This two-year, $354,309 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) supports research to develop a new three-dimensional subsurface framework model of the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest. The awardee, the University of Texas at Austin, will analyze seismic data collected during the 2021 Cascadia Seismic Imaging Experiment to study the geometry of the plate interface along the margin, variations in plate interface properties, the structural evolution of the upper plate, and the lithostratigraphic architecture and deformation of the incoming oceanic plate. This analysis will yield insights into questions about megathrust rupture segmentation and the relationship between plate interface properties and structures in the incoming and upper plates. The project's primary product will be a new regional-scale structural interpretation of the offshore Cascadia region derived from seismic images, along with select studies utilizing reflectivity, velocity models, and strain analysis. This work supports the grant program's goal of strengthening the national scientific enterprise through expanded fundamental knowledge of integrated Earth systems.
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