What Scientific Ocean Drilling Reveals about the Japan Trench

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

5 pm ET

Workers in protective gear on the floor of an underwater ocean drilling platform.
Nur Schuba

Join us for a talk with Nur Schuba, research assistant professor, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin.

Earth’s largest earthquakes occur along faults hidden deep beneath the ocean floor. Ocean drilling expeditions to the Japan Trench investigated the fault zone responsible for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami by collecting new geologic data and measurements from beneath the seafloor. Shipboard work combined engineering operations, geologic samples, geophysical monitoring, and international collaboration in a demanding offshore environment. 

In this online learning event for teachers, Schuba explains how, alongside the science, life aboard a research drilling vessel reveals how discoveries are made in real time and how complex Earth processes can be translated into engaging visual stories. Examples from her expedition comics and other outreach projects show how ongoing ocean exploration can connect cutting-edge research with broader public understanding of earthquakes, hazards, and our dynamic planet.

This event is free for educators. One hour of CTLE credit is available.