Dr. Karplus’ research focuses on structure and tectonics of the Earth's crust using active- and passive-source seismic methods as well as other geophysical methods. She has active research investigating 1) glacier structure and dynamics in Antarctica, Alaska, and the Himalaya, 2) earthquake hazards in West Texas and other environments, 3) convergent tectonics of the Himalaya and Tibet, 4) extensional tectonics of the Basin & Range and Rio Grande Rift, 5) geothermal and geyser systems, 6) desert hydrogeophysics in the El Paso region, and 7) geophysical imaging and seismic characterization of minerals and petroleum systems. She is passionate about the Earth and seeking to better understand Earth’s physical processes, especially in ways that positively impact communities. She is also passionate about collecting field data as well as improving and optimizing field data collection techniques.