Collaborative Research: Three-Dimensional Deformation of Subducting Slabs: Observations and Kinematic Modeling

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This research deals with the problem of how slabs deform as they descend into the mantle, and how this deformation is related to the observed seismicity. This problem is very difficult to formulate and this research adopts a variational principle, a minimum strain energy approach, as a starting point. Seismicity will be studied by analysis of existing catalogues and finite thickness slab models will be used to analyze the strain. Previous work done in the Aleutians and Cascadia will be compared to this study which will concentrate on western Pacific and South American subduction zones. This research relates slab distortion to seismicity at subduction zones and is a component of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program.