SCEC Award Number 26020 View PDF
Proposal Category Community Technical Skills Training
Proposal Title Tandem Workshop: Modeling the Earthquake Cycle from Faults to Supercomputers
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
Bar Oryan University of California, San Diego Alice-Agnes Gabriel University of California, San Diego Jeena Yun University of California, San Diego Yohai Magen University of California, San Diego Dave May University of California, San Diego
SCEC Milestones C1,2,3-1 SCEC Groups FARM, RC, CCB
Report Due Date 07/24/2026 Date Report Submitted 07/23/2026
Project Abstract
 Advances in geodetic, seismic, and geological observations now capture fault slip in far greater detail than was possible only a couple of decades ago. Yet observations alone cannot explain the physical processes that govern the seismic cycle. Physics-based models of Sequences of Earthquakes and Aseismic Slip (SEAS) bridge this gap, and next-generation SEAS models can now incorporate the realistic fault geometries, heterogeneous crust, and tectonic loading that observations reveal. These simulations, however, are technically demanding, and many early-career scientists lack opportunities to develop the numerical modeling and high-performance computing (HPC) skills they require. The 2026 SCEC Tandem Workshop brought together 39 participants from 22 institutions for an intensive 2.5-day, science-driven, hands-on workshop at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD. Invited talks by Brittany Erickson, Pierre Romanet, So Ozawa, and Tom Heaton, together with six participant science talks and two poster sessions, connected the training part to the scientific frontiers of earthquake-cycle research. Guided hands-on sessions then trained participants to design, mesh, launch, visualize, and interpret SEAS simulations with Tandem, an open-source HPC code. To make this possible for users at every level, the organizing team built a dedicated computational ecosystem, including HPC access via the Quakeworx Science Gateway, a pre-configured JupyterLab image on the National Data Platform, and a portable Docker environment, all of which remain openly available to participants. Feedback was strongly positive: the 23 survey responses rated the workshop 4.7/5 for overall value, format, and logistics, and identified the hands-on exercises as the most valuable element.
Intellectual Merit SEAS simulations are central to SCEC's mission, connecting observations of fault slip to the physics that governs the earthquake cycle and advancing our understanding of how faults accumulate stress, rupture, and generate seismic hazard. This workshop strengthened that effort by training 39 researchers to design, run, and interpret SEAS simulations using Tandem, an open-source code that models realistic fault geometry, heterogeneous crust, and tectonic loading. It directly supports SCEC milestones for developing and maintaining community modeling tools (C1,2,3-1), FAIR-aligned workflows (C1-2, C2-2), and integrative earthquake-cycle simulation (C3-1), deepening the community's capacity to link observations with physics-based models.
Broader Impacts The workshop trained the next generation of SCEC researchers, giving 39 early-career scientists from 22 institutions across 8 countries the hands-on modeling and HPC skills that earthquake-cycle research increasingly demands. It drew a broad, international cohort spanning graduate students, postdocs, and early-career scientists. Through partnerships with SDSC, the National Data Platform, and Quakeworx, it enhanced shared research infrastructure, delivering open-source training materials and pre-configured computing environments that remain freely available to the community. By expanding the pool of scientists able to produce realistic earthquake simulations, the workshop ultimately strengthens the physics-based hazard assessment that underpins societal resilience.
Project Participants The workshop was organized by Bar Oryan, Jeena Yun, Yohai Magen, Alice-Agnes Gabriel, and Dave May (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego). It brought together 39 participants from 22 institutions across 8 countries, including four invited speakers: Brittany Erickson (University of Oregon), Pierre Romanet (CEREMA/GéoAzur), So Ozawa (ERI, University of Tokyo), and Tom Heaton (Caltech). Partner organizations included the San Diego Supercomputer Center, the National Data Platform, and Quakeworx, which provided computing infrastructure. A full list of participants and their affiliations is available on the workshop website: www.scec.org/events/2026-tandem-training-workshop.
Exemplary Figure Figure 1. Impressions from the 2026 SCEC Tandem Training Workshop: (a) participants and organizers at the
Martin Johnson House, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, (b) a hands-on training session on postprocessing
and visualizing Tandem output, (c) the poster session on the Martin Johnson House patio, and (d) the guided
tour of the San Diego Supercomputer Center.
Linked Publications

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