Award Abstract # 0623358
Collaborative Research: Development of a Long-term Hydrologic Observatory Aabove the Seismogenic Zone Offshore the Kii Peninsula, Japan

NSF Org: OCE
Division Of Ocean Sciences
Recipient: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Initial Amendment Date: December 13, 2006
Latest Amendment Date: November 14, 2011
Award Number: 0623358
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Brian Midson
bmidson@nsf.gov
 (703)292-8145
OCE
 Division Of Ocean Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: December 15, 2006
End Date: November 30, 2012 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $38,681.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $38,681.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2007 = $38,681.00
History of Investigator:
  • Elizabeth Screaton (Principal Investigator)
    screaton@ufl.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: University of Florida
1523 UNION RD RM 207
GAINESVILLE
FL  US  32611-1941
(352)392-3516
Sponsor Congressional District: 03
Primary Place of Performance: University of Florida
1523 UNION RD RM 207
GAINESVILLE
FL  US  32611-1941
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
03
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): NNFQH1JAPEP3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): OCEAN DRILLING PROGRAM
Primary Program Source: app-0107 
Program Reference Code(s): 0000, OTHR
Program Element Code(s): 572000
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

This project is the U.S. component of a borehole observatory to be installed at a drillsite in the Kumano Basin, offshore Honshu Island, Japan. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) drilling in this area is part of "NanTroSEIZE" (the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment), a multi-stage, international collaboration to understand the seismogenic zone of subduction megathrusts. Establishment of a distributed long-term observatory network spanning the up-dip limit of the seismogenic zone is one fundamental goal of the overall drilling program. At this site, pore pressure, strain, and temperature will be monitored in forearc basin sediments and the underlying accretionary wedge. The specific objectives of monitoring are to document (1) temporal patterns of strain, (2) formation pressure response to known tidal loading to constrain formation compressibility and hydraulic diffusivity, and (3) formation pore pressure, both to determine ambient values and to record hydrologic transients. Additionally, from an operational standpoint, the observatory is critical as a pilot hole and testbed for planning operations for deeper riser drilling at this location.

Collocated long-term monitoring of seismicity, pore pressure, and strain are needed to test hypotheses for strain localization and locking along faults, and for plate boundary weakness that invoke suprahydrostatic fluid pressures within wall rocks and along faults. For the former application, pore pressure provides a sensitive indication of volumetric strain that complements strainmeter observations. The selected site is especially critical for monitoring, because it is the landward-most site in the planned network, and lies immediately above a zone of significant slip during the last great earthquake (1944 Tonankai M 8.2 event), and also above a cluster of very low frequency (VLF) thrust earthquakes on the plate boundary system in 2004.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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BEKINS, B. A., MATMON, D., SCREATON, E. J. and BROWN, K. M. "Reanalysis of in situ permeability measurements in the Barbados decollement" Geofluids , v.11 , 2011 doi: 10.1111/j.1468-8123.2010.00310.x
EJ Screaton "Recent advances in subseafloor hydrogeology: focus on basement-sediment interactions, subduction zones, and continental slopes" Hydrogeology Journal , v.18 , 2010 , p.1547 10.1007/s10040-010-0636-7
Rowe, Katherine; Screaton, Elizabeth; Ge, Shemin "Coupled fluid flow and deformation modeling of the frontal thrust region of the Kumano Basin transect, Japan: Implications for fluid pressures and decollement downstepping" GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS , v.18 , 2012 10.1029/2011GC003861
Screaton, EJ and Ge, Shemin "The impact of megasplay faulting and permeability contrasts on Nankai Trough subduction zone pore pressures" GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS , v.39 , 2012 10.1029/2012GL053595
Screaton, Elizabeth "Preparing for Disasters on Land Requires Research at Sea" Sea Technology , v.52 , 2011 , p.7

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