Sophie DEBAECKER
Institute: Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) - Université de Paris
Title: Researcher
Country/Region: France
Period: 2021/11/1-2022/2/28
Theme: Completing the supercycle investigation in the Ryukyus islands: a search for past vertical motion using coral microatolls.
Host: Kenji SATAKE
Introduction: "I am a geologist and a Dr. in Earth Sciences. I completed my PhD in June 2021 at Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP, Université de Paris). My research mainly focuses on the multi-temporal study of the earthquake cycle along subduction zones. During my PhD, I worked with Pr. Kenji Satake on the seismic supercycles along the Ryukyu subduction zone. I used very-high resolution satellite imagery to assess long-term vertical motion over the whole arc. In 2017 and 2018, I joined up to three fieldtrips in the southern Ryukyus to study coral microatolls. As they contain information of relative deformation during the coral’s life, I was able to characterize vertical motion of the islands during the last decades, but also for several millennia thanks to fossil microatolls.
During my stay at ERI, I will join Pr. Satake’s team to sample more fossil microatolls in the islands with a fieldtrip in November. My main goal is to extend my doctoral research, study with improved precision the seismic supercycles of the Ryukyus and characterize its present seismic potential."

Fiscal Year: 2021