Geologists at Utrecht University reconstructed the history of lost continent Argoland, which was fragmented into microcontinental shards. The team found that Argoland is still present, albeit in fragments, beneath the islands of Indonesia and Myanmar, revealing a puzzle that fits seamlessly between neighboring geological systems.
SourceUniversiteit Utrecht Faculteit Geowetenschappen·JournalGondwana Research·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 23, 2023
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.
SourceCarnegie Institution for Science·JournalNature·DateOct 23, 2023
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.
SourceUniversiteit Utrecht Faculteit Geowetenschappen·JournalGondwana Research·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 9, 2023
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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.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalScience Advances·TypeImaging analysis·DateOct 4, 2023
A team of researchers from Japan found that water enhances energy dispersion and reduces elastic moduli in rocks, leading to increased seismic wave attenuation. The study suggests the oceanic asthenosphere must contain water, explaining sharp velocity drops and near-constant attenuation observed at the LAB.
SourceOkayama University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 26, 2023
A Penn State-led research team found that the Earth's crust has continued to rework over billions of years, rather than rapidly slowing its growth. The study used the rock record database to chart the crustal growth curve and suggests a correlation between the Earth's crust and mantle.
SourcePenn State·JournalGeochemical Perspectives Letters·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateSep 22, 2023
Researchers have identified three key ingredients needed to bring valuable pink diamonds to the surface: deep carbon, continental collision, and stretching of landmasses. This discovery could lead to finding new pink diamond deposits globally.
SourceCurtin University·JournalNature Communications·TypeImaging analysis·DateSep 19, 2023
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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.
SourceMacquarie University·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 9, 2023
Researchers discovered that tectonic plate breakup is the main driving force behind diamond-rich magmas and eruptions from deep inside the Earth. The team's findings could shape the future of diamond exploration, informing where diamonds are most likely to be found.
SourceUniversity of Southampton·JournalNature·DateAug 7, 2023
Researchers believe convection in the mantle was stratified into two distinct layers, isolated from each other, until a phase transition at 660 km depth. This restriction to upper mantle recycling and mixing has implications for our understanding of Earth's primordial composition.
SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences·JournalNature·DateJul 26, 2023
Scientists discover evidence for possible change in Earth's geodynamics at 3.8 Ga, suggesting onset of plate subduction. The absence of heavy Si signature in oldest rocks (4.0 Ga) indicates no subduction required, but data reveals distinct shift in Si and O isotopes.
SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalScience Advances·DateJul 4, 2023
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.
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Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.
A global team led by University of Minnesota professor Donna Whitney accurately determined the age and formation process of the East Anatolian fault, which runs from eastern to south-central Turkey. The study sheds light on the earthquake history and seismic activity in the region.
SourceUniversity of Minnesota·JournalGeology·DateJun 28, 2023
Scientists have discovered that stagnant lid tectonics, not plate tectonics, existed on early Earth, releasing heat and forming continents. This finding contradicts previous assumptions about the role of mobile plate tectonics in life's emergence, suggesting an alternative mechanism was present.
SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalNature·DateJun 14, 2023
Researchers found that stable cratons have repeatedly deformed beneath their crust since formation, contradicting decades of plate tectonics theory. This deformation is caused by dense mantle keels peeling away from the lithosphere during supercontinent breakup.
SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 12, 2023
Researchers found that the lithosphere's thickness and strength control earthquake locations in Britain and Ireland. Thinner and weaker lithosphere beneath western Britain triggers more earthquakes, while thicker and stronger lithosphere in Ireland results in fewer quakes.
SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalGeophysical Journal International·DateJun 8, 2023
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 ...
SourceColorado State University·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 1, 2023
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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.
SourceJohannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 19, 2023
Researchers used a novel method to study tectonic plate movement, finding two significant slowdowns in the South American plate over the past 15 million years. These events may have contributed to the widening of the Andes mountain range by causing unstable material to tear free and sink into the mantle.
SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·DateApr 13, 2023
An international team, led by Eric Sandvol from the University of Missouri, aims to better understand the makeup of the earthquake zone and surrounding areas. The team plans to deploy 250 seismometers around the East Anatolian fault to study energy waves produced by earthquakes.
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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.
SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalScience Advances·TypeObservational study·DateApr 11, 2023
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.
SourceUniversity of Alabama in Tuscaloosa·JournalScience Advances·TypeImaging analysis·DateApr 5, 2023
Researchers used zircon crystals to unlock information about early Earth's magmas and plate tectonic activity, suggesting that the process was occurring more than 4.2 billion years ago. This finding could be beneficial in the search for life on other planets.
SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 4, 2023
The study identifies five exoplanets that resemble Venus in terms of radii, masses, and atmospheric conditions. By observing these 'exo-Venus' planets using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists hope to uncover valuable insights into Earth's future and the possibility of a runaway greenhouse climate.
SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalThe Astronomical Journal·DateMar 22, 2023
Research at KAUST demonstrates that most of the Red Sea is underlain by oceanic crust, overturning the assumption that it's an extended rift basin. The team mapped the transition from a rift to seafloor spreading and found approximately two-thirds of the Red Sea is currently covered by oceanic crust.
SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalTectonophysics·DateMar 21, 2023
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Researchers examine ultralow frictional healing and slow slip events along the Hikurangi tectonic plate boundary, shedding light on seismic hazards and tsunamis. The study aims to improve early warning systems and monitor events using data from monitoring sites in the trench.
SourceUtah State University·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 16, 2023
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.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 6, 2023
David Kohlstedt's lab recreated the mantle's conditions, observing microscopic changes and scaling up results to real-world size. This work underlies modern geophysics and has improved our understanding of earthquakes, volcanoes, and the planet's surface.
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A new study by Brown researchers reveals that changes in tectonic plate thickness impact the location of the Denali Fault, a major strike-slip fault. The findings provide key insights into how geological faults behave as they deepen, shedding light on earthquake hazards.
SourceBrown University·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 18, 2023
Researchers at Kyoto University have found that the Tohoku earthquake may have occurred upon a complete stress release, with data suggesting normal faults in both sedimentary formations above and below the plate boundary fault. This discovery provides insights into how fault slipping contributed to the devastating tsunami.
SourceKyoto University·JournalEarth and Planetary Science Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 8, 2022
Scientists from the University of Arizona have discovered a giant active mantle plume pushing the surface of Mars upward, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The finding suggests that Mars' deceptively quiet surface may hide a more tumultuous interior than previously thought.
SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeObservational study·DateDec 5, 2022
Researchers found that supershear earthquakes occur as commonly beneath the oceans as they do on land and tend to cause more shaking and potentially more destructive damage. The study suggests disaster planning efforts should consider nearby faults capable of producing supershear earthquakes.
SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalNature Geoscience·DateOct 31, 2022
A new Harvard-led study has found evidence of early plate tectonics and the flipping of Earth's magnetic poles, which may have created a more conducive environment for life. The research suggests that the planet's surface was moving at a rate of 6.1 centimeters per year, consistent with modern plate tectonics.
SourceHarvard University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 24, 2022
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A new study led by ICM-CSIC has revealed the complex geometry of the Alboran Sea faults system, which has been absorbing most of the deformation from plate collision. The research demonstrates that this region is one of the most important fault systems in the western Mediterranean and has a significant tsunami risk.
SourceInstitut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC)·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 23, 2022
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.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalGeology·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 22, 2022
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.
SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalScience Advances·DateAug 26, 2022
Researchers used a three-dimensional climate model to recreate Earth's history and found that changing continents significantly increased ocean oxygen levels. This new study reveals the previously underestimated role of plate tectonics in shaping ocean biodiversity.
SourceCNRS·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 17, 2022
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Researchers have created new geological models that provide a better understanding of the Earth's history and natural hazards. The models include updated maps of tectonic plates and geological provinces, offering new insights into plate boundary zones and the formation of supercontinents.
SourceUniversity of Adelaide·JournalEarth-Science Reviews·TypeSystematic review·DateJun 8, 2022
Researchers simulated earthquakes in a lab and found that fine-grained gravel formed at fault boundaries can trigger powerful ruptures, contrary to previous beliefs about stable faults. The study used high-pressure and shear simulations to show that rock gouge weakens friction between plates, leading to intermittent slip.
SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 7, 2022
Researchers developed a new theory explaining mountain belt formation, suggesting that internal plate strength limits height and size. Surface processes, including erosion, play a key role in shaping these features.
SourceThe University of Bergen·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 1, 2022
Researchers have taken a detailed image of an unusual pocket of rock at the boundary layer with Earth's core, revealing complex internal variability. The discovery supports existing proposals that the zone contains more iron than surrounding rocks, potentially linking it to ancient rocks or unknown core leakage.
SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 19, 2022
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Two powerful earthquakes in adjacent areas off Alaska Peninsula show connection and suggest 80-year rupture cascade along megathrust fault. The quakes may have brought shallow portions of the fault closer to failure.
SourceUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks·JournalScience Advances·DateMay 4, 2022
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.
