Exploring structural controls on great earthquake rupture and architecture of the Sumatra-Andaman convergent margin: A regional seismic reflection survey in collaboration with the

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This project will conduct a 7-day MCS add-on to a 2008 NERC-sponsored cruise to the area affected by the December 2004 Sumatran earthquake. The hypothesis to be tested is that landward-vergent (as opposed to seaward-vergent) thrusting promotes rupture to the deformation front, and consequent possibility for tsunamigenic earthquakes. The PIs suggest that such landward-vergent thrusting is present in the Sumatra area, and propose to constrain the deformation style by collection and analysis of seismic data. The data will be collected as an add-on to a German vessel under contract to UK/NERC.Broader impacts include greater understanding of a very seismogenic area of the world that produces tsunamis with the obvious societal relevance and collaborations with international (UK and German) scientists. In addition the PIs will make an effort to get underrepresented students involved in the study.