Detailed analysis of cores drilled through New Zealand's most dangerous on-land fault indicates that its permeability and strength are altered by mineral precipitation between seismic events.
faults
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Studying Martian Rocks Without Leaving Planet Earth
Matching Martian rock formations to those found on Earth can help researchers learn more about the Red Planet.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
An Up Close Look at the Megaquakes That Cause Tsunamis
Researchers recreate changes in the seafloor during Japan's devastating 2011 tsunami.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Characterizing the Faults Beneath Germany
A team of researchers has described how the faults within the German Alpine Molasse Basin initially developed.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Cold Temperatures Set Off Slow-Moving Landslides
Falling ground temperatures in the cold season are found to trigger shallow, slow-moving landslides on slopes with clayey soil.
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Tiny, Deep Quakes Increase on San Andreas as Tides Tug on Fault
When the gravity of the Sun and Moon causes Earth's crust to bulge every 2 weeks, slow-moving earthquakes proliferate in the lower reaches of the San Andreas, a new study finds.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Revising the Displacement History of New Zealand's Alpine Fault
A reinterpretation of structural and paleomagnetic data suggests that New Zealand's Alpine Fault accommodates a far greater percentage of geologically recent plate motion than previously thought.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tracking Down Elusive Origins of Kazakhstan's 1889 Chilik Quake
New fieldwork and satellite data suggest that three faults may have caused a large earthquake near Almaty, Kazakhstan, more than a century ago.
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Flash Heating May Lubricate Rubbing Rock Faces in Earthquakes
A new laboratory study examines the small-scale physics at play as two pieces of granite are smashed together in a scaled-down version of a real earthquake.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Hole in Earth’s Surface
Research shows that a broken lithosphere underneath the island of Hawai'i could explain the island's patterns of seismic activity.