Smaller quakes around the active edge of continental plates may contribute to increased stability by promoting compaction and solidifying the top 100 meters of seafloor sediment.
Geophysical Research Letters
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Massive Ancient Tectonic Slab Found Below the Indian Ocean
Scientists discover a surprisingly positioned tectonic plate, buried below the southern Indian Ocean, that spans the entire mantle.
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U.S. Methane Emissions on the Rise
Data suggest that the United States may be responsible for half of global methane increase in the past decade.
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Antarctica Gets a New Gravity Map
A comprehensive collection of variation in Earth's gravity could aid studies of the Antarctic geoid and of Antarctica's geology and ice sheet dynamics.
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Demystifying Mercury "Hollows"
Spectral data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft indicate that the properties of the depressions on Mercury's surface can vary within a single crater and that these differences may correlate to age.
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Gamma Ray Bursts Leave Their Mark in the Low Ionosphere
Scientists use very low and low-frequency radio signals to detect short gamma ray bursts and their impact on the low ionosphere.
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How Oceans Could Change If We Reverse Anthropogenic Warming
A computer simulation shows a net increase in primary production by phytoplankton if climate change were mitigated by 2200 but also indicates big changes in the makeup of those species.
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What Causes the Strange Pulses in Saturn's Magnetosphere?
A new model shows that a spiral wave may explain why many phenomena in the gas giant's magnetosphere undergo periodic cycles.
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The North Atlantic Ocean's Missing Heat Is Found in Its Depths
In the 2000s, the North Atlantic stopped absorbing as much atmospheric warmth. However, the ocean lost only a little heat—the rest was held deeper below the surface by altered circulation patterns.
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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.