SourceHarvard University·JournalAGU Advances·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 25, 2022
Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University detected smallest earthquakes in micron-scale metals, exhibiting characteristics similar to seismic events. The findings reveal a two-level structure of strain bursts and demonstrate the correlation between acoustic signals and plastic deformation.
SourceEötvös Loránd University·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 14, 2022
Scientists used supercomputers to model plate tectonics and reconstruct dynamics of Pacific plate motion. The study explains the mysterious 60-degree bend in the seamount chain by introducing a new factor: subduction zones in the Russian Far East.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 22, 2022
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Scientists discovered that earthquakes influence tectonic plate movement, altering frequency and patterns of quakes. This finding suggests improved earthquake risk models can be developed by incorporating feedback mechanisms after an earthquake.
SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalGeophysical Journal International·DateMar 15, 2022
Researchers used geochemical data from 225 hot springs to create a detailed map of the boundary between the Indian and Asian continental plates, revealing processes occurring deep below the surface. The findings suggest that an old theory about the flat position of the Indian plate beneath Tibet is no longer tenable.
SourceStanford University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 14, 2022
Scientists have developed a new model to simulate the formation of subduction zones, which are crucial for understanding Earth's global dynamics. The model predicts the initiation of self-replicating subduction zones and their potential impact on earthquake risk.
SourceFaculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon·JournalCommunications Earth & Environment·DateMar 11, 2022
Researchers have measured deformation of mineral davemaoite under conditions inside the Earth's mantle, finding it to be surprisingly soft. This discovery challenges previous ideas about subducting slabs in the lower mantle, suggesting a detachment of crust from the underlying plate can occur.
SourceDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 9, 2022
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A recent seismic study reveals that Patagonia is rising as glaciers melt due to a gap in the tectonic plate under the region. The study found low seismic velocity and a thinning of the lithosphere above the gap, which is driving rapid uplift.
SourceWashington University in St. Louis·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 28, 2022
A new study of rocks from nearly 2 miles under the surface suggests that the San Andreas fault's central section has hosted many major earthquakes, including some that could have been fairly recent. The researchers found altered compositions in sedimentary rock, indicating more than 100 quakes with potential magnitudes over 6.9.
SourceColumbia Climate School·JournalGeology·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 28, 2022
Researchers propose new dynamic model suggesting thermal energy causes continental plates to drift, but the main driving force is supplied by a gravitational slip of the continental crust and hot mantle upwelling. This model explains why the opening of the Atlantic Ocean is wider in the south than in the middle.
SourceCactus Communications·JournalEarth Science Frontiers·TypeSurvey·DateFeb 28, 2022
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A recent study by a UT graduate student has unraveled the enigma of how tectonic plates break Earth's rock-hard shell. By monitoring seismic images and matching them with rock samples, the researcher found that a small break in the Australian plate grew over millions of years until it unzipped and set in motion a runaway geologic process.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 13, 2022
Researchers used big data imaging to visualize the entire subterranean formation and its effect on regional tectonics. The findings provide critical information for predicting near-future earthquake processes.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 7, 2022
A study in the journal Geology explores the formation of rifts as tectonic plates pull apart, finding that slow plate movement is the primary driver. The research focuses on a newly formed rift in Iceland, where magma did not play a key role in its creation.
SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalGeology·DateFeb 7, 2022
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Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed a physical model that yields unprecedented high-resolution look at slip rates of faults, determining likelihood of earthquakes. The study reveals fault lines in kitchen sinks can predict earthquake-causing forces.
SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalGeology·DateFeb 3, 2022
Research reveals that magmas from Mount Etna and Mount Vulture have extremely high Nb/Ta ratios, indicating a deep carbon-rich lithospheric mantle beneath southern Italy. This process contributes significantly to global volcanic CO2 emissions.
SourceUniversity of Cologne·JournalGeology·TypeObservational study·DateJan 20, 2022
Researchers discovered a connection between earthquake characteristics and tsunami size, finding that shallow rupture can produce larger tsunamis. This study suggests reevaluating the use of earthquake magnitude in estimating tsunami threats.
SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalNature Geoscience·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateDec 17, 2021
A new study has found that serpentinite plays a crucial role in recycling oxygen in the Earth's tectonic plates. The research, led by Cornell University scientists, reveals that the oxidation state of the mantle is controlled by the subduction system's thermodynamic conditions and geometry.
SourceCornell University·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 29, 2021
New research reveals that sinking tectonic plates are significantly weakened as they enter the mantle, but not broken apart entirely. The study's computer model shows a 'tectonic snake' shape, with stresses pinching the plate along weak points.
SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 11, 2021
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