Spatial and Temporal Stress Variations in the Outer Rise and Subduction Zone Dynamics

这项研究的一篇早期论文提出了监测俯冲边界应力水平的可能性，该研究涉及外部上升地震(发生在靠近测深海沟轴线的下行海洋板块内)。这一结果激发了许多地震学家的兴趣。这项研究将继续这项工作，将地震震源机制的分析扩展到较小的事件，并将它们与地震发生的时空变化联系起来。由于俯冲边界上的应力水平监测是对该地区地震发生概率的衡量，因此这项研究直接应用于国家地震减灾计划。

An earlier paper from this research on outer-rise earthquakes (events occurring within the downgoing oceanic plate near the bathymetric trench axis) suggested a possibility of monitoring stress level on subduction boundaries. The results have stimulated the interest of many seismologists. This research will continue the work by extending the analysis of earthquake focal mechanisms to smaller events and relating them to the spatial and temporal variations of earthquake occurrence. Because monitoring stress level along subduction boundaries relates is a measure of the probability of earthquake occurrence in that region, the research has direct application to the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program.