Four AGU Session Announcements

Dear SCEC Community,

The deadline for the 2014 AGU Fall Meeting session abstract submission is coming up in just a month (August 6). As such, we are receiving a great number of requests to send out session announcements to inform, invite, and remind potential abstract submitters in advance of this deadline. Included below are four of these announcements -- sessions 2171, 3361, 2792, and 2417 are represented here.

If you plan to attend AGU, please take a moment to review these announcements.

Thanks!

SCEC Information

======================= Session 2171 ===================

Dear Colleagues,
 
We would like to bring your attention to AGU session ID# 2171 Near Fault Observatories to Understand Faulting and Earthquake Mechanics.
 
Faults are natural systems whose mechanical conditions evolve with time. Thus the understanding of the multi-scale physical and chemical processes controlling faulting and earthquake generation requires the availability of high-quality multidisciplinary data.  Near-fault observatories are research infrastructures implemented worldwide to collect diverse data around active faults over long observational times. They are natural laboratories that promote multidisciplinary investigations.

The session aims to bring together scientists with complementary experience to discuss the analyses of long time series of high-resolution seismological, geodetic, geochemical, geological and geophysical data to identify and constrain tectonic processes, the identification of transient signals and slow deformation processes, the observations on earthquake initiation and propagation, triggering mechanisms, the analyses of seismicity patterns, repeaters and temporal changes in crustal condition and the underlying physics. The overarching objective is discussing the progress in the monitoring and understanding of earthquake mechanics and to foster future collaborations.
 
Sincerely,
Lauro Chiaraluce (INGV, Rome), Pascal Bernard (IPG, Paris), Marco Bohnhoff (GFZ, Potsdam),
Bill Ellsworth (USGS, Menlo Park), session conveners

======================= Session 3361 ===================

MULTISCALE DYNAMICS OF EARTHQUAKE FAULTING
Session ID#: 3361

Earthquake faulting involves physical processes operating over length scales which range from millimeter wide primary slip zones on the time scale of milliseconds to seconds during rupture, to the evolution of fault systems spanning hundreds of kilometers over thousands of years. Capturing the interaction among processes across this broad range of spatial and temporal scales necessitates multiscale approaches to numerical modeling, observations, and laboratory experiments. We invite submissions covering topics in this area, including earthquake initiation and triggering, rupture across multiple fault segments, effects of fault-surface roughness on source dynamics and near-field radiation, influence of bulk and fault rheologies on post-seismic deformation and slip localization, and evolution of fault zones and fault systems. Observational and laboratory studies that address multi-scale earthquake dynamics, computational efficiency, validation of modeling approaches, and leveraging of state-of-the-art open-source tools are all topics of particular interest.

Sponsor:
S - Seismology

Co-Sponsor(s):
T - Tectonophysics

Index Terms:
7209 Earthquake dynamics [SEISMOLOGY]
7290 Computational seismology [SEISMOLOGY]
8118 Dynamics and mechanics of faulting [TECTONOPHYSICS]
8163 Rheology and friction of fault zones [TECTONOPHYSICS]

Conveners:
Brad Aagaard, USGS, Menlo Park, CA
Alice-Agnes Gabriel, Ludwig Maximilians Universitat Munchen, Munich
Matthew Knepley, Univ of Chicago, CHICAGO, IL
Paul Martin Mai, KAUST, Saudi Arabia

======================= Session 2792 ===================

Dear all,
 
Abstract submission for the AGU Fall Meeting, 15-19 December 2014 in San Francisco, CA is now open. We invite contributions to the following:
 
Shallow properties of fault zones (#2792)

In the top few kilometers of active fault zones, low confining stresses and temperatures create a unique set of conditions that affect the evolution and long-term properties of faults, as well as dynamic rupture and seismic wave propagation. Properties such as fault friction, fluid flow and material damage provide insight into the mechanics and evolution of the fault zone, while seismic velocities and fault geometry allow us to better understand the hazard posed by faults, including strong ground motion and directivity. Geologic, seismic, and geodetic observations -- along with laboratory studies -- provide constraints on these properties and their time evolution, while modeling efforts allow us to better understand long-term properties of fault zones, with implications for earthquake hazard. We encourage contributions that inform or constrain shallow properties of fault zones, including fault geometry, rheology, frictional stability/weakening, fluid flow, damage, seismicity patterns, and rupture processes.

https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2792.html 
 
Conveners

Eric O. Lindsey, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Andrew J. Barbour, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Thomas M. Mitchell, University College London
Amir A. Allam, University of Alaska Fairbanks
 

Invited speakers:
 
Jean Paul Ampuero, Caltech
Ziyadin Cakir, Istanbul Technical University
Guoqing Lin, University of Miami
Richard Sibson, University of Otago

======================= Session 2417 ===================
 
Influence of Smaller-Scale Processes on Larger-Scale Fault Zone Behavior and Evolution: Towards Development of Physically Sound Models of the Seismic Cycle

Earthquake rupture processes are often discussed in terms of fracture mechanics based on macroscopic continuum mechanics. However, elementary smaller-scale processes within or around shear zones have been found important in explaining several larger-scale phenomena. For example, brittle-ductile transition of rock deformation explains seismic-aseismic transition, and extreme weakening of a fault at coseismic slip rate explains heat flow paradox. Fundamental understanding of fault behavior and structural evolution based on smaller-scale processes is crucial for developing physically sound models of the seismic cycle and should improve our preparedness against seismic hazard. Possible topics of interest include (i) theoretical and numerical studies on significance (or irrelevance) of smaller-scale processes in larger-scale fault behavior and geophysical observables, (ii) characterization and modeling of fault zone structures and their evolution, (iii) field and experimental studies on identification of relevant smaller-scale processes operating on a fault and its implications. Theoretical, numerical, field, and experimental studies are welcomed.

https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session2417.html

Conveners: Ahmed Elbanna (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign) and Hiroyuki Noda (JAMSTEC Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)
 
Invited Speakers:
Emily Brodsky (University of California at Santa Cruz, USA)
Pierre Dublanchet (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland)
Eiichi Fukuyama (National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, Japan)
Nadia Lapusta (California Institute of Technology, USA)
 
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
 
Ahmed Ettaf Elbanna, PhD.
Assistant Professor of Structural Engineering
Department of Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign