Institute for Geology
International cooperation at Experimental Tectonics laboratory continues
14 August 2023
Photo: Oliver Eisermann
The UHH-Tec Experimental Tectonics laboratory became a hub for international collaboration and research over the month of May, with structural geologist Dr Megan Withers of Monash University, Australia, visiting as part of Australian funded Discovery Project: ‘Add mountains and shake: fault and earthquake pattern controls in active plate boundaries’.
The collaborative project between Monash University, University of Melbourne, James Cook University, and the University of Hamburg, aims to determine the fundamental physical processes that link topography, seismic shaking and volcanism to the evolution of fault networks in transpressional plate boundary settings. The project initially started in early 2020 and came to an unexpected stop due to the covid-19 outbreak. All participants were very happy to get the chance to resume the cooperation recently.
The UHH-Tec experimental tectonics laboratory forms an integral part of this research project, with the innovative ‘MultiBox’ capable of simulating the tectonic conditions of transpressional plate boundaries and state of the art optical measurement systems. The ‘MultiBox’ was developed by laboratory manager Jan Oliver Eisermann and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Riller (partner investigator on the Discovery Project). Dr Withers worked with Mr Eisermann and Prof. Dr. Riller to complete a series of scaled experiments using the MultiBox. Prior to arriving, Dr Withers, an experienced analogue modeller, had planned to complete an ambitious experiment series of 24 experiments. However, the MultiBox setup and lab infrastructure was so efficient, that Dr Withers was able to learn to run a total of 58 experiments during her time at the University of Hamburg, completing a much more in-depth study than she thought possible within the given time frame.
Dr. Withers will work with Mr Eisermann, Prof. Dr. Riller and Prof. Dr. Alexander Cruden (Monash University) to analyse these datasets, which are expected to be published in the coming year. Dr Withers is hoping to return to complete a series of follow up experiments in 2024.
More information about the lab can be found here: