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| PLATES project | |
|---|---|
| Name | PLATES project |
| Established | 2018 |
| Location | International |
| Fields | Geophysics; Paleoseismology; Oceanography |
| Directors | International consortium |
PLATES project
The PLATES project is an international research initiative focused on lithospheric processes, plate boundary dynamics, seismic hazards and paleogeography. It convenes institutions and experts from across continents including major research centers, observatories and universities to advance knowledge of tectonics, subduction, continental collision and mantle convection through integrated fieldwork, laboratory experiments and computational modelling.
PLATES brings together teams from institutions such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, California Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, Università di Pisa, National University of Singapore, Peking University, University of Tokyo, Australian National University, University of California, Berkeley, University of British Columbia, Max Planck Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, US Geological Survey, European Space Agency, NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Geological Survey of Japan, British Geological Survey, Instituto Geográfico Nacional (Spain), Geoscience Australia, Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Indian Institute of Science, Seismological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, Royal Society, National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Deutsches Forschungsgemeinschaft, CNRS, INSU, CSIC, CNR, FAPESP, NSFC, Swiss National Science Foundation, Research Council of Norway, Swedish Research Council, Danish National Research Foundation and Kavli Foundation to coordinate global plate studies.
The project traces origins to collaborations following major events like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the 1964 Alaska earthquake and the scientific responses from bodies such as United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and International Seismological Centre. Early workshops were hosted at venues including Royal Society, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, American Association for the Advancement of Science meetings and at conferences like AGU Fall Meeting and EGU General Assembly. Development phases included pilot programs funded by National Science Foundation, European Commission Horizon calls, bilateral agreements between agencies like NASA and JAXA, and transnational initiatives modeled after programs by International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
Core objectives align with agendas promoted by organizations such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for paleoclimate proxies, and hazard reduction aims of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. The scope covers subduction zone mechanics studied in contexts like Aleutian Islands, Chile Trench, Mariana Trench, Java Trench, continental rifting exemplified by East African Rift, collision zones like Himalayas, transform systems including San Andreas Fault and diffuse plate boundaries seen in East African Rift System. It addresses seismic risk assessment practices used by FEMA, Insurance Council of Australia, and regional institutes like Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Methods combine approaches from groups at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution using tools such as autonomous underwater vehicles pioneered in programs linked to Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, ocean-bottom seismometers similar to arrays used by International Ocean Discovery Program, GPS and InSAR techniques employed in projects by European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and laboratory rigs reminiscent of work at Rock Physics Laboratory at Caltech and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. Computational models draw on software traditions from USGS hazard models, mantle convection simulators developed with resources like NERSC, finite-element codes used at Princeton University and École Normale Supérieure, and data assimilation techniques inspired by NOAA operational forecasting. Paleoseismic investigations reference stratigraphic work seen in studies at Smithsonian Institution and Natural History Museum, London.
Funding and collaboration frameworks involve agencies and institutions including National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Australian Research Council, FAPESP, German Research Foundation, Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences, and philanthropic bodies like Kavli Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Collaborative partners include national surveys such as USGS, Geological Survey of Canada, Geological Survey of Japan, academic consortia at University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, University of Tokyo, industry partners in offshore technology like Schlumberger and Equinor, and non-governmental organizations engaged in disaster preparedness such as Red Cross national societies and Mercy Corps.
Outcomes have included refined seismic hazard maps comparable to outputs by USGS and British Geological Survey, improved subduction interface models used by tsunami modelers at Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, paleogeographic reconstructions analogous to those published by Paleontological Society, datasets contributed to repositories like IRIS, and policy briefs informing agencies such as United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and national ministries of disaster management. The project advanced instrument networks similar to arrays deployed by Ocean Networks Canada and generated training programs with universities including Stanford University and University of Cambridge.
Critiques mirror debates faced by multinational science initiatives like those surrounding Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments: concerns about data sharing practices, equitable access raised by researchers from Global South institutions including University of Cape Town and University of Nairobi, funding imbalances between agencies such as NSF and smaller national bodies, intellectual property negotiations with industry partners like Schlumberger, logistical constraints in remote regions exemplified by operations in the Southern Ocean and Arctic, and the difficulty of translating complex models into local policy seen in interactions with bodies like FEMA and national disaster offices.
Category:Geophysics projects