Articles tagged with Subduction
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Researchers tracked tiny earthquakes to better understand the complex region where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone. The study reveals five moving pieces, including two out of sight from the Earth's surface, which contribute to the seismic hazard.
A new seafloor study revealed that a thin, clay-rich layer hidden beneath the seafloor enabled the 2011 Japan earthquake to rupture all the way to the trench, producing massive displacement. This finding could help scientists better understand and respond to other intense earthquakes and tsunamis.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that rocks on fault lines can glue themselves back together within hours after a seismic event. This discovery challenges current models of fault behavior and suggests that cohesion may play a crucial role in major earthquakes.
A study reveals how plate tectonics reshaped the planet, triggering conditions for oxygen-rich oceans and eukaryote evolution. The findings link deep-Earth dynamics to near-surface geochemical and biological evolution, offering a unifying framework.
Researchers have discovered that low-velocity zones beneath subducting tectonic plates are caused by partial melts generated from upwelling water-rich mantle material. These melt pockets rise through the mantle, creating a global water-recycling loop and lubricating plate motion.
A team of geoscientists used advanced satellite data to track land movements in Greece and Turkey, providing crucial information for assessing the risk of major earthquakes. The study's findings show that stress builds up at plate boundaries, leading to increased likelihood of earthquakes.
The University of Tokyo researchers developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can withstand ocean currents and wind, enabling the acquisition of reliable seafloor measurements. The system achieved a horizontal root mean square error of approximately 1–2 cm, comparable to existing vessel-based systems.
Geologists have connected a 120-million-year-old 'super-eruption' to its source, revealing insights into Earth's complex geological history. The discovery provides a more complete history of the Pacific Ocean basin and sheds light on volcanic activity in the region.
A recent study by Virginia Tech researchers found that a major earthquake could expand the coastal floodplain by 35-116 square miles, affecting thousands of residents and properties. The impact would be most severe in southern Washington, northern Oregon, and northern California.
Research finds that pyrope garnet can retain up to 0.2 wt.% water, potentially dominating water transport via basaltic slabs into the lower mantle. The study also reveals strong pressure-temperature dependence of water solubility in pyrope garnet.
A plume of hot rocks from the Earth's mantle created a conveyor belt for heat to rise, leading to the gradual uplift of the Arabian Peninsula and the creation of a land bridge between Asia and Africa. This event enabled the early ancestors of elephants, giraffes, and humans to roam between the two continents.
Compositional rock anomalies within oceanic plates caused by ancient tectonics influence the trajectory and speed of subducting plates. The findings provide a greater understanding of plate subduction, recycling surface materials deep into the Earth's interior.
A Kobe University study found that temperature at the plate interface predicts earthquake type, while a specific plate shape causes a seismic gap. Water released from rock transformation explains slow slip events and tectonic tremors, reducing stress between plates.
Researchers found that foliated rocks along a fault line exhibit anisotropic properties, causing uneven strength and contributing equally to earthquake generation. This discovery suggests that the properties of rocks may play a significant role in seismic activity.
Research team finds that heavy Mg isotopic signatures in volcanic rocks can be explained by partial melting of serpentinite-dominated mélanges. The study proposes a novel model involving diapiric rise and melting of these mélanges, which aligns with geochemical characteristics of arc magmas.
Researchers used Re–Os dating to uncover the timing of Japan's geological history, revealing key insights into the region's evolution. The study focused on Besshi-type VMS deposits, which provided precise markers for the timing of subduction and ridge subduction beneath Japanese Islands.
A team of researchers re-examined the aftershock sequence of the 2015 Bonin Islands earthquake and found no evidence for a record-breaking deep aftershock in the lower mantle. Instead, they discovered a distribution of aftershocks compatible with a 12-kilometer olivine sliver that sheds light on how deep earthquakes can occur.
Two large 'islands' with the size of a continent have been found in the Earth's mantle, showing they are at least half a billion years old. Seismologists discovered these regions by studying the tones and sound volume of seismic waves, finding little damping in the islands, but high damping in nearby cold slab graveyard.
Researchers have discovered unexpected zones in Earth's mantle beneath large oceans and continents, contradicting current plate tectonic theories. The new high-resolution model uses full-waveform inversion to reveal anomalies that may indicate ancient or iron-rich material.
Researchers are on the trail of the 2011 mega earthquake's causes through deep-sea drilling. They aim to determine properties and processes in subduction zones, which can contribute to tsunamis.
