The Coupling Cloud: A community database of megathrust kinematic coupling models

Kinematic coupling models inverted from geodetic data are widely used to evaluate how slip deficit is distributed along subduction megathrusts during the interseismic period, and are central to earthquake and tsunami hazard assessment. Yet, existing coupling models differ widely in methodology and inputs, lack common community standards, and are scattered across publications and repositories. Here, we introduce the “Coupling Cloud” (https://couplingcloud.ucsd.edu), an open, extensible, community-driven platform that curates, standardizes, documents, and disseminates more than 95 kinematic coupling models from 56 publications across 21 subduction margins. The platform provides interactive 2D and 3D plate-interface viewers to inspect coupling models together with associated information such as slab geometry, uncertainty estimates and metadata. All datasets can be downloaded directly in standardized formats: surface-projected coupling values as NetCDF, plate-interface dislocation geometries as VTU, and model metadata as YAML files. We demonstrate the advantages of centralized and standardized coupling data through a Cascadia subduction zone example, where synthesizing eight full-margin models reveals along-strike patterns that are not apparent when models are examined individually. Consolidating coupling models within a coherent, version-controlled framework enables systematic cross-margin comparison and FAIR-compliant data sharing, opening the door to more comprehensive assessment of megathrust mechanics.