Thread: COMET Webinar: Dr Luke Wedmore - "Seismic hazard in East Africa from continental rifting of thick lithosphere""

Started: 2022-01-17 02:23:39
Last activity: 2022-01-17 02:23:39
Topics: Webinars
Dear Colleagues,

COMET (The Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tectonics) invites you to the next installment of our COMET webinar series, viewable from the home office.

"Seismic hazard in East Africa from continental rifting of thick lithosphere"
Dr Luke Wedmore
University of Bristol, UK

Wednesday 19th January 4pm UK time (3pm UTC / 5pm CEST / 8am PDT)

Please register at: https://universityofleeds.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BxLD0PxdR-WBrOCwwie2HA
(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar)


Abstract:
Poor quality buildings, high population density, rapid population growth and lack of resilience means that seismic risk along the East African Rift is high and rising all the time. Despite this, relatively little is known about the history of earthquakes, the rate at which the region is deforming, and how stress in the crust accumulates to overcome the strength of the thick lithosphere in southern and eastern Africa.
In this webinar I will present results from a comprehensive study of continental deformation and seismic hazard in the Malawi Rift. I will show how continental and basin scale patterns of deformation are distributed over a wider region and across more faults than had previously been thought. Furthermore, I will present new GPS data that justifies the existence of a previously unrecognised tectonic plate in southern Africa (the San Plate). Finally, I will illustrate how observations of plate extension rate and surface patterns of strain can be used to constrain seismic hazard in regions that lack widespread palaeoseismic studies.


Catch up on past COMET and COMET+ webinars on our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtFDytX1hgjvlS4NH48M2oQ/videos

Best wishes,
Tamarah King & Chris Rollins

COMET - Centre for the Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics
https://comet.nerc.ac.uk/
@NERC_COMET
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