Debris avalanche landslides can drastically modify the shape and nature of surrounding landscapes, changing water drainage systems. Researchers studied the Pungarehu debris avalanche deposit at Taranaki volcano, New Zealand, to gain insights into transport and emplacement mechanisms.
Researchers estimate four to five large earthquakes occurred on the Seattle fault or related faults during the past 3,500 years. The study uses geologic data and new field evidence to reconstruct earthquake patterns in the Puget Lowland, a structurally complex region.
A 25-year-long study reveals that ants can accelerate mineral decay, which may help geoengineer accelerated CO2 consumption. The researchers suggest that understanding ant-mineral interactions could offer a solution to sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere.
The Geological Society of America recognized Susan Kieffer, Lisa Tauxe, Francis Macdonald as GSA's highest honors for their seminal research contributions to various geosciences. The awards were presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Vancouver, Canada.
A remarkable new dinosaur tracksite in Denali National Park, Alaska, has provided insights into the herd structure and paleobiology of northern polar dinosaurs. The discovery reveals that these animals not only lived in multi-generational herds but also thrived in a high-latitude, polar ecosystem.
Researchers found that 89.5% of respondents believe fieldwork should be a required part of undergraduate education, but nearly two-thirds think traditional focus on bedrock mapping is unnecessary. The study calls for academia-industry dialogue and further research to test the value of field education.
Researchers used geochemical fingerprints to reconstruct the history of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta, finding a history of mobile river systems that built the delta like a 3-D printer. This understanding is crucial for the 150 million people living on the delta, who face regular flooding and erosion.
The Geological Society of America has expanded its online body of knowledge by digitizing 23 years of The Geological Society of America Bulletin content published between 1922 and 1944. The milestone includes works from renowned authors such as Joseph Pardee, Beno Gutenberg, and Charles Francis Richter.
Researchers found a high-volume perennial spring on Ellesmere Island that flows year-round despite extreme cold temperatures. The spring's unique geochemistry suggests a more active hydrogeological system in polar regions than previously thought, potentially driven by glacial meltwater.
A new study published in the Geological Society of America Bulletin documents the discovery of forty-six ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs in southern Chile. The skeletons are associated with ammonites, belemnites, and other fossils, providing insights into the marine ecosystem of Early Cretaceous times.
Two articles investigate influence of climate, erosion, and tectonics on Bolivian Andes landscape. Researchers conclude that tectonics play primary role in shaping Earth's surface, not rainfall patterns. Tectonic deformation controls pattern of rock uplift and erosion rates.
Researchers predict that only a few craters from asteroid impacts could persist on Earth due to tectonic processes and weathering. However, layers of molten rock blasted out during the impact process may serve as better records of impacts, providing insights into Earth's bombardment history.
Researchers have discovered an ancient Hawaiian volcano, named Ka'ena, which is believed to be the first building block for the island of O'ahu. The study provides compelling evidence that Ka'ena's lava chemistry and volcanic evolution played a crucial role in shaping the island's landscape.
Researchers used seismograms collected in the Sierra Nevada EarthScope field experiment to image the earth under the range. Their results reveal that the entire eastern Sierra overlies low-velocity upper mantle and lacks dense, quartz-poor lower crust. This suggests that a long strip of dense rock fell away to the west and south, causi...
Researchers from Harvard and colleagues found new evidence for a previously unknown African-derived terrane, named the Moretown terrane, which lies beneath North American-derived rocks in modern-day New England. The discovery suggests that the Iapetus Ocean closed approximately 20 million years earlier than documented elsewhere.
Researchers have discovered microbial etchings in impact glass from the Ries Impact Structure, Germany, which are remarkably similar to bioalteration textures observed in volcanic glasses. The authors suggest that microbes etched their way through impact glass as they excreted organic acids, creating a potential habitat for life on Mars.
The St. Elias Erosion/Tectonics Project investigates the role of glacial erosional processes in mountain belts, with a focus on southern Alaska's unique geology. Researchers found that fast-moving ice can remove rock at rates of centimeters per year.
