Advancing Subduction Zone Science After a Big Quake

After a long quiet period for earthquake activity with magnitude greater than 8.5, several great subduction megathrust earthquakes occurred during the past decade: Sumatra in 2004 and 2005, Chile in 2010, and Japan in 2011. Each of these events caused loss of life and damage to critical infrastructure on an enormous scale. And, in April, a Mw 8.2 earthquake occurred off the Chilean coast.