02.06.2014: On June 3 and 4, scientists from Germany, France, the UK, and Brazil meet at the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ for an informal workshop to report on the field activities in the affected area, to discuss the first results from the analysis of the Pisagua earthquake, Chile, and to coordinate their research activities in this area.
Because of its known seismic potential and favourable conditions for geophysical observations a semi-permanent monitoring network, the International Plate boundary Observatory of Chile (IPOC) has been constructed by the GFZ with its international partners in this area over the last few years in preparation for larger earthquakes. Although the Pisagua earthquake was a great earthquake (magnitude above 8), it only relaxed a small proportion of the stress that has accumulated since the last great earthquake in 1877, such that the earthquake hazard in this region continues to be very high.
The workshop will look beyond the area of the Iquique gap at the whole Chilean subduction system, including interaction with volcanoes and upper crustal tectonics. In particular, scientists will also present some of the results coming out from detailed analysis of the great Maule earthquake (Mw=8.8) in 2010 as well as introduce studies relating to the long term history of the margin and its interaction with the current earthquake hazard.
Info about the workshop
