Project Grant 2618147
- The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded the University of Texas at Austin $425,000 on August 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to develop a probabilistic fault system model based on a cross-validated, second-order damage evolution framework for large continental fault systems. The project develops a new modeling approach to capture uncertainty in fault network behavior, treating faults not merely as fixed geometric features but as systems...
- The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded the University of Memphis $272,211 on August 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct collaborative research on earthquake foreshocks through meter-scale fault experiments. The research addresses why foreshocks—small earthquakes preceding larger seismic events—occur routinely in laboratory settings but remain rare in nature, a gap that limits their utility for earthquake forecasting. The project...
- The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded the University of Texas at Austin $454,855 on January 1, 2027 under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct integrated experimental and modeling research on subduction zone earthquake controls. The project will develop a system to distinguish whether shallow subduction faults build energy for infrequent large earthquakes and tsunamis or release stress through small events by measuring the rates of fault healing...
- The University of Texas at Austin received a two-year, $292,433 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences. The grant funds basic research examining the impact of upper-plate splay faults on stress state and strength of the megathrust and fluid budgets in accreting sediments. This research directly supports the goals of the NSF's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to strengthen understanding of the integrated Earth system through support of basic...
- The National Science Foundation awarded a $167,851 project grant to the University of Texas at Austin under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) for research titled "Collaborative Research: The Role of Subducting Seamounts in Fault Stability and Slip Behavior Throughout the Seismic Cycle." The two-year award beginning September 1, 2021 will support basic research into understanding the integrated Earth system through studying the influence of underwater volcanoes on fault behavior and...
- This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $352,839 to the University of Texas at El Paso from April 2021 through September 2023. The funding supports analysis of a high-quality aftershock data set from the 2017 Tehuantepec (M8.2) offshore Mexico earthquake. As part of basic research into integrated earth systems, the University will leverage the unique data to gain insights into seismic processes within subduction zones. Results from the...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences awarded the University of Texas at Austin $612,882 on August 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to investigate whether Himalayan lineaments are active strike-slip faults that influence crustal deformation and earthquake rupture patterns in Nepal. The project combines remote sensing, field mapping, structural geology, petrology, and geochronology to evaluate the origin, geometry, and activity of four lineaments—the...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences awarded the University of Utah $210,713 on January 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct experimental research assessing the roles of wear and roughness on dynamic fault friction. The project will advance earthquake physics through controlled laboratory experiments using a specialized deformation apparatus to explore mechanisms regulating fault friction during seismic slip. The work includes experimental...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences awarded Massachusetts Institute of Technology $220,796 on August 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct laboratory experiments simulating deformation in subduction zones and connecting material failure to seismic signals. The recipient will conduct experimental work that mixes brittle and ductile materials to model subduction-zone deformation, recording acoustic emissions when material breaks during controlled...
- The University of Texas at Austin was awarded a $358,157 project grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences. The grant is part of the NSF's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which supports basic research to expand understanding of the integrated Earth system. Under the award, UT Austin will conduct collaborative research on vertical signatures of lithospheric deformation in the western United States from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2024. The research is expected to...
The National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences awarded the University of Texas at Austin $320,400 on August 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to investigate why earthquake foreshocks are rare in nature. The research uses meter-scale fault experiments with arrays of strain gauges and fault slip sensors to detect and measure nucleation zone expansion and couple its evolution to spatiotemporal changes in foreshocks. The project will quantify the coupling between earthquake nucleation, geometrical heterogeneity, and foreshock occurrence, testing whether foreshock spatiotemporal evolution is controlled by nucleation zone expansion and whether frequency and magnitude statistics are modulated by nucleation zone size. A second objective examines how geometric heterogeneity affects the relationship between foreshocks and earthquake nucleation processes. Research results will be used to develop an open-access web application for communicating findings to the public and scientific community, and will support training for student researchers. The work advances seismic hazard assessments and short-term earthquake forecasting capability. Performance occurs in Austin, Texas from August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2029. The University of Texas System is the parent organization.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $320.4k | 7/23/26 |