Thomas Jordan is an American geophysicist at the University of Southern California, recognized for his contributions to seismic tomography of Earth's mantle and the development of operational earthquake forecasting. He served as director of the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC). His research has helped refine models of earthquake probabilities in California.

SCEC is a research consortium funded primarily by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey, focused on understanding earthquake processes in Southern California. Thomas Jordan served as its director for over a decade, expanding its reach and modeling capabilities. The center coordinates research across dozens of universities.

Operational earthquake forecasting refers to providing time-dependent probabilities of future earthquakes, including potentially damaging aftershock sequences after a major event. Thomas Jordan has been a leading advocate for developing and disseminating such forecasts. The USGS now incorporates some of these principles in its aftershock advisories.

Thomas Jordan is based at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he holds a faculty position in earth sciences. Before USC, he served on the faculty at Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.