Erik Haaker, Project Geologist, has been with the G3SoilWorks team since the Company’s inception in 2009. Erik currently serves as project geologist and specializes in solving a variety of complex engineering geologic issues ranging from large-scale grading and construction to more complex issues including geoforensics, litigation, groundwater engineering, slope stability, and seismic hazard analysis. Erik earned much of his experience working in the field as a soil technician and staff geologist concurrent with receiving his education at San Diego State University. In the spring of 2012, Erik received his B.S. in geological sciences with an emphasis in engineering geology. Erik’s undergraduate studies included coursework in hydrogeology, structural geology, advanced field geology, petroleum geology, geomorphology, geophysics, soil mechanics, and geotechnical engineering. As a graduate student, Erik completed coursework in advanced foundations engineering, soil dynamics, soil stratigraphy, rock mechanics, geotechnical earthquake engineering, notable historic earthquakes, Quaternary geology, neotectonics, groundwater geochemistry, and fate of environmental contaminants. Erik’s academic excellence earned him a departmental scholarship in the spring of 2014. He also worked as a research assistant under his adviser, Dr. Thomas Rockwell, performing paleoseismic investigations along the San Jacinto fault at the Clark and Mystic lake trench sites. He completed his Master’s degree program in the fall of 2014. Erik’s course work serves as the foundation for his academic and professional success as a graduate student and member of the G3 team.
During his graduate studies, Erik worked as Dr. Rockwell’s right hand man in professional consulting, particularly in evaluating potential seismic hazards impacting San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station for Southern California Edison. Erik participated in a study aimed at evaluating the earthquake potential of the Oceanside and San Joaquin Hills blind thrust fault models hypothesized to underlie the coastal zone between San Diego and Newport Beach. Erik combined applying field methods and desktop research. The work that Erik performed as part of these initial studies evolved into his Master’s thesis, “Long-term uplift of the southern California coast between San Diego and Newport Beach resolved with new dGPS survey data: testing blind thrust models in the offshore California Borderland”, which served as a major stepping stone in his career as a geoscientist. He has presented the results of his work at the 2014 annual meetings of the Geological Society of America meeting in Bozeman, Montana and Southern California Earthquake Center in Palm Springs. Erik was awarded a scholarship from the San Diego Association of Geologists and a student research grant from the Geological Society of America.
Erik began working for G3SoilWorks, Inc. in September of 2009 as a Soil Technician and Staff Geologist. Notably, his resume includes having served as a key witness in deposition and arbitration for construction defect litigation in the City of Perris. In the Easter Earthquake of 2010, Erik performed exploratory work as part of the emergency repair program for the All-American Canal in Imperial. Erik has assisted private developers and the Lake Elsinore Unified School District in evaluating potential seismic and fault rupture hazards associated with the Elsinore fault zone in Lake Elsinore. He has participated in the formal presentations of the findings of G3 research to the California Geological Survey in Sacramento as part of the review process for evaluating a potential school site for seismic safety in terms of Alquist-Priolo zoning laws. Erik’s core values are centered at discovering the truth through the scientific method of multiple working hypotheses. He has a passion for problem solving, enjoys field work, and is conscientious of the needs of contractors, developers, and property owners. In addition to his professional and on-going academic pursuits, Mr. Haaker enjoys hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, snowboarding, and anything outdoors.
