Forecasting the seismic hazard of large geologic faults of the Earth’s crust

Can large earthquakes be forecast by observing tectonic motions of microplates, rather than from studies of the elastic deformation of the Earth’s crust? This project will establish a novel theory that casts large earthquakes as forces upon rigid microplates, rather than as sources of elastic/plastic deformation. It will provide a paradigm-shift in our understanding of large earthquakes and a novel data-driven method for their forecast.