Alaska Subduction Zone
Subduction Interface, Splay Faults, Permanent Deformation, and Forearc Mechanics
Subduction Interface Processes and Forearc Permanent Deformation
I am conducting research in the forearc of the Alaska subduction zone to investigate the behaviors of the subduction interface and how it affects the upper-plate permanent strain accumulation in the forearc. I invoke low-temperature thermochronology and thermal-history modeling to reveal the forearc exhumation histories and compare the results with other datasets, such as bedrock geology, active structures, and seismicity.
KodiakIslandThermochronology_AGU2023_Suoya Fan.pdfThe work was presented at the AGU fall meeting in Dec 2023:
Fan, S., Morell, K., Fisher, D., Low-Temperature Thermochronology Reveals Paleogene to Recent Exhumation Related to Upper Plate Thrust Faulting above the Downdip Edge of the Seismogenic Zone, Kodiak Island, Alaska Subduction Zone: AGU Fall Meeting 2023
Forearc Active Upper-Plate Faults and Paleoseismology
I am investigating forearc active upper-plate fault activities in the Alaska subduction zone. I conduct Bedrock Structural Analysis, Tectonic Geomorphology Survey, and Quaternary Sedimentary Coring, coupled with Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating and Radiocarbon dating, to investigate the development of the active fault and its paleoseismology. I will integrate forearc wedge morphology and mechanical analyses into this project to understand the mechanical cause of this type of splay fault.
A Recording of a talk I gave on the "News From the Alaska Subduction Zone" Virtual Seminar Series (Fall 2023). The talk introduced the preliminary findings and discussions from the two projects above. My talk begins at 27:47.
Preceding my talk was a talk from my collaborator, Dr. Peter Haeussler (USGS). Dr. Haeussler's talk focused on his research progress about the megathrust splay fault system in the region, providing a context for my presentation.