Texas A&M University, United States

The Costa Rica Seismogenesis Project (CRISP) is designed to elucidate the processes that control nucleation and seismic rupture of large earthquakes at erosional subduction zones. CRISP is located at the only known seismogenic zone at an erosional margin within reach of scientific drilling. With a low sediment supply, fast convergence rate, abundant seismicity, subduction erosion, and a change in subducting plate relief along strike, CRISP offers excellent opportunities to better understand earthquake nucleation and rupture propagation. This project complements other deep fault drilling (San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth and Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment) and investigates the first-order seismogenic processes common to most faults and those unique to erosional margins. Expedition 344 is based in part on CRISP Program A (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Proposal 537A-Full5), which is the first step toward deep riser drilling through the seismogenic zone. This expedition will focus on constraining the boundary conditions of lithology, fluid flow, and thermal structure that trigger unstable slip in the seismogenic zone along a drilling transect at two slope sites. These slope sites may also serve as pilot holes for potential future proposed riser drilling to reach the aseismic/seismic plate boundary.