Conference Description
The Subduction Systems GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes an array of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
Subduction zones are the engine that link Earth’s deep interior to its surface, regulating the exchange of volatiles over geologic time and concentrating many of the critical elements that underpin the energy transition. They also produce the world’s largest earthquakes, explosive volcanism, tsunamis, landslides, and other destructive geohazards. These systems extend from deep-sea trenches through volcanic arcs and into the mantle, where deformation, faulting, mineral reactions, and fluid transport interact across vast spatial and temporal scales.
The 2027 conference will focus on subduction zone multihazards, emphasizing that these hazards do not occur in isolation but operate as interconnected components of an earth system. Earthquakes can trigger landslides and tsunamis, volcanic eruptions can destabilize slopes and alter hydrologic systems, and long-term deformation influences where and how strain and energy accumulate and are released. Addressing these cascading and overlapping processes requires integration across geology, geophysics, geochemistry, geodynamics, and other subdisciplines. The conference will foster cross-disciplinary dialogue to connect processes across the full subduction system, improve multihazard forecasting, and advance integrative earth system understanding.
The conference chair is currently developing their preliminary program, which will include 9 sessions and the names of the invited speakers and discussion leaders for each of these sessions. The preliminary program will be available by October 14, 2026. Please check back for updates.
