Collaborative Research: Subduction Megathrust Rheology: The Combined Roles of On- and Off-Fault Processes in Controlling Fault Slip Behavior

在过去的二十年里，在俯冲带中发现了广泛的断层滑动速度-从缓慢的构造速度蠕变到偶发性震颤和滑动到快速地震-已经点燃了一个新兴的新研究方向，重点是了解导致断层快速或缓慢滑动的物理机制，以及较慢的滑动如何可能与大型破坏性地震和海啸相互作用。提高我们对俯冲断层和地震力学的认识需要对板块边界系统的变形行为进行定量和全面的研究。断层内的物质和周围围岩的变形是应力、温度、应变速率和岩石类型的函数。与此同时，由于断层沿线岩石类型和条件的变化，断裂带的非均质性已成为解释慢震和慢滑事件发生的主要假设。因此，对俯冲带岩石的变形行为进行量化已成为实验工作者日益努力的方向。通过实验和数值模型，本研究将具体解决两个问题。首先，沿巨型逆冲构造的流变学及其非均质性如何影响断层滑动行为？其次，断层内外非弹性变形如何影响应变能积累和锁紧滑移的发生与分布？新的实验将在俯冲带的岩石上进行，这些岩石在地震开始的深处的压力和温度下会变形。实验数据将为数值模型提供信息，这些模型可以跨越尺度，包括沿断层的非均质性。这项工作的最终结果将是在一定时间尺度上对俯冲系统中空间异质性和流变性的作用进行新的定量分析。该项目将支持培养早期职业科学家，包括本科生、研究生、博士后和两名早期职业pi。此外，该项目将使用新开发的代码开发俯冲带流变学建模短期课程。短期课程的经验教训将以一套短片的形式公开提供，其中包括使用守则作为途径的说明，以最大限度地提高其可及性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Over the past two decades, the discovery of a broad spectrum of fault slip speeds in subduction zones – from slow tectonic rate creep to episodic tremor and slip to fast earthquakes - has ignited a burgeoning new research direction focused on understanding the physical mechanisms that cause faults to slip fast or slow, and how slower slip might potentially interact with large destructive earthquakes and tsunamis. Advancing our knowledge of subduction fault and earthquake mechanics requires a quantitative and holistic investigation of the deformation behavior of the plate boundary system. The deformation of both material within the fault and the surrounding wall rocks has been shown to be a function of stress, temperature, strain rate, and rock type. At the same time, heterogeneity in the fault zone, due to variations in rock type and conditions along the fault, has emerged as a leading hypothesis to explain the occurrence of slow earthquakes and slow slip events. Therefore, quantifying the deformation behavior of subduction zone rocks has been a growing endeavor for experimentalists.Through experiments and numerical models, this research will specifically address two questions. First, how does rheology along the megathrust - and its heterogeneity - affect fault slip behavior? Second, how does inelastic deformation on- and off-fault affect strain energy accumulation and the occurrence and distribution of locking and slip? New experiments will be conducted on subduction zone rocks that are deformed under pressures and temperatures present at the depths where earthquakes begin. The experimental data will inform numerical models that can bridge scales to include heterogeneity along the fault. The net result of this work will be new quantitative insights into the roles of spatial heterogeneity and rheology in subduction systems over a range of timescales. The project will support training of early career scientists including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and two early career PIs. In addition, the project will develop a modeling short course for subduction zone rheology using newly developed codes. The lessons from the short course will be made publicly available as a set of short videos that include instructions for using the codes as a pathway to maximize their accessibility.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.