We are pleased to announce the next Hewett Club Speaker – Prof. Junle Jiang from the University of Oklahoma. He combines analyses of geodetic datasets with seismological observations and laboratory-based computational modeling to study geophysical processes over multiple time scales (from seconds to centuries) and their behavior under transient or steady environmental forcing.

"Exploring Links Between Earthquakes and Slow Deformation on Crustal Faults"

Geophysical observations increasingly reveal seismic and aseismic fault slip as fundamental processes of fault zones. Unraveling the connections between fast and slow fault processes is hence essential to understanding earthquake physics and seismic hazard. I will discuss the use of physics-based models of Sequences of Earthquakes and Aseismic Slip (SEAS) to explore the interactions between microseismicity, aseismic slip, and large earthquakes on crustal faults. Models that incorporate laboratory friction laws and heterogeneous fault properties are applied to the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults in Southern California, to reconcile decadal-scale observations of seismicity and geodetically determined interseismic fault locking. Furthermore, these simulations may allow us to qualitatively explain aseismic transients and microseismicity patterns, and to infer plausible rupture behavior of large earthquakes. I will also discuss a community-driven initiative for verifying SEAS numerical simulations, and some progress and challenges in quantifying model sensitivities and testing or validating these models with ever-improving geodetic and seismic observations.