As SZNet enters its final year, the program is building momentum across its core initiatives. The last edition of the US & Chile Exchange Program is underway, with applications closing soon; preparations are in full swing for the upcoming interdisciplinary field trip across Chile and Argentina and applications are now open; and SZNet continues to support international collaboration and professional opportunities for researchers across the network.

Meanwhile, the dust settles from the Mt Hood Field Trip and participants are working together to analyze the data collected in the field and turn their observations into new research. Science from the field trip is rolling out!

International Pilot Projects

2026 Mt Hood Pilot Project

The 2026 SZ4D Mt. Hood Pilot Project brought together 30 participants from 10 countries and across disciplines and career stages for a 10-day field investigation of interacting geohazards in the Mt. Hood volcanic region.

The team investigated a range of questions, from the extent and composition of deposits from Mt. Hood’s 1781 “Old Maid” eruption to sediment transport and remobilization along the White River. Participants also investigated Quaternary faults, collected samples for geochronological analyses, and used drone surveys, LiDAR, dug boreholes, and collected field measurements to build new datasets. Together, these efforts will advance understanding of Mt. Hood’s volcanic, sedimentary, and seismic hazards - and generating new questions for future research.

Read the report from the 2026 SZ4D Mt. Hood Pilot Project for a closer look at the science, discoveries, and collaborations that emerged from ten days in the field.

The field trip brought together researchers from different disciplines and career stages, creating opportunities to explore questions and approaches that participants may not have encountered in their usual research environments. Working side by side, participants shared their expertise, learned from one another, and developed new science in a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary setting. This kind of exchange is at the heart of SZ4D and the Pilot Project model.

But what is it like to be part of that experience? We asked participants to share a few reflections from their time at Mt Hood. Here are some excerpts from their Postcards from the Field:

"I was fascinated by the similarities between some of the processes we observed at Mt. Hood and those preserved in the geological record of areas I study in Argentina. Sharing perspectives and learning new field methods from colleagues across different disciplines gave me new ideas for my own research and led to new collaborative projects at Mt. Hood.

I returned home with new scientific questions and collaborations, but also with an incredible group of friends from around the world. That combination of science, generosity, and friendship is what made this experience so meaningful to me."

- Micaela García, Assistant Researcher, CONICET-UNLP

"What made the trip especially meaningful was the connections made with outstanding scientists from all over the world. The trip opened doors for new collaborations and friendships with scientists from South America, Europe, and different parts of the United States. [...] Another highlight of the trip is that participants were of different career stages. I had opportunities to share advice and experiences with others, while also receiving incredibly valuable advice myself from people in more advanced career stages."

 - Natália Pasqualon, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Read more | Read the full collection of postcards from the Field

The work initiated during the field trip continues beyond the field site. Several participants have submitted abstracts to conferences including the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, and the VIII Colloquium on Geophysical Signatures of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Landslides.

2027 Chile & Argentina Pilot Project

Applications to participate in the field trip are now open!

This trip aims to investigate the geodynamic processes and surface hazards associated with the latitudinal transition from flat-slab subduction (27°–33°S) to normal subduction south of 33°S in the Southern Central Andes. Beginning in Uspallata, Argentina and continuing along the Chilean coastal region, with multiple stops along the way, the excursion will bring together U.S. and international scientists across career stages, fostering cross-disciplinary approaches to the study of subduction systems.

Learn more | 2027 Chile & Argentina Pilot Project

US & Chile Exchange Program

The 2026 US & Chile Exchange is in full swing, with participants traveling between Chile and the United States to collaborate with researchers at partner institutions and develop new research and professional connections.

Hannah has returned from her exchange with Joaquin Moris Barra at Universidad Católica del Norte - read her full exchange story below! Sam has also wrapped up his stay with Lester Olivares at Universidad Católica del Maule. Veronica is currently in Chile working with Sergio Ruiz at Universidad de Chile, and Valeria recently arrived at UC Berkeley to work with Roland Bürgmann. Camila is on her way back to Chile after spending a month at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution working with Pete Barry.

Learn more| Meet our Program Participants

The application deadline for the 2027 - and final - edition of the SZNet US–Chile Exchange Program is approaching and has been extended through October 12, 2026. To help prospective applicants prepare, SZ4Grads, in collaboration with AndesSur, recently hosted a panel featuring former exchange participants, giving potential applicants an opportunity to ask questions, learn from their experiences, and get practical advice for developing a strong application.

