Active subduction margins terminate against, and transfer their slip onto, plate-boundary transform faults. The manner in which plate motion is accommodated and partitioned across such kinematic transitions from thrust to strike-slip faulting over earthquake timescales, is poorly documented. The 2016 November 14th, Mw 7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake provides a rare snapshot of how seismic-slip may be accommodated at the tip of an active subduction margin. This earthquake also poses the question whether such multi-fault, multi-mechanism, ruptures are typical for subduction terminations and how do they reconcile with long-term deformation patterns across such kinematic boundaries.

This session aims to bring together seismologists, geodesists, numerical and analogue modellers, paleoseismologists and structural geologists to shed light on the deformation processes that govern subduction terminations over a range of timescales: from individual large-magnitude historic/prehistoric earthquakes to the million-year structural evolution of subduction-thrust terminations. We hope that this session will provide the basis for an in-depth discussion, using case studies from subduction systems globally, which will help to better characterise the deformation mechanisms and associated seismic hazard at the tips of active subduction margins.

Participation of early career geoscientists is encouraged.

Looking forward to receiving your abstracts and discussing your ideas!

Vasiliki