The importance of diatoms for understanding subduction zone earthquakes in Alaska

Summers, Grace; Engelhart, Simon; Woodroffe, Sarah

Abstract

Great subduction-zone earthquakes (moment magnitude [Mw] >8) pose a significant threat to human populations, the environment and infrastructure, yet the spatial and temporal patterns of these hazards before the 20th century are often poorly constrained. Limited instrumental data (~100 years) offer only partial information on the potential magnitude, recurrence intervals and spatial variability of rupture area for past earthquakes due to infrequent occurrence (typically multi-centennial recurrence intervals) of great earthquakes. Impacts from the 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Japan earthquakes demonstrate the dangers of heavy reliance on temporally limited records (Dura et al. 2016). Great earthquakes can also trigger tsunamis that impact coastlines far from the rupture area and necessitate a better understanding of the hazard.

Citation

Summers, G., Engelhart, S., & Woodroffe, S. (2024). The importance of diatoms for understanding subduction zone earthquakes in Alaska. PAGES Magazine, 32(1), 24-25. https://doi.org/10.22498/pages.32.1.24

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-05
• Deposit Date: Sep 10, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 10, 2024
• Journal: PAGES Magazine
• Print ISSN: 2411-605X
• Electronic ISSN: 2411-9180
• Publisher: PAGES International Project Office
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 24-25
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22498/pages.32.1.24
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2853011