Dr John Bedford BSc, PhD

My research interests cover a range of distinct areas of Earth Sciences that are underpinned by interactions between deformation, fluid flow and metamorphism. These include: (i) the nature and evolution of deformation in porous rock, (ii) the kinetic controls on metamorphic dehydration reactions, and (iii) the frictional properties of fault zones. I typically use a combination of experimental work and microstructural analysis to understand how the processes that occur on the atomic- to grain-scale can be upscaled to explain the tectonic phenomena that occur in the Earth’s crust. My current research focuses on the propagation of earthquake ruptures through clay-rich fault zones, which is important for understanding how megathrust earthquakes can propagate through clay-rich accretionary forearcs, producing large seafloor offsets and generating devastating tsunamis in subduction zone settings.