9314751 Doser This award will support the travel of Dr. Diane Doser from the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso to spend one month each year over the next two years at the New Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences in Wellington conducting cooperative research with Dr. Terry H. Webb on seismic studies of large earthquakes in New Zealand. New Zealand is an active seismic region located along the plate boundary between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. Since 1915, 16 earthquakes of magnitude >6.5 have occurred within the country. This project will examine the faulting process of 10 historic earthquakes using seismogram modeling techniques. These models will be compared to geological and geophysical features of the existing fault zones to better determine fault behavior, slip rates, and regional variations in earthquake processes increasing an understanding of deformational processes along complicated plate margins like New Zealand and western North America. The research is a collaborative effort between Dr. Doser, an expert in seismological studies of historic earthquakes, and Dr. Webb who has extensive knowledge of the recent seismicity of New Zealand.