Apply now | Visit the program webpage

Browse the list of registered hosts on our website, or bring your own host! We expect to support up to six participants in the 2027 cohort. Don’t miss this final opportunity to take part in the SZNet US–Chile Exchange Program!

About Hannah’s research project

Dr. Hannah Spero’s research project focused on coastal boulder deposits (CBDs) in the Chilean Atacama Desert and their potential as evidence of extreme wave events, including recent and prehistoric tsunamis. The project explored novel approaches for documenting and analyzing coastal boulders, with particular emphasis on the use of terrestrial LiDAR and other remote-sensing datasets. Her work combined field surveys, drone-based and ground-based observations, and computational analysis using MATLAB and Blender to characterize boulder geometry, movement, and deposition. Together, these approaches provided new insights into the processes responsible for coastal boulder transport and the potential of boulder deposits to inform interpretations of past extreme-wave events.

During her stay in Chile, Dr. Spero collaborated with Dr. Joaquin Moris Barra, professor and leader of the Atacama Desert Coastal Boulder Deposits project at Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN). Working with Dr. Moris at UCN allowed Hannah to learn more about the extensive record of tsunami coastal boulder deposits preserved along the Chilean coast while contributing her expertise in coastal geomorphology, remote sensing, and boulder transport. The exchange also helped establish strong connections with researchers working on tsunami and coastal hazards in Chile, creating opportunities for future collaborative research.

​

Hannah gave two invited research talks. The first was for the Departments of Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, and Geological Sciences at UCN. Then, she also was invited to visit Universidad de Valparaíso, where she presented her research to the Coastal Processes group led by Dr. Patricio Winckler, with researchers from the CIGIDEN tsunami research community in attendance. Hannah also co-led a field excursion to Bahía Cisnes, with three undergraduates and Dr. Moris, to collect important field datasets from the coastal boulder field. These presentations, and the field visit, provided opportunities to share her research on coastal boulder transport and to discuss similarities and differences in approaches to studying tsunami versus storm driven coastal hazards in the United States, Ireland, and Chile.

​

Through this project, Hannah investigated how coastal boulder characteristics, field observations, and remote-sensing data can be combined to better understand the processes responsible for boulder transport and deposition during extreme wave events. Her work demonstrates the potential for coastal boulders to serve as geomorphic indicators of extreme wave conditions and highlights how detailed field measurements and new remote-sensing techniques can improve interpretations of coastal hazard records. By connecting observations of boulder deposits with hydrodynamic modeling and quantitative analyses of boulder geometry and mobility, this research contributes to a broader effort to understand how extreme waves shape rocky coastlines and how geomorphic evidence can complement instrumental records of coastal hazards.

​

This project is part of Hannah’s broader vision to enhance the integration of hydrodynamic and geomorphological observations in coastal science research, particularly applied to rocky coasts.

​

Although the one-month exchange provided substantial progress in field data collection, analysis, and collaboration, it also established the foundation for continued research beyond the exchange period. Dr. Spero plans to build on the work conducted in Chile through future publications and collaborative research with colleagues at UCN and other Chilean institutions. The relationships developed during the exchange will provide an important foundation for continued collaboration on coastal boulder deposits, tsunami and extreme-wave hazards, and the application of remote-sensing and numerical modeling techniques to coastal geomorphology. A part of this work will be presented at AGU (American Geophysical Union) Annual 2026 Fall Meeting in December. 

Learn more | Read Hannah's exchange story

Expanding International Opportunities for Researchers

 SZNet has provided support for researchers to participate in international conferences, including the Cargése Summer School in Corsica, France, the GSEV-L Meeting in Santiago and the VIPS Conference in Chillán, Chile. These opportunities will help the recipients to expand their international networks and share their work with broader scientific communities, strengthening collaborations across the SZNet Network.

Learn more about these conferences below, and visit our website to browse our calendar of partner meetings and conferences.

Would you like to share a meeting or conference of interest to the SZ4D community? Send us an email at sz4d-list@sz4d.org.

2nd International Conference of the IAVCEI commission on Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems (VIPS)

November 1-6, 2026, Chillán (Chile)

visit the meeting website

VIII Colloquium on Geophysical Signatures of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Landslides (GSEV+L)

November 11-13, 2026, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile)

visit the meeting website

Cargèse 2026 School on Subduction Zone Processes

Cargèse, Corsica (France) | 19-25 Oct 2026

visit the meeting website