Riser Pipe (IMAGE) University of Texas at Austin Caption A drilling riser aboard the scientific drilling vessel Chikyu. Dozens of risers were linked together to reach deeper into an earthquake fault than ever before. Led by researchers at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics and University of Washington, the scientific mission revealed that tectonic stress in Japan’s Nankai subduction zone was lower than expected. Credit Demian Saffer/University of Texas Institute for Geophysics Usage Restrictions Please credit creator. License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.