Researchers developed a new mantle-flow model explaining the puzzling deformation of the North China Craton, citing subduction and flat-slab subduction as key factors. The study sheds light on cratons' life cycle and geological processes, potentially leading to a more sustainable future.
Researchers discovered a mysterious subduction zone deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, reshaping our understanding of Earth's interior structure. The team found an unusually thick area in the mantle transition zone, suggesting the presence of colder material that slows down oceanic slabs as they sink through the mantle.
A new study from the University of Illinois Chicago proposes an alternative theory for the formation of Earth's continents, challenging the long-held leading theory. The researchers used computer models to investigate the origin of Archaean zircons, which date back to 2.5-4 billion years ago.
A new imaging technique allows scientists to visualize the Earth's rocky interior using GPS data, revealing details about the planet's crust and mantle. This method has the potential to improve earthquake predictions by combining it with other techniques.
Research in the Alaskan-Aleutian subduction zone found evidence of splay fault uplift generating additional tsunami activity in half of last eight earthquakes. Splay faults can create local tsunamis reaching shores in under 30 minutes, exacerbating coastal destruction.
Researchers find that rocks' permeability affects slow slip events, potentially leading to a better model for predicting earthquakes. The study's findings provide new insights into the role of fluid cycling in subduction zones.
A recent study has mapped over 1,500 earthquakes and their respective fault planes using high-resolution data from a dense network of seismometers. The research suggests that earthquakes do not release stress by a single strong quake along a single fault plane, but rather across multiple parallel fault planes.
Researchers used computer simulations to demonstrate that a subduction zone originating in the Western Mediterranean will propagate into the Atlantic under the Strait of Gibraltar. This will create a new Atlantic subduction zone, which will then move down into the Earth's mantle.
Researchers explore subduction initiation process with varying geological records, proposing two contrasting regimes: hot and cold. High-temperature ophiolites and metamorphic sole are characteristic of hot subduction initiation, while cold subduction zones lack these records.
Researchers have discovered large undersea faults on the Pacific Ocean floor that are pulling the Pacific Plate apart. The newly found faults, some thousands of meters deep and hundreds of kilometers long, are weakening the plate due to immense forces within it.
Researchers found a subducted oceanic slab that has completely overturned beneath the western Mediterranean. The discovery helps sort out the complicated tectonic structure of the region, where Africa and Eurasia are converging.
A new study using computational models suggests that a subduction zone below the Gibraltar Strait will migrate into the Atlantic, contributing to an Atlantic ring of fire. This process, called subduction invasion, is expected to happen in approximately 20 million years.
A new study proposes that the Seattle fault zone originated from an ancient tear in the continent, with forces exerted by tectonic deformation shaping its history. The researchers mapped bedrock across western Washington and used gravity and magnetic data to test existing hypotheses of the fault's geometry.
Researchers from Ohio State University studied a past underwater landslide and developed a novel approach to analyze the risk of deadly tsunamis. They found that slide velocity may help determine the threat of dangerous waves, and their findings could improve our understanding of submarine landslides and tsunamigenic events.
Scientists have discovered that superdeep diamonds can provide a window into the growth and formation process of ancient supercontinents like Gondwana. By analyzing tiny inclusions within these diamonds, researchers were able to determine the age of the mantle rocks that helped buoy and grow the supercontinent from below.
A team of experts analyzed ancient diamonds formed between 650 and 450 million years ago, providing new processes for how continents evolved and moved. The research sheds light on the supercontinent cycle and offers a direct window into Earth's deep workings.
Researchers reconstructed a massive tectonic plate from fragments found in mountain belts around the world. They discovered that the plate, named Pontus, existed for at least 150 million years and had a significant impact on Earth's geological history.
Researchers have found a large water reservoir beneath the ocean floor off New Zealand's North Island, which may be linked to the country's mysterious slow earthquakes. The discovery provides new insights into the correlation between fluids and tectonic fault movement, shedding light on the phenomenon of slow slip events.
Researchers have found large amounts of labile dissolved carbon stored in sediment interstitial water, indicating active organic carbon remineralization. The discovery suggests that earthquakes play a key role in the trench's carbon cycle and deep biosphere metabolisms.
Researchers from Macquarie University have found that the Earth's gradual cooling led to a flip in the deep cycling of carbon and chlorine between the surface and interior. Most carbon accumulates into solid carbonate sediments, while chlorine typically returns to the surface as volcanic gases.
