My dear colleagues Neta Wechsler, Stefano Pucci, and Oxana Lunina took some amazing photos during the PATA Days in Crestone, Colorado. Even better, they allowed me to distribute the links to their collections:

• Neta’s photos: access album
• Stefano’s photos: access album
• Oxana’s photos: access album

Do you also have some photos that you’d like to share? Please feel free to link to your album in the comments section or drop me a mail.

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The following open position might be of interest to the paleoseismology community:

“We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Assistant for a 12 month fixed term appointment working on the exciting new UNAM-CONACYT-funded project on “Spatial and Temporal Variations of Upper Plate Deformation across the Guerrero portion of the Mexican Subduction Zone” at the Institute of Geography and the Environmental Geophysics University Laboratory (LUGA), National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Campus Mexico City. The candidate will pursue fundamental and applied research into the assessment of both temporal and spatial vertical crustal deformation associated with both slow (interseismic) and rapid (coseismic) crustal deformation across the inner forearc region of the central Mexican subduction zone on the Guerrero sector, where the Cocos plate underthrusts the North American plate. The candidate will be responsible for the development and execution of laboratory and field research, conduct studies to develop a model of long-term deformation, writing reports and papers. more

The geometry, length, and displacement of fault ruptures that breach the surface provide critical information on the behavior of faults during seismic events (coseismic deformation), and on their long-term behavior. The study of coseismic fault ruptures has concentrated almost exclusively along continental faults, while submarine studies have been scarce, and only a few provided quantitative constraints in parameters such as fault displacement (e.g., Tohoku Earthquake). In addition to represent more than two thirds of the Earth’s seismicity, submarine faults can also be associated with tsunamis, potentially increasing the seismic hazard that these structures pose.

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Today’s paper round-up is rather short. Maybe this is due to the start of the field work season and many editors being involved in field research, maybe it’s just holiday season. Maybe I’ve missed some papers because I have been in the field, too. However, there are some very interesting studies, especially concerning tsunamis. Enjoy reading and please tell me what I’ve missed in the comments.

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An interesting opportunity for a postdoc position is currently open at Potsdam University, Germany. If you have a clever research idea, the university will basically support you and help establishing a research group via applying for more advanced funding schemes. So it’s a bit of an unusual advert, but certainly a nice one. Here’s the advert (ruthlessly copied from Potsdam University): more

The CEREGE laboratory in Aix-en-Provence (France) look for a PostDoc in the field of seismic hazard and/or earthquake geology. The position is in the framework of the RISKMED OT MED funded project “ Natural risks in the Mediterranean: Hazard, vulnerability, perception and management”.

Deadline for application is 4 July.

Tasks:

• Organisation and implementation of field surveys in Italy and Turkey in collaboration with local colleagues.
• Review and compile existing data, and acquire new data to better understand the frequency and dynamics of large earthquakes in Central Italy and western Turkey through surface observations and paleoseismological reconstruction over a range of different temporal and spatial scales.
• Convert all data into an open database.
• Analyze and interpret all data with respect to existing scaling laws and in terms of seismic hazard.
• Produce with social scientists engaged in the project (geographers and psychologists) comprehensible scientific information to public and territorial managers as the basis for recommended preparedness and mitigation actions.
• Participate to a participatory process and to focus groups concerning risk mitigation strategies (science communication, risk communication, public outreach) in targeted areas.

See the full details here.

The University of Oxford is looking for a PostDoc research assistant under the direction of Professor Richard Walker and Professor Philip England to work on active tectonics in China. The focus is on the Hexi corridor and the Qilian Shan of Gansu. Deadline for application is 15 July 2016.

Tasks include:

• Detailed mapping of palaeo-earthquake ruptures
• Construction of slip distributions from individual earthquakes
• Selection of sites for long-term slip-rate determination using field investigations, high-resolution satellite imagery and digital topography
• Planning and carrying out fieldwork to verify remote-sensing observations, to collect samples for dating, and to excavate and interpret palaeo-seismic trenches

See the full job description here.

The 7th International INQUA Workshop on Paleoseismology, Active Tectonics and Archaeoseismology (PATA Days) took place last week in Crestone, CO. The meeting was organised by Jim McCalpin who did an amazing job – thanks Jim for inviting us to Crestone and for this wonderful conference. Prior to the meeting a six-day road trip to the Faults of the Wild West lead a group of ~20 people to the legendary sites of western US faults: Borah Peak, the Tetons, Wasatch, etc. On 29 May most participants gathered in Denver where the icebreaker took place. Early in the morning next day we started with a pre-meeting field trip to Crestone, driving into the Rocky Mountains, passing South Park, and arriving at Crestone just on time for lunch. more

It’s June and it’s time for a new paper round-up, isn’t it? When I compiled the list during the past weeks I already realized that there’s a lot of new literature out there, and I guess this month’s post is probably the longest list we’ve ever had – 21 articles! So here are the latest papers on paleoseismology, tsunamis (maaaany tsunami papers this time), and active tectonics. As always: Any suggestions are highly appreciated. Enjoy reading!

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Some weeks ago we published a new study on the classification of earthquake-induced landslide event sizes based on seismotectonic, topographic, climatic and geologic factors. Our idea was that this classification could be used to help improve seismic hazard assessment by contributing to a better prediction of landslide hazards induced by an earthquake when the geologic, topographic and climatic context is well defined. Possible applications could be the short-term prediction right after an earthquake or scenario modeling, e.g. for critical infrastructure. Since earthquake triggered landslide event sizes are also an important proxy for the estimation of magnitude and intensity of past earthquakes, I thought our study might be interesting for the paleoseismicity community as well, and so I put together a brief summary.

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