Earthquake Physics from Large to Small (and Back)

Wide-spread damage and numerous fatalities caused by recent large earthquakes remind us of the devastating power of these natural events. On the other hand, small earthquakes are frequently generated in the context of securing our energy demands, as we prop open fractures in oil and shale-gas reservoirs or stimulate enhanced geothermal systems. Earthquakes occur on fractures, faults and fault networks, and redistribute stresses within the complex geology of the earth. Quantifying the resulting seismic hazard for multi-scale earthquake processes remains the grand challenge in seismology. In his presentation, Martin Mai will show how modern large-scale simulations of rock fracture processes in the earth drive our understanding of earthquake physics, the dynamic interaction of fractures, and the resulting seismic shaking.

Martin Mai ist Professor of Earth Science and Engineering an der King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal. Im Wintersemester 2015/16 hält er sich als Visiting Fellow am CAS auf.