F.1.1 Seismic Hazards

1. Detect and map inter-seismic and potentially pre-seismic transient strains, which remain elusive and raise a major challenge to our understanding of the earthquake cycle.
 2. Derive models of faulting and crustal rheology from vector co- and post-seismic displacement maps, complementing conventional seismological and geodetic measurements. 


1. Derive models of magma migration from the spatial and temporal extent of deformation preceding and accompanying eruptions.
 2. Quantify pressure changes at depth resulting from magma intrusion beneath many of the world’s ~600 active volcanoes.
 3. Analyze the spatial extent of new material deposited during an eruption, an important diagnostic of the eruption process.

1. Determine ice velocity and discharge by ice streams and glaciers worldwide and quantify their contributions to sea-level rise. 
2. Characterize the temporal variability in ice flow well enough to separate short-term fluctuations from long-term change. 

3. Provide critical data to determine the fundamental forcings and feedbacks on ice stream and glacier flow to improve the predictive capabilities of ice-sheet models. 

 
ECHO data will be useful for studying other geophysical phenomena of strong scientific value and societal benefit. One example (Fig. F-5) is the study and management of groundwater aquifer systems (Hoffman et al., 2001; Amelung et al., 1998). Although withdrawal of water from subsurface aquifers represents only a small term in the global water cycle, the limited nature of this resource directly determines the habitability of many arid areas. ECHO observations will lead to better models and improved management of this important resource. Other examples include landslides, floods, oil extraction, and coastal erosion.