New research suggests the source of morphologic variation on mid-ocean ridges might be deeper than scientists thought.
plate tectonics
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Subducted Seamounts May Lead to Larger Earthquakes
New findings show that underwater mountains may increase friction along subduction zones, building up stress and making larger ruptures more likely.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Los primeros eventos de deslizamiento lento observados en el sur de Costa Rica
Cinco eventos observados en la Península de Osa revelan nueva información sobre el papel que estos pequeños y lentos terremotos pueden desempeñar en la acumulación de tensión y riesgos de tsunami a lo largo de las zonas de subducción.
Posted inNews
Future Supercontinent Will Be Inhospitable for Mammals
Pangea returns in 250 million years, and it’s not looking good for us.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Piecing Together the Roots of the Ancient Australian Continent
Mineral compositions from numerous volcanic rocks that sample the mantle keel beneath Western Australia’s Kimberley Craton reveal the temperature and mineralogy that explain its long-lived stability.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The First Slow-Slip Events Seen off Southern Costa Rica
Five events observed off the Osa Peninsula shed new light on the role that these small, slow earthquakes can play in strain accumulation and tsunami hazards along subduction zones.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Desert Landscape Evolution Controlled by Storm Intensity
A new study in the Negev Desert finds that long-term erosion of a desert escarpment occurs in drier areas where intense storms are most frequent.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Illuminating the Complex Structural Fabric Beneath the European Alps
A new study investigates the dynamics of the complex continental collision that formed the European Alps and reveals how structural alignments change with depth.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Earthquakes Have Preparatory Stage Years Before Rupture
Tidally induced seismicity increased locally before the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake, suggesting that fault sensitivity to stress increases in the years immediately before large earthquakes.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Fluid Release from Subducted Slabs Without Percolation Flow
A new study demonstrates the absorption mechanism of H2O release out of subducting slabs, making the previous hypothesis of dehydration embrittlement unnecessary.