Scientists have discovered that older subduction zones store more water than younger ones. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of tectonic settings and mass recycling.
Scientists have discovered that sinking seamounts leave behind a trail of soft sediments, which help release tectonic pressure in slow slip earthquakes. This finding can be used to adjust earthquake models and improve understanding of the mechanisms driving earthquakes.
Researchers have found evidence of 20 million years of 'hot spot' magmatism under the Cocos plate, with a long-lived melt channel that originated from a mantle plume. The study suggests that this channel is regionally extensive and may be a widespread source for intraplate magmatism.
Researchers at Colorado State University have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding how mountains form, revealing that deep Earth processes are the primary drivers of mountain building in subduction zones. By combining novel data sets and techniques with traditional geomorphology measurements, the team generated a long-term ...
Researchers used computer simulations to understand the formation of new subduction zones and the development of the Caribbean large igneous province. The study found that simultaneous subduction of two plates led to a major mantle flow, triggering the formation of a plume and extensive magmatic activity.
Researchers have discovered a unique underwater spring in the Pacific Northwest that could provide insights into earthquake hazards. The Pythia's Oasis seep is sourced from water 2.5 miles beneath the seafloor at the plate boundary, regulating stress on the offshore fault.
Research led by The University of Alabama reveals a dense, yet thin, layer of ancient ocean floor surrounding the Earth's core-mantle boundary. This ultra-low velocity zone is denser than the rest of the deep mantle and may play an important role in heat escape from the core.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered a frictional phenomenon that governs how quickly faults heal after an earthquake. This discovery could help scientists understand when and how violently faults move, providing valuable new insights into the causes and potential for large earthquakes.
Researchers investigated the relationship between slow slip events and tectonic strain in Japan's Bungo Channel, Tokai, and Boso-Oki regions. They found that not all accumulated strain is released during SSEs, but rather builds up in shallower areas before a megathrust earthquake can occur.
Researchers have discovered a new layer of partly molten rock under the Earth's crust that helps settle a long-standing debate about how tectonic plates move. The study reveals that the melt layer has no significant influence on plate tectonics, with convection of heat and rock being the prevailing force.
A new study analyzes volcanic rock samples collected in the 1980s to explain the geologic histories of Fiji and Vanuatu. The research attributes their current locations to subduction of the Samoan Seamount Chain, which caused a double-saloon door tectonic event leading to their separation.
The Subduction Zones in Four Dimensions (SZ4D) initiative aims to improve understanding of subduction zone hazards through a collaborative effort. The plan involves deploying new instrumentation and developing more accurate models to predict large earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
Scientists have found that the tectonic stress in Japan's Nankai subduction zone is less than expected, contradicting predictions of a major buildup of pent-up energy. The research suggests that the fault may not be as unstable as thought, but still requires further investigation and long-term monitoring.
A new study reveals two preserved slabs in the upper mantle beneath Myanmar, strongly supporting the double subduction model. The findings provide convincing geoscientific evidence to consolidate this model, which explains anomalously fast India-Asian convergence.
A novel three-dimensional model of the fluid stored deep in Earth's crust along the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides new insight into how the accumulation and release of those fluids may influence seismic activity. The study's findings have applications for increasing understanding of seismic activity along the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Researchers investigate protogenetic clinopyroxene inclusions for diamond dating and find implications for understanding Earth's mantle processes. They also study Andean deformation and its relation to flat slab subduction and tectonic inheritance.
Low-frequency tectonic tremors in Alaska are linked to high levels of dehydration in the Yakutat terrane, a subducting oceanic plateau. The study suggests that this dehydration reaction is caused by temperature and pressure conditions during plate subduction.
Researchers found that around 3.8 billion years ago, a major transition in the geochemistry of zircons occurred, suggesting the onset of plate tectonics. This discovery provides hints about how the planet became habitable and under which conditions the earliest forms of life developed.
A regional collaboration has successfully installed earthquake early warning algorithms in four Central American countries, including Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. The system can produce warnings seconds before strong ground-shaking S waves arrive from offshore shallow subduction zone earthquakes.
Tiny zircons found in South Africa hold the oldest evidence of subduction, a key element of plate tectonics, dating back to around 3.8 billion years ago. This discovery provides new insights into when plate tectonics was set in motion and how it may have shaped Earth's surface and climate.