Brief Introduction

Dr. Zewei Wang obtained his Bachelor's degree (2012) and Ph.D. degree (2017) from Central South University, followed by postdoctoral research at Sun Yat-sen University. He served as a Research Assistant Professor at Southern University of Science and Technology from 2020 to 2025 and assumed the position of Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University in April 2025. He has developed three innovative seismic tomography techniques: 3D tilting-axis anisotropic tomography, seismic attenuation tomography by jointly inverting local and teleseismic data , and multi-scale secondary inversion methodology. His research outputs have been published in authoritative journals including Science Advances, GRL, and JGR-Solid Earth, with 38 SCI papers (23 as first/corresponding author) accumulating over 1,100 citations (h-index 20), including 2 ESI highly cited papers.

As principal investigator, he has led projects from the National Natural Science Foundation and the Ministry of Science and Technology. He serves as an NSFC evaluation expert and peer reviewer for over 10 international journals including GRL and Tectonophysics. Leveraging above-mentioned methodological advancements, his team focuses on deciphering evolutionary patterns within subduction zones, orogenic belts, and source areas of large earthquakes.

Education Background

Sep 2012-Jun 2017‌: Central South University, ‌Ph.D. in Engineering‌, Geotechnical Engineering

‌Sep 2008-Jun 2012‌: Central South University, Bachelor of Engineering‌, Urban Underground Space Engineering

‌Jun 2016-Jan 2017‌: Tohoku University (日本东北大学), ‌Joint Ph.D. Training‌, Geophysics/Seismology

Career Experience

Apr 2025–Present‌: Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, ‌Associate Professor‌

‌Aug 2020–Mar 2025‌: Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Department of Earth and Space Sciences, ‌Research Assistant Professor‌

‌Sep 2017–Aug 2020‌: Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, ‌Postdoctoral Researcher‌

‌Mar 2018–Apr 2019‌: Tohoku University (日本东北大学), Earthquake and Volcano Research Center, ‌Visiting Scholar‌

Research

Associate Professor Zewei Wang's research focuses on deep Earth exploration, employing ‌seismic tomographic techniques‌ to model three-dimensional velocity, anisotropy, and attenuation structures of the crust and mantle. Leveraging innovative methodologies such as ‌3D tilting-axis anisotropic tomography‌ and seismic attenuation tomography‌, his research team aims to ‌delve into the evolutionary mechanisms‌ of geological structures in subduction zones, orogenic belts, and seismic source regions.

Projects

‌(1) Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) National Key R&D Program‌, No. 2024YFF0808204, ‌Subproject IV‌, Dec 2024–Nov 2029, ‌CNY 975,000‌, ‌Ongoing‌, ‌Principal Investigator (PI)

(2) National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), General Program‌, No. 42274058‌, Jan 2023–Dec 2026, ‌CNY 560,000‌, ‌Ongoing‌, ‌Principal Investigator (PI)

‌(3) NSFC, Major Research Plan‌, No. 92155307‌, Jan 2022–Dec 2025, ‌CNY 5,090,000‌, ‌Ongoing‌, ‌Participant (Co-I)‌

‌(4) NSFC, Youth Program (Category C)‌ [formerly Youth Science Fund Project], No. 41904045, Jan 2020–Dec 2022, ‌CNY 260,000‌, ‌Completed‌, ‌Principal Investigator (PI)‌

Publications

2024

38. Liu, D., Wang, Z. *, Zhao, D., Gao, R. Accretionary wedge, arc magmatism and fluid migration in Northern Sumatra: Insight from seismic attenuation tomography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth  129(12), e2024JB029777 (2024)

37. Yuan, T., Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D., Gao, R., & Chen, X. Multiple slabs and complex mantle flows in the Molucca Sea subduction zone. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 25, e2024GC011500 (2024)

36. Xie, F., Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D., Gao, R., & Chen, X. Tilting-axis anisotropic tomography and subduction dynamics of the Java-Banda arc. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2023GL107720 (2024).

