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Open research questions in earthquake and tectonic studies

548 gap statements mined from earthquake and tectonic studies papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,437 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on earthquake and tectonic studies? See the ranked Earth Science journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • Scale effects, such as surface tension and fluid viscosity, need to be minimized in experimental design.

    Unified predictive framework for subaerial granular landslide-generated stokes-like waves across energy regimes · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for robust seismic hazard frameworks tailored to data-sparse environments like Peninsular India. The lack of a reliable and comprehensive earthquake catalogue for the region. The need for a probabilistic characterization of seismicity parameters.

    Towards robust seismicity characterization in stable continental regions: a Bayesian approach for b-values in Peninsular India · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of calculating the Gutenberg-Richter parameter b for small regions with limited seismic data. The need to account for various local site conditions and uncertainties in the seismic hazard assessment.

    Interactive seismic hazard map of the Czech Republic · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to capture local site effects in stochastic ground motion simulation frameworks.

    Empirical transfer function for enhanced seismic hazard modelling in the Northeast Himalaya · 2026 · DOI

  • Future work could explore whether incorporating spatial constraints alters the detectability limits identified here. Future work may explore alternative null models, spatiotemporal extensions, or regional applications, but should retain explicit specification of null hypotheses, empirical assessment of dispersion structure, and careful treatment of multiplicity.

    Scale-dependent variability of global earthquake rate fluctuations: statistical limits of seismic quiescence detection · 2026 · DOI

  • The structural significance of the 2009-2010 Ouazzane seismic sequence and its relationship to the regional fault system remain poorly constrained. Most previous seismotectonic investigations in northern Morocco have focused on the Alboran Sea and the northeastern Rif, rather than the western-central Rif.

    The 2009–2010 Ouazzane seismic sequence: evidence for a possible active horsetail-like termination of the Jebha Fault, Rif belt, Northern Morocco · 2026 · DOI

  • The limitation of using historical earthquake catalogues, which may be incomplete. The need to address epistemic uncertainties associated with the generation of synthetic seismicity.

    Dependence of seismic hazard assessment on the observation time interval: insights from a synthetic earthquake catalogue in southeastern Spain · 2026 · DOI

  • The study focuses specifically on the variability introduced by the observation time window, and does not address other sources of epistemic uncertainty. The historical earthquake catalogue is incomplete, as fault seismic cycles are usually longer.

    Dependence of seismic hazard assessment on the observation time interval: insights from a synthetic earthquake catalogue in southeastern Spain · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap is addressed by analyzing the stress triggering of the 2015 Nepal earthquakes on the 2025 Dingri earthquake.

    2015年尼泊尔7.8级和7.2级地震对2025年西藏定日6.8级地震的应力触发 · 2025 · DOI

  • Large‐scale strike‐slip faults accommodate major crustal deformation during the Cenozoic India–Eurasia collision, yet the mechanisms governing slip transfer remain debated.

    Mode of Strike‐Slip Transfer Within the East Kunlun Fault System, Northeast Tibet · 2026 · DOI

  • This finding implies that static magnitude conversions are insufficient for robust statistical analyses in evolving seismic catalogues.

    Time-dependent magnitude homogenization and its impact on seismic completeness, b-values, and aftershock productivity: insights from the New Zealand earthquake catalogue · 2026 · DOI

  • As a result, the Caribbean datasets exhibit spatial bias, with most reports originating from distant locations while local reports are sparse.

    Spatial Methods for Identifying Undocumented Historical Earthquake Damage · 2026 · DOI

  • The exact nature and composition of these fluids remain uncertain and should be addressed by future multidisciplinary investigations.

    Positive Isotropic Components From Full Moment Tensor Inversion and Fluid Involvement in the Pollino (Italy) Seismic Swarm · 2026 · DOI

  • This structured and highly data-driven approach has been developed specifically for the definition of source zones where seismicity is not well known.

    Seismotectonic analysis and characterization of seismic source zones in Cameroon, Central Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • The study aims to investigate the effects of the initial coordinates and the observation plan on the deformation values.

    Comparison of the shear strain and the deformation test value obtained for the triangular areas affected by Kahramanmaraş earthquakes with a magnitude of Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6 with the different GNSS networks · 2026 · DOI

  • It provides a more comprehensive view of ground displacements in this area.

    Ten years of GNSS field campaigns covering a full eruptive cycle at Piton de la Fournaise (2014–2023) · 2026 · DOI

  • The numerical modeling is a first-order approximation, - The color-scales in Fig.

    Tsunamigenic potential of flank instabilities of Kameni Volcano inside Santorini Caldera, southern Aegean · 2026 · DOI

  • The integration of structural geology, pedology, and geomatic techniques, including UAV-based surveys and GIS analyses, allowed for the chronological assessment of previously undocumented and poorly investigated terraced surfaces.

    UAV-PPK Photogrammetry, GIS, and Soil Analysis to Estimate Long-Term Slip Rates on Active Faults in a Seismic Gap of Northern Calabria (Southern Italy) · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited scalability of single-modal approaches for incorporating multi-source geophysical data.

    基于多源GNSS和地震数据融合的GeoViT-PFN地震活动性预测 · 2025 · DOI

  • The idealized Eshelby model does not account for frictional heating, fracture branching, gouge formation, and viscous damping.

    Laboratory Injection-Induced Slip on Critically Stressed Granite Faults: Roles of Injection Rate and Temperature · 2026 · DOI

  • The epicentral region is sparsely and relatively evenly populated.

    Public response to two rare earthquakes: crowdsourcing constraints on crustal structure in south Bohemian Massif · 2026 · DOI

  • The study used a rectangular flume with a limited size (0.3 m wide × 24.5 m long × 0.4 m deep), - The experiments were conducted with a specific type of granular material (monodisperse glass spheres), - The study focused on subaerial landslide-generated waves and may not be applicable to other types…

    Unified predictive framework for subaerial granular landslide-generated stokes-like waves across energy regimes · 2026 · DOI

  • The estimate of fault parameters is naturally burdened with great epistemic uncertainty, - There are not enough events to calculate reliable statistics in some regions, - The calculation of parameter b is limited to two distinct regions defined by catalogue…

    Interactive seismic hazard map of the Czech Republic · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study on the mechanical relationship between caldera collapse events and submarine landslides, - Investigation of the potential for remobilization of lava flows, - Analysis of the impact of tsunamis on critical infrastructure and high-density maritime…

    Tsunamigenic potential of flank instabilities of Kameni Volcano inside Santorini Caldera, southern Aegean · 2026 · DOI

  • Subsequent to the eruption, ongoing seismic activity in the vicinity raised concerns among local communities about volcanic hazards, highlighting gaps in understanding post‐eruption processes.

    Physical Mechanisms of Volcanic Earthquakes After the 2022 Hunga Eruption, Tonga · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in earthquake and tectonic studies

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of a reliable and comprehensive earthquake catalogue for the region (“Towards robust seismicity characterization in stable continental regions: a…”, 2026); (2) Future work could explore whether incorporating spatial constraints alters the detectability limits identified here (“Scale-dependent variability of global earthquake rate fluctuations: statistical…”, 2026); (3) This structured and highly data-driven approach has been developed specifically for the definition of source zones where seismicity is not well known (“Seismotectonic analysis and characterization of seismic source zones in…”, 2026). 548 gap statements have been mined from earthquake and tectonic studies papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,437 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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