Researchers discuss catastrophic rock avalanches, evidence of ancient rainfall, and geological phenomena in the High Atlas Mountains, western United States, and Italy. The studies provide insights into Earth's history, including a 4.5 ka seismic event, tectonic settings, and paleoprecipitation patterns.
Scientists have discovered a late Triassic tectono-thermal event in southern Mexico, synchronous with a magmatic arc hiatus, suggesting flat-slab subduction. Additionally, research has found evidence of giant mantle plume activity in ancient Australia and Argentina, providing insight into the Earth's thermal structure.
Researchers have discovered a mid-Cretaceous greenhouse world, with superhigh sea-surface temperatures that prevailed during the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a. Additionally, scientists have identified impact spherules in Karelia, Russia, which may be linked to the 2.02 Ga Vredefort impact event.
Researchers have discovered a magnetic anomaly deep within the Earth's crust that suggests a significant portion of what is now Africa was left behind in the American southeast when Pangea broke up. This finding challenges existing theories on continental rifting and the break-up of supercontinents.
Researchers have uncovered new seismic data for the Slate Range in California, revealing a change in faulting style around four million years ago. In another study, scientists linked zircon ages to oxygen isotopic correlations between two tephra deposits in the southwestern United States.
New laboratory experiments reveal that turbidity currents can enter cohesive muddy seabeds without losing their shape. A major earthquake at Lake Vättern, Switzerland, occurred around 11,500 years ago, and high-grade gold mineralization is linked to fault-valve processes in Papua New Guinea. Additionally, discoveries include the Ediaca...
Researchers have discovered detrital pyrite and uraninite grains in sedimentary rocks, which constrain the rise of oxygen to younger than 2.415 billion years ago. A new model also reveals an ancient atmosphere with less than ~10^-5 atm of O2 at 2.4 billion years ago.
This article covers various geology topics including Mars exploration, environmental lead poisoning, earthquake hazards, the Indus Civilization collapse due to aridification event, end-Cretaceous mass extinction analysis using clumped isotope paleothermometry, and geological events such as the Tibetan Plateau's reorganization.
Researchers investigate the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt's chemical characteristics, characterizing the mantle source and promoting continental growth. They also study alkaline lavas in Colorado, tracing the evolution of the northern Rio Grande rift and migration of volcanism.
Articles explore geological processes such as erosion, deposition, and sedimentation, shedding light on catastrophic outburst floods and sediment routing systems. New findings from the Eocene Escanilla Formation and the Ohanapecosh Formation provide insights into facies architecture and sediment grain size variation.
Researchers investigate parallel mountain chains, rift flank uplift, and unique episodes in Earth's history. They use computer models and experimental data to understand the timing of uplift and crustal extension during rifting processes.
Lorena Moscardelli presents a terrestrial, deep-water analogy to support the existence of an ancient Martian ocean. She documents boulder-size rocks on Mars' northern plains that are similar to blocks transported by subaqueous mass-transport events in Earth's deep water environments.
The paper presents findings on strain rates measured in travertine in the Rio Grande rift, age dating of the Neoarchean Rum Jungle complex, and the first lithosphere-scale illustration of the structural evolution of the Black Sea Basin. Geodynamic modeling also reveals internal structures produced during craton formation.
Articles in GSA Bulletin explore the impact of geological processes on rivers and coastlines. Researchers examined river morphology in Oregon, coastal responses to sea-level changes in Brazil, and aditification differentiation in NE Iran, providing insights into the effects of tectonics and environmental changes.
New Geosphere papers examine volcanic zones, the Sierra Nevada, and Utah's Confusion Range. The study on the Confusion Range may provide new opportunities for petroleum exploration in the region.
Studies examine the role of hydrated fault zones in carrying large amounts of water from Earth's oceans to the mantle. Researchers also investigate vertical structural heterogeneities within cratonic lithosphere, shedding light on continent destruction and evolution.
