by Andy Frassetto (IRIS)

The “Subduction Zones in Four Dimensions: Progress in Developing the SZ4D Initiative” Special Interest Group (SIG) at the 2022 SAGE/GAGE Community Science Workshop was organized by eight members of the SZ4D Steering Committee, representing different interest groups within the solid earth geoscience community, and was attended by roughly 75 people. The SIG began with an update on the progress of the SZ4D Research Coordination Network, describing the components of the draft implementation plan and highlighting in particular proposed science infrastructure to address different disciplinary observations in focus regions in Chile, Cascadia, and Alaska. It also described recent in-person meetings in Germany and Chile that engaged with critical SZ4D stakeholders and collaborators and noted how interested members of the community can engage with SZ4D, which includes participating in its evolving governance structure. The remainder of the SIG focused on four breakout group discussions designed to source feedback on three points:

• general recommendations for SZ4D

• identifying the most exciting aspects of SZ4D

• and collecting any related concerns about the organization, science, or facility plan

These breakouts provided a deeply valuable opportunity to interact with a swath of the community that included senior scientists to a substantial number of graduate students, many of whom are likely to participate in SZ4D but have not been heavily involved at this stage. The SZ4D steering committee will synthesize feedback to refine the implementation plan and optimize future communications and outreach with the science community as it seeks to maximize the participation from a diverse group of scientists and other stakeholders.