37th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission

We would like to invite you to submit an abstract to the session “S14: Imaging and modeling 3D fault complexities in FAULT2SHA” at the 37th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission.The ESC will be held virtually on 19-24 September 2021. (https://www.erasmus.gr/microsites/1193).
The deadline for the abstracts submission is on April 19, 2021.

The form for abstract submission is available at the following link:
https://www.erasmus.gr/microsites/1193/abstract-submission

S14: Imaging and modeling 3D fault complexities in FAULT2SHADefining the 3D geometries of faults and their structural and rheological complexities not only presents challenges for field geologists, but also for seismic hazard assessment (SHA). Roughness of the fault plane, friction, asperities and bends constitute primary controlling parameters in physics based earthquake rupture models. Advanced seismic-cycle and earthquake rupture simulations incorporating these variables in 3D models have shown the occurrence of complex earthquake ruptures. Meanwhile, structural and field geologists are analyzing data at micro- and macro-scales, revealing that microscale observables can influence earthquake ruptures, or that, for example, strain partitioning, propagation of earthquake rupture or the seismic/creeping behavior can be influenced by steps, bends, gaps and barriers within and between faults. Modeling the 3D geometry incorporating the variability of these fault parameters along-strike and down-dip is the new frontier that earthquake scientists are beginning to explore, and a key scientific target of the Fault2SHA community. Finally, as the assessment of seismic hazard is ultimately concerned with the expected ground motion, to what extent are empirical ground motion prediction equations and physics-based ground motion simulations capable of capturing these complexities? This session welcomes contributions from: (i) earthquake geologists, seismologists and structural geologists exploring fault geometry and behavior, including detailed imaging of fault properties along-strike and down-dip; (ii) simulations of complex ruptures and earthquake recurrence through dynamic and multi-cycle simulations; (iii) incorporation of characteristic of 3D fault based ruptures into SHA; (iv) and ground motion modelers (empirical and physics-based) investigating the influence of such complex micro- and macroscale 3D complexities.

Conveners: Francesco Visini, Bruno Pace, Laura Peruzza, Oona Scotti and Graeme Weatheril

Late-Breaking session at vEGU2021

Please, consider to submit your contributions to the brand-new session:

The Dec. 2020 earthquake sequence in Petrinja, Croatia, and its seismotectonic and geodynamic environments 

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU21/session/41372

The conveners ask the interested presenters to contact them ASAP with  potential title and author list. Abstracts to be sent before the Feb 28th. The EGU organizing committee will then register them on the EGU website.

A first week of field survey after the Petrinja earthquake (Croatia) confirms surface rupturing

On December 29, 2020, an earthquake of magnitude Mw 6.4 shook the region of Petrinja in northern Croatia, 45 km south of Zagreb.

Considering the high magnitude of the earthquake and the potential occurrence of coseismic deformations over large areas, we contacted our Croatian colleagues from the Geological Institute of Croatia (HGI) to participate in the field investigations and establish the first bases for scientific collaboration. After several on-line meetings, the « EU team » planned a first series of field surveys, despite the sanitary crisis and the cold winter, in order to collect the data before their erosion.

The first week of geological surveys, focused on the surface fracture, has just ended. A second will begin and will develop the recognition of the liquefaction features, numerous in this particularly humid zone of the Kupa river catchment, a tributary of the Sava River. French (Lucilla Benedetti, Adrien Moulin, Maxime Henriquet, Stéphane Baize), Italian (Paolo Boncio, Bruno Pace, Francesco Iezzi, Alessio Testa) and Slovenian (Petra Jamšek Rupnik, Matevž Novak, Rok Brajkovič, Jure Atanackov, Bogomir Celarc, Ana Novak) geologists therefore joined the Croatian colleagues in the field (Branko Kordić, Matija Vukovski, Marko Budić, Marko Špelić, Nikola Belić), to complete the mapping of the rupture already largely advanced by the Croatian colleagues alone. This dataset will enrich the existing database of surface ruptures (SURE ; Baize et al., 2019).

The mapping program was regularly coordinated between the various partners who split into several groups every day. This collective work made it possible to confirm the existence of a rupture of moderate dimension for such an earthquake, with a rupture length of several km and maximum offsets of 15-20 cm, to discuss in the field and to think about future joint actions to improve knowledge of the seismogenic potential of the Pokupsko / Petrinja fault and associated structures, which are still largely unknown and which threaten this populated region of the territory. STAY TUNED!