A massive landslide in a Utah copper mine generated seismic waves that were recorded by instruments over 400 km away, producing earthquake-like signals. The study found that the landslide triggered seismic activity, including small earthquakes with characteristics similar to tectonic earthquakes, in the days following the event.
New research extends our understanding of seawater chemistry by ~300 million years with direct measurements of mid-Neoproterozoic marine sulfate concentrations. Additionally, studies reveal spatial variation in 10Be erosion rates and increasing relief in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA.
Researchers analyzed detrital zircons from passive margin strata in western North America, revealing variations in ages and Hf isotope compositions that provide insights into the provenance of Cordilleran passive margin strata. Strike-slip faulting along the Wassuk Range of the northern Walker Lane, Nevada, was also studied, providing ...
Researchers investigate the geological features of Faial Island, Portugal, examining relationships between tectonics and magmatism. Additionally, studies on apatite fossil preservation in Cambrian rocks shed light on the source of phosphorus for exceptional fossilization. Marine terraces along California's Santa Barbara coast also prov...
Researchers use radar to predict sinkholes and analyze ancient ambers for clues about paleobotany. Serpentinization in seafloor environments reveals hydrogen generation and its impact on the deep biosphere. Vast landmasses form above sea level, while trilobites venture into upper intertidal zones.
This issue of Lithosphere features studies on the Great Slave Lake shear zone in northwest Canada, which provides insight into the deep structure of ancient mountain belts. The research also explores the tectonic development of the Tibetan Plateau, revealing that faults responsible for its formation are restricted within the crust.
Researchers study fossil estuaries, a 'natural wind tunnel' experiment on the Chinese Loess Plateau, frictional melting of rocks in water, glacial moraines in Colorado, and topographic data from Venus. These studies explore ecosystem stability, aeolian sediments, fault frictional properties, and volcanic lightning.
A new study examines the geological legacy of Hurricane Irene, shedding light on the long-term record of storm frequency and impact. The researchers found that the lack of definitive signatures from the hurricane in paleostorm records highlights concerns about current understanding of hurricane deposition and preservation.
Researchers investigate plate tephra formation, deep-seated slope failures, and wax lake delta geology. Volcanic processes are linked to magma composition and eruption styles.
Researchers in China, Egypt, Israel, Argentina, Mexico and California published new findings on sedimentology, petrology and paleotopography. The studies reveal insights into the geological processes that shape these regions, including eolian sand fractionation, magmatic activity, and exhumation of the Andes.
The US is largely dependent on foreign sources for rare earth elements, a trend exacerbated by global demand. Dr. Lawrence Meinert highlights the need for domestic development and secure supply chains to mitigate disruptions.
Scientists warn that shale oil and gas production in the US is not sustainable due to declining energy returns on investment (EROI) and high costs. Despite tripling of prices, global fossil-fuel production has stagnated or declined, making it unlikely for the US to become a net oil exporter.
The Geological Society of America is presenting a late-breaking session on the 2013 Colorado flood event, which was triggered by unprecedented heavy rainfall. Speakers will discuss causes, processes, and effects of the flood, including its impact on dams, infrastructure, and lives.
Scientists have made significant discoveries in US National Parks, including a vast Yellowstone magma reservoir and ancient plant fossils. Rising seas threaten coastal parks like Cape Hatteras and Everglades, highlighting the need for climate change response efforts.
Scientists examine fracking's impact on water, air, and human health through research that is still being played catch-up. The medical geology field has emerged to address the shale gas boom's concerns about environmental issues.
Researchers have made significant progress in understanding how burned landscapes respond to rainfall, enabling the development of treatments to mitigate damage. Debris flow models have helped explain where these events are most likely to occur and how large they might be.
The new Next Generation Science Standards prioritize hands-on experiences and climate literacy, shifting focus from memorization to question-driven learning. Geoscientists stress the need for high-quality resources and professional development to improve educators' ability to teach students about global change and climate change.