US-Italy planning visit to develop a new international collaboration to improve understanding of fault mechanics and earthquake hazards

美国和意大利计划访问以开展新的国际合作，以增进对断层力学和地震灾害的了解

• 批准号: 1444111
• 负责人: Richard Bennett
• 金额: $ 2.44万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-04-01 至 2018-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1444111&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: US; Italy; planning; visit; develop

Large and damaging earthquakes are caused by abrupt displacement (i.e., slip) across faults in the rocks near Earth's surface. However, not all slip across faults is abrupt. Indeed, for some faults, appreciable slip may occur without shaking the ground making them difficult to detect using traditional seismograph instruments. Understanding the difference between these two types of fault slip behavior is critical to our ability to gauge potential earthquake threats posed by active fault zones worldwide, including numerous hazardous fault zones in the United States. One of the best examples of a fault that appears to frequently slip with and without creating large earthquakes is the Alto Tiberina fault located in central Italy. The unusual geometry of this fault, which makes it among the most accessible faults in the world to studies using near surface observations, provides a unique opportunity to investigate the physical characteristics of faults that slide with and without violently shaking the ground. It is an ideal target for documenting the conditions under which faults pose the greatest threat of damaging earthquakes. The new collaboration that will be forged with support from the National Science Foundation Catalyzing New International Collaborations (CNIC) program sets the stage for the deployment of a network of modern strainmeter instruments designed specifically to detect small but diagnostic slip events on the Alto Tiberina fault across a very broad spectrum of fault behaviors. When combined with existing seismograph and geodetic technologies that have already been deployed by Italian partners, the new strainmeter network will allow for the first time measurements of the frequency, duration, and magnitude of sliding events, and their relationship to ground motion and earthquakes. The first task toward understanding fault slip behavior is the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding outlining all aspects of the international collaboration, including: the roles and responsibilities for funding, siting, permitting, telemetry, data flow and archiving, routine site maintenance, data processing, and scientific collaboration. The formal collaboration that will be established will (1) enhance future research opportunities for early- and mid-career researchers from US-based institutions, (2) prepare the next generation of earthquake fault researchers in the United States, (3) provide future generations of United States scientists with significant professional experience beyond political borders early in their careers, and (4) generate a wealth of new information that will inform earthquake hazards assessments throughout the United States.

大的破坏性地震是由突然的位移引起的（即，滑动）穿过地球表面附近岩石中的断层。然而，并不是所有的断层滑动都是突然的。 事实上，对于某些断层，可能会发生明显的滑动而不会震动地面，这使得它们很难用传统的地震仪仪器检测到。 了解这两种类型的断层滑动行为之间的差异对于我们衡量全球活动断层带（包括美国许多危险断层带）构成的潜在地震威胁的能力至关重要。 位于意大利中部的Alto Tiberina断层是一个最好的例子，它似乎经常在发生或不发生大地震的情况下滑动。 这个断层的不寻常的几何形状，使其成为世界上最容易使用近地表观测进行研究的断层之一，提供了一个独特的机会来研究断层的物理特征，这些断层在地面剧烈震动和不剧烈震动的情况下滑动。 它是记录断层造成破坏性地震最大威胁的条件的理想目标。 这项新的合作将在美国国家科学基金会催化新国际合作（CNIC）计划的支持下形成，为部署现代应变仪仪器网络奠定了基础，该网络专门用于检测Alto Tiberina断层上的小型但诊断性的滑动事件。 与意大利合作伙伴已经部署的现有地震仪和大地测量技术相结合，新的应变仪网络将首次测量滑动事件的频率、持续时间和震级，以及它们与地面运动和地震的关系。 了解断层滑动行为的第一项任务是建立一份谅解备忘录，概述国际合作的各个方面，包括：资金、选址、许可、遥测、数据流和存档、日常现场维护、数据处理和科学合作的作用和责任。将建立的正式合作将（1）为美国机构的早期和中期职业研究人员增加未来的研究机会，（2）为美国下一代地震断层研究人员做好准备，（3）为未来的美国科学家提供重要的专业经验，超越他们职业生涯早期的政治边界，以及（4）产生丰富的新信息，为美国各地的地震灾害评估提供信息。