Summary

The Northern California Cascadia–San Andreas Transition (NORCAT) Workshop will be held on August 30, 2026, at the Hilton Palm Springs, immediately preceding the 2026 SCEC Annual Meeting. The workshop will bring together researchers from across seismology, tectonics, geodesy, geology, geodynamics, geophysics, engineering, and earthquake hazard science to develop a coordinated scientific framework for understanding one of the most complex and consequential plate-boundary regions in western North America.

The northern California transition between the San Andreas transform system and the Cascadia subduction zone across the Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) hosts the largest seismic hazards in the western United States. Recent advances—including new machine-learning earthquake catalogs, observations of tremor and low-frequency earthquakes, improved seismic imaging, geodetic measurements, and emerging models of lithospheric structure—have fundamentally expanded our understanding of this tectonic transition while raising new questions about fault geometry, plate-boundary architecture, and interactions between transform and subduction systems. These discoveries provide an unprecedented opportunity for community-wide synthesis and coordinated research.

The workshop will provide a forum for participants to evaluate competing tectonic models, identify key scientific questions, and define priorities for future collaborative research. Through invited presentations, moderated discussions, and breakout sessions, participants will explore how multidisciplinary observations can be integrated into Community Earth Models (CEMs), improve earthquake scenarios, and advance understanding of fault interactions across northern California.

The 2026 NORCAT workshop is intended to serve as the kickoff for a new SCEC Technical Activity Group (TAG) focused on advancing research on the northern California transition between Cascadia, the San Andreas Fault, and the Mendocino Triple Junction.

Discussions at the workshop will help establish a shared scientific vision for coordinated research, foster new collaborations across institutions and disciplines, and identify priorities for future community activities.

Participation

The organizers strongly encourage participation from researchers across disciplines and career stages. Particular emphasis will be placed on supporting early-career scientists and graduate students, while also engaging experienced investigators from SCEC, CRESCENT, the USGS, the California Geological Survey, universities, and other partner organizations. By bringing together established expertise and new perspectives, the workshop aims to launch a sustained collaborative effort that advances earthquake system science throughout northern California.

To foster discussion and interaction, the workshop is expected to convene approximately 50 participants, who will be selected based on their statement of interest and the potential contribution to the workshop objectives.

Accepted participants will be notified by August 3, 2026 about the availability of travel support, if applicable. Applications received after July 31 may be considered if space is available.