Science AI Journal
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Research topic

Open research questions in earthquake and tectonic studies

53 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 666 earthquake and tectonic studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>m</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>max</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> , noting that the misapplication considered here can lead to overestimation, whereas a lack of data can lead to underestimation.

    Estimation of the Maximum Earthquake Magnitude, mmax—Choosing the Correct Time Interval for the Maximum Observed Magnitude · 2026 · DOI

  • We map a relatively continuous and linear set of 2-150 m high, north-facing scarps along the fault trace, but find limited evidence of clear offset of Quaternary sediment that would be diagnostic of neotectonic activity.

    Probable surface ruptures along the San Juan fault in the recently-deglaciated northern Cascadia forearc · 2026 · DOI

  • Bull Earthq Eng 22(8):3875–3904 Pal SK, Devi S, Kumar P, Joshi A, Kumar R (2025) Real-time earthquake magnitude estimation utilizing a mixed dataset set of observed and simulated P-wave onsets for the Kumaon Himalaya from Mw3.

    Unraveling Holocene surface-faulting history of the Çay segment, Sultandağı Fault (SSW Türkiye): linking paleoseismic evidence to segment-scale seismic behavior · 2026 · DOI

  • , the rupture area) of the 2024 Noto earthquake, and with some faults extending close to the seafloor, the LDZ likely experienced coseismic slip that contributed to tsunami generation during the event, although direct evidence is lacking.

    Tsunamigenic fault structures revealed in the 2024 Noto earthquake (M7.6) rupture area · 2026 · DOI

  • Since phase archives are sparse before 2010, events from 1994 – 2009 are treated as background, whereas 2010–2024 earthquakes are relocated; quality control retains 416 events.

    STRESS TRANSFER AND SEISMICITY ALONG THE SOUTHERN GREAT SUMATRAN FAULT: INSIGHTS FROM THE 1994 LIWA EARTHQUAKE · 2026 · DOI

  • This study evaluated the behavior of a fuzzy logic–based earthquake location framework under sparse station geometries and offshore configurations characterized by large azimuthal gaps. The analysis focuses on comparative solution stability under con- trolled structural assumptions rather than absolute location accuracy. Pg arrival-time uncertainties were represented using bounded fuzzy membership functions, and hypocenters were determined through exhaustive Vol:. (1234567890) J Seismol (2026) 30:50 Page 31 of 33 50 Fig. 22 Quantitative comparison of location differences between the standart catalog locations and the proposed fuzzy logic method for the final dataset of 121 earthquakes: (a) longitude, (b) latitude, and (c) focal depth differences. All comparisons are based on the reference catalog locations to assess the relative performance of the proposed inversion strategy. While horizontal discrepancies remain generally lim- ited, panel (c) highlights increased variability in focal depth associated with linearized inversion under large azimuthal-gap conditions, whereas the fuzzy logic approach maintains more spatially constrained depth estimates forward evaluation across a predefined three-dimen- sional grid. For internal benchmarking, all events were independently relocated using a Geiger-type linearized inversion with identical phase data and a consistent velocity model. This controlled framework isolates algorithmic behavior from data- and model- related effects.

    A fuzzy logic–based circle method for stable hypocentral estimation of offshore earthquakes: a case study from the Eastern Black Sea · 2026 · DOI

  • This study provides a preliminary approach for predicting tM of SLTs in narrow reservoirs. However, there remain several limitations: (1) The slides were modelled as blocks, exclud- ing granular slides, which may limit the applicability of the proposed empirical formulas to other slide material types; (2) The experiments and numerical simulations assume simplified reservoir geometries with nearly constant widths, which may not capture the effects of complex water body shapes on wave propagation; (3) Only a single sliding mass movement type was considered, while variations in sliding, overturning, or falling mass movement types could produce different tM and affect the universality of the formulas.

    Study of maximum wave arrival time of landslide-tsunami in narrow reservoirs based on wavelet transform analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper maps persistent VI hotspots requiring focused attention in risk-reduction planning but does not specify which communities or infrastructure types (hospitals, power plants, schools) should be prioritized or what quantitative thresholds of VI constitute unacceptable risk. Operationalized decision-making frameworks linking VI thresholds to concrete mitigation interventions (retrofitting standards, emergency services positioning) for Java intraslab earthquake hazards are absent.

    Mechanisms of Intermediate-Depth Seismicity in Eastern Java: Insights from the 2021 Malang Intraslab Earthquake Sequence and Earthquake-Hazard Assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The observation that low b-values and high stress drops in the 2021 Malang sequence indicate a high-stress environment within the slab is not contextualized against b-value and stress-drop statistics from other intermediate-depth earthquake sequences in the Sunda Arc or globally comparable subduction zones. Systematic comparative analysis of seismicity rate parameters across Java's intraslab domains and adjacent subduction systems would clarify whether the Malang zone represents an anomalously stressed region or typical intraslab behavior.

    Mechanisms of Intermediate-Depth Seismicity in Eastern Java: Insights from the 2021 Malang Intraslab Earthquake Sequence and Earthquake-Hazard Assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper integrates ground-motion characteristics (MMI IV-VI, PGA >100 gal) with spatial vulnerability assessments for Malang city, but does not validate whether the VI mapping methodology and threshold classifications are transferable to other populated regions above intermediate-depth seismic zones in Java or other subduction systems. Site-specific fragility curves accounting for local soil amplification effects and structural typologies in different Java cities remain undeveloped.

