Crustal Deformation at the Sumatran Subduction Zone - Joint Research

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

Steven N. Ward EAR-0000978 For the past several years, the Dr. Steven Ward has been involved in an ongoing collaborative research project with Dr. Kerry Sieh of California Institute of Technology that involves interpreting the various tectonic and non-tectonic signals recorded in coral microatolls sampled over the Sumatran subduction zone. The growth patterns of coral microatolls provide records of relative sea level variations over many decades. These relative vertical motions find their source in many tectonic and non-tectonic processes including: seismic earthquakes, slow/silent earthquakes (creep events), steady interseismic loading, seasonal and eustatic climatic effects, and local environmental influences. This project will fund work in geophysical, geodetic, and tectonic modeling to complement the geological and chemical strengths of the research team. This research will focus on the geophysical modeling, geodetic inference, and computer simulations of coral growth.