From June 7-9, 2022, the SZ4D Research Coordination Network (RCN) co-organized a workshop in Potsdam, Germany, to discuss past, and coordinate future research efforts situated along the Chilean subduction-zone system. The Chilean subduction zone was, in part, identified as an international region of special interest because of the high level of local expertise and volume of research generated by collaborations between Chilean and European scientists. The workshop had four specific aims, including to facilitate the development of an Accelnet proposal planning process, develop a timeline of opportunities and potential partnerships to pursue, exchange priorities for later consideration by each collaboration, address meeting outcomes/recommendations in final SZ4D implementation plan, and plan for transition into pilot and full stages of implementation. The workshop brought together scientists from the Chilean subduction-zone science community, the Integrated Plate boundary Observatory Chile (IPOC), and several European groups outside of the IPOC network.

The meeting opened with a series of plenary presentations aimed at introducing SZ4D, the Chilean scientific community, IPOC, and other EU-affiliated Chilean research organizations to one another. During these talks, a summary of the SZ4D Chilean science community meeting, and current research priorities was given by Dr. Sergio Barrientos (CSN, Universidad de Chile), and Dr. Álvaro Amigo (SERNAGEOMIN), respectively. Following this, German and French researchers presented IPOC-related research efforts, including past discoveries, ongoing research, and future plans of the larger IPOC network. Next, research talks from the DeepTrigger and ABYSS ERC-funded projects focused on earthquake research in Chile, were presented by Drs. Anne Socquet (ISTerre) and Diane Rivet (Géoazur). Additionally, Dr. Andrés Tassara (Universidad de Concepción) provided a broad-ranging summary of active subduction-zone research within the academic Chilean scientific community. Finally, Dr. Emily Brodsky (Chair of the SZ4D Executive Committee) summarized SZ4D research questions and ambitions to facilitate a discussion of mechanisms to establish long-term networking between the different scientific groups and coordinate research activities between them.

Meeting Outcomes

The key outcomes of this workshop were the generation of a list of shared priorities, the identification of aligned scientific objectives, and the establishment of a network that might form the core of an AccelNet network-of-networks to further future subduction-zone science. During the workshop, participants discussed strategies to move the development of joint science projects forward. All parties recommended discussing, as early as possible, the geographical sites, and in particular, what will be installed by who in a way that complements existing instrumentation. Technical challenges with deployment necessitate close collaborations between engineers and scientists – innovations in instrument development would benefit all parties working in the area. Also, there was a strong sentiment that any future collaboration strategy would have to involve consistent data management and access policies, and so it will be important to coordinate open data standards and mechanisms of data access. All agreed that the type of future collaborations between Chile, IPOC, the EU science community, and SZ4D could be fostered and strengthened by establishing a network-of-networks of subduction-zone science communities using the AccelNet vehicle.