Geophysics Associate Professor Brandon Dugan is one of the leaders of a 2-month long drilling expedition studying what causes major earthquakes. The team of over 30 scientists from around the world is traveling aboard the JOIDES Resolution to study the input sediment to the Sumatra subduction zone, which was the origin of the devastating 2004 eqrthquake and tsunami. By collecting sediment samples from 1.5km beneath the ocean floor, the team hopes to learn how specific types of rock and fracture patterns at varying depths cause earthquakes. From the story: “We can’t predict earthquakes, but we ....