Dr Chuanbin Zhu

Assistant Professor

School: Engineering, Physics and Mathematics

I am an Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering in the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics at Northumbria University. I obtained my PhD degree ("Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award", top 5%) at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. I worked as a Research Scientist at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, Germany, and as a Research Fellow at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, before joining Northumbria University.

My research focuses on characterising the influence of near-surface Earth structure on seismic wave propagation, advancing its observation, physical understanding, and predictive modelling using statistical, numerical, and machine learning methods. Notably, I have contributed to major national seismic hazard initiatives which led to the change of design practices, including the New Zealand National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM), which underpins national seismic loading standards. In addition, I led the development of OpenAmp, the first labelled amplification database to unlock the potential of machine learning, now widely used globally, and contributed to the first national site database for China. One of my papers, “How well can we predict earthquake site response so far?”, is among the top 10 most cited articles published in the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s flagship journal, Earthquake Spectra, on a rolling three-year basis.

Email Chuanbin

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

From 2000 to 2019, earthquakes claimed 721,318 lives, which account for 58% of death tolls caused by natural hazards (UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). If we can reliably forecast strong ground shaking during future catastrophic earthquakes, we can save lives. Despite the potential benefits, accurate prediction of earthquake ground shaking remains elusive. One of the major roadblocks is our inability to accurately predict the profound modification (e.g., amplification) of the Earth's near-surface structure (i.e., the top few hundred meters of the crust) to the seismic waves that travel through it - known as “site effects”.

I specialize in the characterization of earthquake site effects. My research interests include:

Site-effects characterization via observation, classic statistical modelling, physics-based simulations, and advanced data-driven methods,
Inversion of near- and sub-surface properties (e.g., using microtremor or seismicity data),
Uncertainty/variability quantification,
Site classification,
Signal processing, and
Database development.

For detailed information on my research, please visit my personal website: www.chuanbinzhu.com

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
OpenAmp: An Open-Source Site Amplification Database to Unlock the Potential of Machine Learning, Zhu, C., Kwak, D., Pilz, M., Haendel, A., Xie, J., Kawase, H., Cotton, F. 1 May 2026, In: Earthquake Spectra
A 100-Meter-Resolution Site-Condition Map of China Based on Surface Geology and Bedrock Depth, Li, K., Xie, J., Li, X., Jiang, W., Zhu, C., Zhang, Y. 1 Jul 2025, In: Engineering Geology
Ground-motion models for Arias intensity, cumulative absolute velocity, and duration parameters in Türkiye, Wang, M., Fai Leung, A., Zhu, C., Güryuva, B., Sandıkkaya, M., Ji, K. 1 Sep 2025, In: Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
Site-response high-frequency frontiers and the added value of site-specific earthquake record-based measurements of velocity and attenuation, Pilz, M., Cotton, F., Zhu, C. 1 May 2025, In: Earthquake Spectra
Validating alternative methods to account for shallow site effects in hybrid broadband ground-motion simulation of small-magnitude earthquakes in New Zealand, Kuncar, F., Bradley, B., de la Torre, C., Rodriguez-Marek, A., Zhu, C., Lee, R. 1 Dec 2025, In: Earthquake Spectra
基于神经网络图像特征识别的中国强震台站谱比曲线场地分类, Ji, K., Ren, Y., Zhu, C., Wen, R., Wang, H., Liu, Y., Gou, Y. 1 Jul 2025, In: Acta Geophysica Sinica
Site database for national strong motion stations in mainland China, Ji, K., Ren, Y., Zhu, C., Zhang, Y., Yao, X., Wang, D., Zhang, P., Si, H., Kishida, T., Liu, Y., Yaghmaei-Sabegh, S., Wen, R. 1 Sep 2024, In: Engineering Geology
Spectral decomposition of ground motions in New Zealand using the generalized inversion technique, Zhu, C., Bora, S., Bradley, B., Bindi, D. 1 Jul 2024, In: Geophysical Journal International
The 2023 New Zealand Ground-Motion Database, Hutchinson, J., Zhu, C., Bradley, B., Lee, R., Wotherspoon, L., Dupuis, M., Schill, C., Motha, ., Manea, ., Kaiser, A. 1 Feb 2024, In: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
Complementary Dense Datasets Acquired in a Low-to-Moderate Seismicity Area for Characterizing Site Effects: Application in the French Rhône Valley, Froment, B., Olivar-Castaño, A., Ohrnberger, M., Gisselbrecht, L., Hannemann, K., Cushing, E., Boué, P., Gélis, C., Haendel, A., Pilz, M., Hillmann, L., Barbaux, O., Beauprêtre, S., Bouzat, G., Chaljub, E., Cotton, F., Lavoué, F., Stehly, L., Zhu, C., Magnin, O., Métral, L., Mordret, A., Richet, Y., Tourette, A. 1 Jan 2023, In: Seismological Research Letters

Further Information

I am particularly interested in applying disruptive techniques, e.g., deep learning, in science discovery and problem-solving in engineering seismology.

Please feel encouraged to contact me if you are interested in research or knowledge exchange collaborations, or in pursuing a research degree under my supervision.

Qualifications