    Mechanisms of Intermediate-Depth Seismicity in Eastern Java: Insights from the 2021 Malang Intraslab Earthquake Sequence and Earthquake-Hazard Assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The three-year Vulnerability Index (VI) time series for Batu City (2021-2023) shows temporal evolution of post-earthquake vulnerability, but the paper does not identify the specific secondary stressors or infrastructure recovery metrics that caused persistent VI increases in moderate-to-strong PGA areas during the 2021-2022 interval. Quantitative indicators distinguishing recovery bottlenecks (e.g., housing restoration delays, utility disruption duration, livelihood loss) from continued seismic exposure are needed to refine post-disaster recovery models.

    Mechanisms of Intermediate-Depth Seismicity in Eastern Java: Insights from the 2021 Malang Intraslab Earthquake Sequence and Earthquake-Hazard Assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper documents dynamic interactions between slab pull, mantle flow, and dehydration processes influencing both intermediate-depth ruptures and shallow megathrust rupture recurrence, but provides no quantitative model or time-series analysis constraining how stress transfer from the 70-120 km dehydration zone propagates to the shallow plate-boundary interface. Coupled mechanical models that link intraslab stress redistribution to megathrust earthquake triggering specifically in the Java subduction zone are absent.

    Mechanisms of Intermediate-Depth Seismicity in Eastern Java: Insights from the 2021 Malang Intraslab Earthquake Sequence and Earthquake-Hazard Assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies dehydration embrittlement as the dominant mechanism for intermediate-depth seismicity in the Malang zone based on elevated Vp/Vs ratios, but lacks direct mineralogical verification through laboratory experiments simulating the specific pressure-temperature conditions (70-120 km depth) of the Java slab. Experimental constraints on the timing and fluid-release rates of lawsonite and chlorite breakdown under Java subduction conditions are needed to quantify the relationship between dehydration and rupture nucleation.

    Mechanisms of Intermediate-Depth Seismicity in Eastern Java: Insights from the 2021 Malang Intraslab Earthquake Sequence and Earthquake-Hazard Assessment · 2026 · DOI

  • The study emphasizes the need for local building code updates but does not validate the proposed PGA hazard map against actual building damage records or observed earthquake impacts.

    Deterministic Seismic Hazard Analysis (DSHA) and Peak Ground Acceleration Mapping in West Java (2018–2024) · 2026 · DOI

  • The methodology relies on recent physics-regularized frameworks (Acharya et al., 2026, in prep.; Johnson & Sherrill, 2026, in prep.) that are still in preparation, creating dependency on unpublished work.

    Non-stationary Creep Modeling on the Northern California Fault Systems · 2026 · DOI

  • Moreover, in western Péloponnèse the sense of the observed shearing is not yet clear, whether it is dextral or sinistral, and this lack of data has significant implications for the orientation of the earthquake slip vectors compared to the GPS obtained velocity vectors.

    Distributed earthquake focal mechanisms in the Aegean Sea · 2018 · DOI

  • While the fault-parallel velocities have been estimated from just a few GPS vectors available in the region, little is known about the fault-perpendicular component of the regional velocity.

    Recent tectonic features of the central part (Bolu-Corum) of the North Anatolian Fault · 2015 · DOI

  • Despite the fact that the AD 365 earthquake is probably the greatest one that took place in the East Mediterranean region in the historic period, it has not been studied in detail.

    The AD 365 earthquake. From legend to modelling · 2001 · DOI

  • The presence of these structures along with other field relations, including the lack of evidence for large offset of conglomerate suites, indicates that strike-slip fault systems of large displacement (>500 km) did not cut the Franciscan Complex during subduction.

    Nappes, Tectonics of Oblique Plate Convergence, and Metamorphic Evolution Related to 140 Million Years of Continuous Subduction, Franciscan Complex, California · 1992 · DOI

  • Our results provide new constraints on strain accommodation and suggest that tectonic tremor can help constrain plate boundary geometry in regions where conventional seismicity provides limited information.

    Tectonic Tremor Reveals Slow Deformation Along the Antarctic–South American Subduction Zone · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research is recommended to integrate field geological data, satellite imagery, and seismic methods to achieve more compre- hensive fault mapping in Cianjur, thereby providing a better basis for future seismic hazard mitigation.

    Gravity Data Analysis for Fault Identification and Earthquake Hypocentre Relocation Using Modified Joint Hypocentre Determination Method in Cianjur Area · 2026 · DOI

  • Because seismogeodetic monitoring of these submarine plate boundaries remains challenging 2–7 , little is known about how these systems operate on yearly timescales.

    Anatomy of a seafloor spreading event captured by in situ seismogeodesy · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the estimated b-value is relatively high for a subduction-related setting, it should be interpreted with caution, and further investigation is required to evaluate catalog completeness, magnitude conversion effects, and the temporal stability of the estimated parameters.

    Statistical Analysis of Seismicity in West Sumatra (2015–2025) and Aftershock Decay of the 2009 Padang Earthquake Using Gutenberg–Richter and Omori–Utsu Laws · 2026 · DOI

  • The fragmentation of the Philippine Sea Plate along the Southwest boundary and progressive deformation may indicate eventual attachment to the Eurasian Plate, a process requiring investigation over geological timescales.

    Visualising Earthquakes: Plate Boundaries and Seismic Decay · 2026 · DOI

  • The boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate remains uncertain, and its location relative to the Hokkaido and Sanriku boundaries requires clarification.

    Visualising Earthquakes: Plate Boundaries and Seismic Decay · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in earthquake and tectonic studies

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own earthquake and tectonic studies sub-topic

This page shows what the earthquake and tectonic studies literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
135 open questions
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
96 open questions
Marine and coastal ecosystems
83 open questions
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes
69 open questions
Marine and coastal plant biology
52 open questions
Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
51 open questions
Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
48 open questions
Archaeological Research and Protection
45 open questions
53 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 666 earthquake and tectonic studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.