Fault2SHA Learning Series: first lecture

Cosmogenic nuclides as a tool to constrain rates of deformation

Lucilla Benedetti, CEREGE-CNRS, Aix en Provence, France

11th January 2021 15:00 Central European Time

The use of cosmogenic nuclides has revolutionized the quantification of fault motion by filling a critical gap between short-term geodetically recorded slip-rates and geological-long term- slip rates. In this lecture I will present 1-the important aspects to be understood when dealing with cosmogenic nuclides from sampling strategy to getting exposure ages, 2-several applications such as the use of depth profiles to date the emplacement of morphological surfaces, fault scarp dating to unravel past seismic events, relief building and denudation rates, and a novel application on triangular facet to assess normal fault slip-rates.

Click here for Zoom Link for session

Drop, cover and hold

It is probably the most commonly used safety instruction during an earthquake. After this difficult year, we propose you an alternative view: DROP on your favourite sofa, COVER your legs with a warm blanket, and HOLD, till the Rt Covid-19 is well below 0.8, in your country.

Thanks to the participants to the 5th Workshop, the Fault2SHA community is growing, and the program of activities for the new year is growing as well. Stay tuned, stay safe…

Accelerogram at Ambiesta Dam, during the 1976 May 6 Friuli earthquake (courtesy A. Saraò)

“All Hands on deck” Workshop

Last day of the 5th Fault2SHA Workshop, last chance in 2020 to join Fault2SHA members and supporters at a Fault2SHA event.

Wednesday 2nd December 14:30 – 16:30 (CET): Open Discussion – What next for Fault2SHA: New laboratories and research themes

The two hours of discussion will address the following topics, which emerged during the previous two days of the Workshop:

  1. Paleoseismology: how to handle data and identify interpretations
  2. Faults with no slip-rate data: how to handle them
  3. New Fault2SHA Labs: proposals

Your participation is encouraged – ask questions and join the discussion.

For registered users only (link in the event).

Fault2SHA Learning Series

We are excited to announce the launch of the Fault2SHA Learning Series.

Starting in January 2021, at 15:00 (Central European Time) on the second Monday of each month, we will be hosting the Fault2SHA Learning Series.

The purpose of this series is to facilitate collaborations across different disciplines through assisting learning. This will be achieved by sessions providing a lecture comprising an overview of a selected topic relating to utilising fault data in seismic hazard assessments or a hands-on exercise on relevant open-access tools.


The sessions will be done via zoom, with the session recorded for youtube (when the lecturer or convenor gives permission).

We will be addressing topics requested in the registration forms for the Fault2SHA 5th Workshop and further topics identified in the future.

The first three lectures will be on the following subjects:

Monday 11th January: Cosmogenics by Lucilla Benedetti

Monday 22nd February: Palaeoseismic studies in hazard modelling by Francesca Cinti

Monday 8th March: Fault displacement hazard – a geological perspective by Paolo Boncio

We thank the speakers in advance for their talks.

5th Workshop

Fault More Learn Seismic Hazard SHA Model Research

The first two days of the 5th Fault2SHA Workshop have gone, with an exciting “long-lasting” participation (on average we had 90 connected via zoom for the whole time and 25 following the Youtube streaming – Fault2SHA 5th Workshop Playlist). We thank all the speakers and other participants; it is an impressive message of the needs of learning, sharing and growing of our communities. We remind you that there will be other possibilities, this difficult year, to get in touch with the WG Fault2SHA members and activities.

Day 3 of the workshop taking place at 14:30 (European Central Time) on Wednesday 2nd December will be an open discussion centred around the following themes:

(1) Palaeoseismic data- what information is needed and how should it be displayed to be easily and appropriately incorporated into seismic hazard models? How can we separate data from interpretation? 
(2) How to incorporate faults in seismic hazard assessment where we have low slip-rates and/or are lacking slip-rate data in the context of individual faults and whole regions.
(3) Forming a new Fault2SHA lab – from data to models collaborating to incorporate fault data in seismic hazard assessment

We look forward to welcoming those of you who are joining us for the discussion then.

5th Workshop

Dear “All Hands on Deck” workshop participants, we are ready to start this new experience. The programme is available online HERE, you can download it, for surfing on titles and abstracts on your own.

We have 227 registered participants: they received the link to follow the workshop via Zoom. In the first two days (Nov, 12-13) there will be 35 presentations, and one Keynote Lecture: presenters have their instruction to be online live. If you missed links or instruction, contact the organizers urgently.

If you missed the registration deadline, you still have the opportunity to follow the YouTube  channel FAULT2SHA, live streaming HERE.

5th Workshop

All Hands on Deck: Promoting Faults in Seismic Hazard Assessment

Free registration is open. Please fill in the registration form, in which we will ask a few short questions to help us know more about your interests. The registration deadline is Thursday 5th November 18:00 CET. Virtual Room is limited to 300 pre-registered participants. We will provide the link for the meeting for those who have registered after registration closes. Registration: https://forms.gle/JfC5o46NvNMa52gk9

General info HERE

Detail Programme and Abstracts HERE