HIPER motivated students follow the SUPER-MOUV sea campaign

The coasts of Ecuador and Colombia have been hit by several earthquakes of magnitude greater than 7.5 over the course of the 20th century. An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck near the town of Pedernales in April 2016. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit Ecuador in 70 years, claiming hundreds of lives and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses. The seismic data revealed the complex slip behaviour of this part of Ecuador's subduction zone. The shallow part of the megafault is characterised by slow-slip earthquakes that can last from a few days to a few months and do not generate seismic waves (asismic rupture), so are not felt by the population. What controls these slip events is still poorly understood, even though they play an important role in the seismic cycle that governs the periodic loading and release of the megafault. The aim of recent oceanographic missions (the HIPER and SUPER-MOUV expeditions) is to understand how structure, temperature and fluids affect slip behaviour and the transition from seismic to asismic rupture. Many schoolchildren were involved in these scientific missions, following the mission's progress on a daily basis. Each following school was in contact with an education team on board and on land. Working closely with the researchers, the pupils were able to follow the work on board the ships, solve weekly scientific puzzles and take part in live video conferences from the oceanographic ship. Allowing students, the future citizens of the world, to experience first-hand how science works... these are essential elements in strengthening the link between science and society.