Project description
Solving the mystery of deep earthquakes
Why do shallow earthquakes cause more destruction than deep ones? In theory, rocks at great depth should flow rather than break. However, powerful earthquakes (reaching magnitude 9) can occur more than 70 km below the surface, and they are usually more widely felt. The ERC-funded SODA project will use deep learning to review seismic records, improving the detection and classification of deep earthquakes and tracking how they migrate through subduction zones. These observations will feed into physical models of descending tectonic slabs, revealing their thermal structure, mineral composition and geometry. SODA aims to uncover the forces that trigger deep earthquakes.
Objective
Deep earthquakes (>70km) are a puzzling yet insufficiently understood process occurring inside the Earth. Despite their potential for significant magnitudes (up to 9) and associated hazards, their physics remains elusive. The theoretical inhibition of earthquakes with increasing temperature and pressure at depth contrasts with over a century of observed occurrences, prompting the persistent question: What causes deep earthquakes? We argue that to tackle this question we need a methodological shift to obtain new observations of deep Earth processes and dynamics, which must be integrated into realistic physical models of slabs. The SODA project introduces deep learning methods to analyse seismological data aiming at improving the detection, characterization and classification of deep events. The outcome will be a new generation of observations offering an unprecedented view of the spatiotemporal evolution (e.g. spatial migrations) of deep events, directly informing us of the physical processes occurring in subduction zones (e.g. fluid movements, aseismic deformation). We will then determine the complex thermal structure, mineralogy, and geometry of subduction zones. Finally, we will use machine learning to unveil the relationships in between our new seismological observations and the modelled physical properties of the slabs, to quantitatively unravel the boundary conditions controlling the occurrence and the dynamics of deep events. The integrated approach of the SODA project will provide an unparalleled quantitative view of the deep Earth dynamics, shedding new light on the physical processes occurring at the mantle level and providing a quantitative assessment of the mechanisms controlling the occurrence and style of deep earthquakes. Our project will thus represent a major leap forward in the understanding of deep earthquakes, but will also have a major impact on the understanding of Earth dynamics and plate tectonics as whole.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology seismology plate tectonics
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning deep learning
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology mineralogy
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
35122 PADOVA
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.