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Their hazard potential is especially high along tectonically active continental margins, such as on the western coast of South America or in Indonesia. More than 90% of all global earthquake activity, and almost all of the world’s highly explosive volcanoes, are concentrated at active continental margins. Passive continental margins such as the western coast of Africa, on the other hand are tectonically inactive – but of economic importance. Since continental margins are among the world’s most important populated areas and economic regions, their significance will increase in the future. As such, they have become a major focus of global research. Therefore the German research programme »Continental Margins – Earth’s Focal Points of Usage and Hazard Potential« was launched in 2004 as part of the R&D Programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN. Goal of the programme is to improve the basic knowledge of continental margins and to mitigate their hazard potential. The funded projects focus on the following key themes: NAMIBGAS – Eruption of Methane and Hydrogen Sulphide from Namibian Shelf Sediments, SUNDAARC – High Risk Volcanism at the Active Continental Margin of the Sunda Arc, and TIPTEQ – From The Incoming Plate to Megathrust Earthquake Processes (South America). This volume contains a collection of the first research results and experiences of the funded projects. The presentations were given at a status seminar held at the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) Potsdam, in June 2005. They cover a wide range of research opportunities and applications, such as geophysics, geology, mineralogy, volcanology, and biology.

Science Report GEOTECHNOLOGIEN

Continental margins mark the boundaries between continental plates and the oceans. Due to their particular geological situation, these areas are especially rich in raw material deposits – but they are also the sites where extreme natural phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tidal waves occur. Continental margins therefore harbour a considerable risk potential, particularly as over 60% of the world’s population live within 100 kilometres of the coasts of the planet’s oceans.

Continental Margins – Earth’s Focal Points ...

Continental Margins – Earth’s Focal Points of Usage and Hazard Potential

GEOTECHNOLOGIEN Science Report

Continental Margins – Earth’s Focal Points of Usage and Hazard Potential Status Seminar GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) Potsdam 9-10 June 2005

Programme & Abstracts

The GEOTECHNOLOGIEN programme is funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG)

No. 5

ISSN: 1619-7399

No. 5


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