New data on ancient zircons points to a transition from stagnant lid to subduction style tectonics at 3.6 Ga ago.
Earth's crust
Posted inNews
The Goldilocks Zone May Be Just Right for Migrating Metals
Researchers identified a gateway that allows metals critical for renewable energy technologies, like copper and gold, to make their way to the surface.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble: Ocean Vents Spew Rubble
Hydrothermal vents in the ocean emit 6000-year-old carbon. The likely source? Ocean crust.
Posted inNews
A Giant Impact Triggered Earthquakes for Thousands of Years
When an asteroid struck South Africa during the Precambrian, earthquakes rocked the region for millennia as Earth’s crust reequilibrated, new research reveals.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Faults in Oceanic Crust Contribute to Slow Seismic Waves
New high-sampling rate measurements of fluid pressures in oceanic crust reveal unresolved fractures and pathways for fluid flow.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Faulting and Folding Signals in Seismic Data
A novel numerical model simulates folding in Earth’s crust throughout the earthquake cycle.