35. Yuan, T., Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D., Gao, R.*, & Chen, X. Seismic evidence for break-off of the Molucca Sea slab. Tectonophysics, 874, 230218 (2024).

2023

34. Zhao, D., Liu, X., Wang, Z. & Gou, T. Seismic anisotropy tomography and mantle dynamics. Surveys in Geophysics 44, 947–982 (2023).

33. Wang, Z., Hu, J., Bao, X., Yu, C., Yang, Y. & Chen, X*. Global seismic tomography reveals remnants of subducted Tethyan oceanic slabs in the deep mantle. Science China Earth Sciences, 66(12): 2751–2769 (2023).

32. 王泽伟, 胡佳顺, 包雪阳, 俞春泉, 杨英杰, 陈晓非. 全球地震层析成像揭示深部地幔特提斯洋俯冲板片残留. 中国科学: 地球科学, 53(12): 2789–2807 (2023).

31. Zhao, D., Wang, J., Huang, Z., Liu, X. & Wang, Z. Seismic anisotropy and geodynamics of the East Japan subduction zone. Journal of Geodynamics 156, 101975 (2023).

30. Xie, F., Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D., Gao, R. & Chen, X. Seismic imaging of the Java subduction zone: New insight into arc volcanism and seismogenesis. Tectonophysics 854, 229810 (2023).

29. Chen, S., Wang, Z.*, Gao, R. & Zhou, Y. Mantle sources of Cenozoic volcanoes around the South China Sea revealed by geochemical and isotopic data using the principal component analysis. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology 41, 562–574 (2023).

28. Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D.* & Chen, X. Fine structure of the subducting slab and the 2022 M 7.4 Fukushima-Oki Intraslab earthquake. Seismological Research Letters 94, 17–25 (2023).

2022

27. Wang, Z., Zhao, D., Chen, X.* & Gao, R.* Subducting slabs, Hainan plume and intraplate volcanism in SE Asia: Insight from P-wave mantle tomography. Tectonophysics 831, 229329 (2022).

26. Wang, Z., Zhao, D. & Chen, X. Seismic anisotropy and intraslab hydrated faults beneath the NE Japan forearc. Geophysical Research Letters 49, e2021GL097266 (2022).

2021

25. Chen, S., Gao, R.*, Wang, Z.*, Hou, T., Liao, J., Yan, C. & Ren, Z. Coexistence of Hainan Plume and stagnant slab in the mantle transition zone beneath the South China Sea spreading ridge: Constraints from volcanic glasses and seismic tomography. Lithosphere 2021, 6619463 (2021).

24. Wang, Z.* & Zhao, D*. 3D anisotropic structure of the Japan subduction zone. Science Advances 7, eabc9620 (2021).

2020

23. Wang, Y., Shang, X., Wang, Z. & Gao, R. High-accuracy location of microseismic events in a strong inhomogeneous mining environment by optimized global full waveform inversion. Applied Sciences 10, 7205 (2020).

22. Che, G., Shi, H. & Wang, Z. Existence and concentration of positive ground states for a 1-Laplacian problem in R N. Applied Mathematics Letters 100, 106045 (2020).

2019

21. Wang, Z.* & Zhao, D.* Updated attenuation tomography of Japan subduction zone. Geophysical Journal International 219, 1679–1697 (2019).

20. Wang, Z.* & Zhao, D.* Mapping P-wave azimuthal anisotropy of the New Madrid seismic zone. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 295, 106296 (2019).

19. Hua, Y., Zhao, D., Xu, Y. & Wang, Z. Arc-arc collision caused the 2018 Eastern Iburi earthquake (M 6.7) in Hokkaido, Japan. Sci Rep 9, 13914 (2019).

18. Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D.*, Gao, R.* & Hua, Y. Complex subduction beneath the Tibetan plateau: A slab warping model. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 292, 42–54 (2019).

