Utpal Kumar

Utpal Kumar

Data Science, Computational Geophysics, Web Computing

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Utpal Kumar

Utpal Kumar

Data Science, Computational Geophysics, Web Computing

Geophysicist | Geodesist | Seismologist | Open-source Developer

I am currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Earth and Planetary Science, UC Berkeley, United States. Although I am intrigued by all sorts of data analysis projects, my primary research interests are in Geophysics, and Geodesy. I work on the tools that support data-intensive research and build software tools for researchers.

Computing and Technical Skills

Computing Technical
Web Development [backend (preferred), frontend] Computer Operating Systems: MacOS (Mojave), Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, Opensuse), Windows (7)
Open-source programming (scientific computing,
data visualization, and
achieving automation) 		Database Development/Management: SQLite, PostgreSQL and Pandas DataFrame, AWS-S3
Python (primary),
Bash/csh,
R, C, Perl,
Fortran (and Gnuplot, MATLAB,
LATEX,
HTML/CSS, Markdown, Javascript (JQuery)		 Designing: Proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie,
HTML/CSS and JS
Generic Mapping Tools,
Basemap (Python),
Bokeh (Python) for plotting high resolution maps		 Writing (offline): Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint),
Mac Pages and Keynote (for manuscript), LATEX (for extensive documents),
Jupyter Notebook (for presentation of software packages)
Seismic Analysis Code (SAC) and Obspy (Python) for analyzing and visualzing seismic waveforms Writing (online): Wordpress, Medium (for blogging), Markdown, Jekyll, Sphinx documentation

Skills & Proficiency (Relative to my proficiency target)

Python

MATLAB

Fortran

C/C++

Bash

Perl

HTML5 & CSS

Javascript

Open-source Projects

Sea-Level Rise Monitoring

Web-Application that aims to integrate NASA data (satellite images and tabular data) to create sea-level rise monitoring picture for general awareness.

GEV Info

Visualizing remote sensing data using interactive maps.

Bibligraphy Database

Automatically obtain publication details using Google Scholar API and stores at AWS S3.

FerryMan

A web application to identify the "comfort" zone of different species based on their Ecological Index.

  1. dtwhaclustering: A python package to cluster geodetic time series
  2. Voice-Plotter: A GUI application to visualize real-time ambient sounds
  3. Miniseed2mat: Convert miniseed data format to MATLAB's native MAT format

Current Research

  • To finalize codes and data collection and develop a 3D elastic model of deep structure beneath the Yellowstone hotspot using an approach called "box tomography"
  • Dynamic Time Warping as an Alternative to Windowed Cross-Correlation in Seismological Applications
  • On Analyzing GPS Displacement Field Variability of Taiwan: Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering based on Dynamic Time Warping Technique
  • Fully-automated Focal Mechanism Determination System and it’s Application on the Events Located in Northern Philippines
  • Spatial Analysis of Anomalously Large Co-seismic Deformation in the 2016 ML6.6 Meinong, Taiwan, Earthquake using EOF method on dense continuous GPS data of Taiwan
  • Automated receiver functions and shear-wave splitting measurements beneath seismic stations in the USArray and Germany by STADIUM-Py

Ph.D. Thesis

Publications

  1. Kumar, U., Legendre, C.P. (2022) Crust-mantle decoupling beneath Afar revealed by Rayleigh-wave tomography Sci Rep 12, 17036 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20890-5READ
  2. Kumar, U., Cédric. P. Legendre, Jian-Cheng Lee, Li Zhao, Benjamin Fong Chao (2022) On analyzing GNSS displacement field variability of Taiwan: Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering based on Dynamic Time Warping technique Computers & Geosciences, 105243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2022.105243READ
  3. Kumar, U., C. P. Legendre, L. Zhao, B. F. Chao, 2022. Dynamic Time Warping as an Alternative to Windowed Cross Correlation in Seismological Applications, Seismol. Res. Lett., doi: 10.1785/0220210288.READ
  4. Cedric P. Legendre, Utpal Kumar, Benoit Deffontaines, Bor-Shouh Huang, 2022. Seismic anisotropy beneath Sunda Block: a Synopsis, Under review
  5. Kumar, Utpal, & Legendre, Cédric P. (2021). STADIUM-Py: Python Command-line Interface for automated Receiver Functions and Shear-Wave Splitting Measurements (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4686103
  6. Kumar, U., Legendre, C.P., Huang, B.S., 2021. Crustal structure and upper mantle anisotropy of the Afar triple junction. Earth, Planets Sp. 73, 166. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01495-0 READ
  7. Seela, B.K., Janapati, J., Kalath Unnikrishnan, C., Lin, P.-L., Le Loh, J., Chang, W.-Y., Kumar, U., Reddy, K.K., Lee, D.-I., Venkatrami Reddy, M., 2021. Raindrop Size Distributions of North Indian Ocean Tropical Cyclones Observed at the Coastal and Inland Stations in South India. Remote Sens. . https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13163178 READ
  8. Kumar, U., Chao, B. F., & Chang, E. T. Y. (2020). What causes the common‐mode error in array GPS displacement fields: Case study for Taiwan in relation to atmospheric mass loading. Earth and Space Science, 7, e2020EA001159. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001159 READ
  9. Kumar, U., and Chao, B. F., (2019), Crustal Motion of Active Plate Convergence in Eastern Taiwan, 2007-2018: Agglomerative Clustering based on Dynamic Time Warping, Earth and Space Science Open Archive, 1, doi: 10.1002/essoar.10501536.1.READ
  10. Janapati, J., Seela B. K., Lin, P.-L., Wang, P. K., & Kumar, U., (2019), An assessment of tropical cyclones rainfall erosivity for Taiwan, Sci Rep 9, 15862 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52028-5 READ
  11. Kumar, U. Chao, B.F., Hsieh, Y., Chang, E.T.Y., 2017. A meteor shockwave event recorded at seismic and infrasound stations in northern Taiwan. Geosci. Lett. 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40562-017-0079-2 READ
  12. Seela, B. K., Reddy, K. K., Janapati, J., Rao, T. N., Lin, P.-L., Liu, C.-Y., & Kumar, U., (2016), Precipitation and cloud microstructure variations between two Southern Indian stations, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 9876, 98761O. http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2218458 READ