Experimental Geomechanics
Welcome to the website for the working group "Experimental Geomechanics"
We are funded by the European Research Council (ERC) via Starting Grant for the project PREDATORS (Plate-rate experimental deformation: Aseismic, transient or seismic fault slip)
We use laboratory deformation experiments to understand the nature of fault slip, specifically why stable aseismic creep, destructive large magnitude earthquakes, or intermediate slow slip events occur. We combine our mechanical data with other techniques, such as microstructural and compositional observations, for a more complete picture. We make heavy use of International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and International Continental scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) samples from natural faults; examples include the Nankai Trough and Tohoku (Japan), Costa Rica, Cascadia, and Hikurangi subduction zones, as well as the San Andreas Fault (California) and Alpine Fault (New Zealand).