
Danica Roth, phd
Assistant Professor
Department of geology and geological engineering
Department of Geophysics (courtesy joint appointment)
Hydrologic Science and Engineering Program
Hi! I’m a physicist/astrophysicist-turned-planetary-scientist-turned-geomorphologist/geophysicist with broadly interdisciplinary research interests. At this point, the best label I can come up with for my work is process bioecogeomorephysiseismology.
As an undergrad at UC Berkeley, I started out wanting to research black holes and galaxy formation, but eventually realized I would be happier using physics to contribute more tangibly to science that intersects with climate change and global environmental justice. I transitioned into geoscience by way of planetary science and a summer internship at SETI, where I mapped river networks on Titan but, unfortunately, encountered neither extraterrestrial life nor Jodie Foster. During my PhD at UC Santa Cruz, I developed the use of seismometers to monitor coarse sediment bouncing along river beds during transport. Sediment transport is crucial to a wide range of fields and topics, but also incredibly challenging to measure with traditional techniques because most sediment moves during floods, when rivers can become extremely dangerous. As a grad student, I also became deeply involved in STEM activism and education through the Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators’ Professional Development Program, as VP and Outreach Coordinator for Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), and by helping to found the WiSE Up Reading Group and Geoscientists Encouraging Openness & Diversity in the Earth Sciences (GEODES). After grad school, I spent two years as a NSF postdoc at the University of Oregon, where I threw 1000 rocks down very steep hills to develop a mathematical model for the statistics of long-distance particle motion over varying topography (in this case, densely vegetated and recently burned by wildfire).
My current research interests center on quantifying and relating active surface processes to landscape form and evolution across scales. Common themes in my work include examining feedbacks and morphodynamics in complex Earth surface systems, linking empirical observations and applications to the development of physically-based theory, and looking for signals in the noise of geomorphic data.
Back when I had more free time (pre-pre-tenure), I was an avid rock climber, world traveler, foodie, gardener, baker and occasional metalsmith. I plan to someday be all of those things again. Regardless of free time, I am always committed to engaging my intersecting passions for equity and education through outreach, advocacy, mentorship and building inclusive and supportive communities.
Faculty page | CV | google scholar | github
Current Group Members

Rahul Kaushal
Postdoctoral Researcher

Mel Zhang
(pronounced “jhong”)
PHD Student – Geology

Cornelis Reijm
MS Student – GeologICAL ENGINEERING

Samantha Burton
undergraduate research Fellow, Geological Engineering

Eliza Ross
undergraduate research Fellow, Geophysical Engineering

Isaac Pope
undergraduate researcher, Geological Engineering

Stephen Gialamas
undergraduate research Fellow, Geological Engineering

Oliver Noyes
undergraduate researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Past Group Members
Caroline Bedwell, MS 2021 – Geological Engineering (2019-2021), US Forest Service
Claire Vavrus, MS 2021 – Geology (2019-2021), Wright Water Engineering
Natalie Lasater, BS – Mines Undergraduate research fellow (2021-2022)
Seunghoo Kim, BS – Mines Undergraduate research fellow (2021-2022)
Alex Coronado, BS 2021 – Mines Undergraduate research fellow (2020-2021), Geologist with Freeport McMoran
Thomas Busath, BS 2020 – Mines Undergraduate Research Fellow (2019-2020)