Project Grant 2618148
- 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...
- 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 University of Memphis received a three-year, $443,830 project grant from the National Science Foundation Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure to develop an integrated modeling platform for tectonics, earthquake cycles and surface processes. Funded through the NSF's Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070), this project aims to support investigator-initiated research and education in computing, communications, and information science and engineering....
- 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 (NSF) awarded a $431,158 Project Grant under the Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) to the University of Memphis. The grant, awarded on June 15, 2024, will support the acquisition of a micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) spectrometer for research and education in earth and environmental studies at the university. The μ-XRF instrument will be used to measure and map the spatial distribution of plant-essential nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, in...
- 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 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 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...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary The National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences awarded $139,058 to University of California, Berkeley under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) on September 1, 2025, for collaborative research investigating seismogenesis and faults in Eastern North America. The primary deliverable is a high-resolution, deep-magnitude earthquake catalog developed through advanced machine-learning and cross-correlation detection methods applied to decades of...
- This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) supports a collaborative research project between the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and Hebrew University to directly measure fault rupture dynamics and seismic wave propagation in a laboratory setting. The $399,601 award, effective from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2027, will leverage specialized laboratory equipment to conduct high-speed imaging and in-situ seismogram...
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 will quantify the coupling between earthquake nucleation, geometric heterogeneity, and foreshock occurrence using arrays of strain gauges and fault slip sensors to detect and measure nucleation zone expansion and correlate its evolution to spatiotemporal changes in foreshocks. A secondary objective examines how geometric heterogeneity affects the relationship between foreshocks and nucleation processes. The work will test whether foreshock frequency and magnitude statistics are modulated by nucleation zone size and whether spatiotemporal foreshock evolution is controlled by nucleation zone expansion. The research will produce an open-access web application communicating results to the scientific community and public, and will support training for student researchers. Results advance seismic hazard assessments and short-term earthquake forecasting capabilities. Performance occurs in Memphis, Tennessee, with a period of performance from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $272.2k | 7/23/26 |