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.
faults
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
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.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Role of Water in Earth's Tectonic Plumbing Systems
Tidal forces act on well water around the San Andreas Fault, giving researchers a new window into the hydrogeological structure of fault zones.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Unknown Tsunami Trigger Hides Along a Creeping Aleutian Fault
A seismically quiet part of the Aleutian Subduction Zone may have caused tsunamis in the past—and may cause future tsunamis that could travel across the Pacific Ocean.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Characterizing the Fault Beneath the Marmara Sea
Researchers mine seismic wave data to elucidate the stress relief system of the Main Marmara Fault beneath Turkey's inland sea.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Alaska's Semidi Segment Could Unleash a Devastating Tsunami
Study reveals structures along the Alaskan convergent margin capable of generating a powerful tsunami directed toward the United States's West Coast.
Posted inNews
Subtle Seismic Movements May Help Forecast Large Earthquakes
Where a plate of Earth's crust slides under another and when frequent episodes of plate slippage occur without noticeable earthquakes, large temblors will more likely strike, a new study finds.