Underlying system of equations governing New Zealand’s Hikurangi SSE dynamics

Establish a comprehensive, physics-based system of equations that governs and controls the complex Slow Slip Event dynamics observed in New Zealand’s Hikurangi subduction zone, providing a tractable mathematical description suitable for explaining the irregular and chaotic behavior of these events.

Background

The Hikurangi subduction zone in New Zealand exhibits irregular and seemingly chaotic Slow Slip Events (SSEs), which challenge purely data-driven prediction due to short and noisy observational records. The paper motivates a physics-based approach and proposes a proof-of-concept model using two coupled oscillators to reproduce qualitative features of the observed chaos.

Within this context, the authors explicitly note that a comprehensive model capturing the complexity of the New Zealand setting is lacking, and that formulating the underlying system of equations governing the SSE dynamics remains an open challenge.

References

However, no comprehensive model has yet been proposed to explain cases as complex as New Zealand and the challenge remains open to suggest an underlying system of equations controlling that system.

— Chaotic Slow Slip Events in New Zealand from two coupled slip patches: a proof of concept (2411.01688 - Poulet et al., 3 Nov 2024) in Section 1 (Introduction)