Untitled - The Future Ocean

Interdependence between earthquakes, slope stability and resulting tsunami generation in a typicalactive continental margin setting to be investigated by the proponents working group3. Previous and on-going work of the proponentsThe University of Kiel offers unique opportunities for addressing the problems outlined abovethrough expertise in marine instrumentation, the advanced processing and inversion of geophysicaldata, and static and dynamic laboratory rock and sediment testing. There is also considerableexpertise regarding the dewatering cycle as well as instrumentation to monitor earthquakes (Husenet al. 2000) and dewatering at the seafloor. The proponents have a long-standing and strongrecord of studying the seismicity, structure and tectonics of active margins and providecomplementary expertise in the fields of geophysics, rock and soil mechanics, and structuralgeology. Ship time has already been secured for 2006 and 2007, and existing data are availablefor further analysis. Various proponents have extensive experience in leading marine expeditions,including Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) cruises in high-risk continental margins, andplay leading roles in SFB 574 (Volatiles and Fluids in Subduction Zones).4. ObjectivesWhile many land-based seismological and geotechnical working groups exist both in Germany andthroughout the world, their marine equivalents are practically non-existent. The proponents plan toaddress these shortcomings as well as the interrelationships between seismogenesis, fluids, andslope failure by establishing a novel combined marine seismology/geotechnical group in Kiel. Keyobjectives include the delineation of the updip limit of the seismogenic zone using passiveseismology, the determination of physical properties (including shear moduli) beneath the slopeand along the plate boundary using active seismic methods, and the mapping of fluidconcentrations, fluid mobility and local overpressure both beneath the slope and within theseismogenic zone using active seismic and electromagnetic methods. The proponents will takeadvantage of the recent development of broadband ocean-bottom seismometers, which aredeployable down to full ocean depths, and of new approaches in interpretation (e.g. Song and77