17. Dong, L., Zou, W., Li, X., Shu, W. & Wang, Z. Collaborative localization method using analytical and iterative solutions for microseismic/acoustic emission sources in the rockmass structure for underground mining. Engineering Fracture Mechanics 210, 95–112 (2019).

16. Wang, Z., Li, X.* & Shang, X. Distribution Characteristics of Mining-Induced Seismicity Revealed by 3-D Ray-Tracing Relocation and the FCM Clustering Method. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering 52, 183–197 (2019).

2018

15. Che, G., Chen, H., Shi, H. & Wang, Z. Existence of nontrivial solutions for fractional Schrödinger‐Poisson system with sign-changing potentials. Mathematical Methods in the Applied Sciences 41, 5050–5064 (2018).

14. Wang, Z., Li, X.*, Zhao, D., Shang, X. & Dong, L. Time-lapse seismic tomography of an underground mining zone. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences 107, 136–149 (2018).

13. Li, Q., Liu, K., Li, X., Wang, Z. & Weng, L. Cutting parameter optimization for one-step shaft excavation technique based on parallel cutting method. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China 28, 1413–1423 (2018).

12. Shang, X., Li, X., Morales-Esteban, A., Asencio-Cortés, G. & Wang, Z. Data Field-Based K-Means Clustering for Spatio-Temporal Seismicity Analysis and Hazard Assessment. Remote Sensing 10, 461 (2018).

2017

11. Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D.*, Liu, X. & Li, X. Seismic attenuation tomography of the source zone of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake ( M 7.3). Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 122, 2988–3007 (2017).

10. Wang, Z.*, Zhao, D.*, Liu, X., Chen, C. & Li, X. P and S wave attenuation tomography of the J apan subduction zone. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 18, 1688–1710 (2017).

9. Li, X., Shang, X., Morales-Esteban, A. & Wang, Z. Identifying P phase arrival of weak events: The Akaike Information Criterion picking application based on the Empirical Mode Decomposition. Computers & Geosciences 100, 57–66 (2017).

8. Wang, Z.*, Li, X. & Shang, X. VFOM-based source location and local magnitude calibration for micro-seismic events in mine. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 39, 1408–1415 (2017).

2016

7. Li, X., Shang, X., Wang, Z., Dong, L. & Weng, L. Identifying P -phase arrivals with noise: An improved Kurtosis method based on DWT and STA/LTA. Journal of Applied Geophysics 133, 50–61 (2016).

6. Li, X.-B., Wang, Z.-W.* & Dong, L.-J. Locating single-point sources from arrival times containing large picking errors (LPEs): the virtual field optimization method (VFOM). Scientific Reports 6, 19205 (2016).

5. Li, X., Zhou, T., Li, D. & Wang, Z. Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Feasibility and Validity of Prismatic Rock Specimen in SHPB. Shock and Vibration 2016, 1–13 (2016).

2015

4. Peng, K., Li, X. & Wang, Z.* Hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater movement and evolution in the Xinli deposit of the Sanshandao gold mine using FCM and PCA methods. Environmental Earth Sciences 73, 7873–7888 (2015).

3. Wang, Z.*, Li, X., Peng, K. & Xie, J. Impact of blasting parameters on vibration signal spectrum: Determination and statistical evidence. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology 48, 94–100 (2015).

2014

2. Peng, K., Wang, Z.* & Sun, J. Generation of artificial earthquakes for matching target response unsmooth spectrum via wavelet package transform. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China 24, 2612–2617 (2014).

1. Li, X., Wang, Z., Peng, K. & Liu, Z. Ant colony ATTA clustering algorithm of rock mass structural plane in groups. Journal of Central South University 21, 709–714 (2014).

Academic service

Peer Reviewer‌ for over 10 international journals including GRL, JGR, and Tectonophysics.