If subduction carries hydrous minerals deep into Earth’s mantle, they may “rust” the iron outer core, forming vast sinks of oxygen that can later be returned to the atmosphere.
seismology
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Adjoint Tomography Illuminates Hikurangi Margin Complexity
Waveform inversion of regional earthquakes reveals velocity anomalies interpreted as subducting seamounts that control an enigmatic segmentation in plate coupling along the Hikurangi margin.
Posted inFeatures
Striking Out into the Field to Track Slip on the Sumatran Fault
An international team overcame many challenges, including from the COVID-19 pandemic, to deploy a dense seismic network along an understudied fault system that poses hazards to millions in Indonesia.
Posted inFeatures
A Cagey Approach to Speedy and Safe Seafloor Deployments
Researchers devised a simple way to deliver ocean bottom seismometers accurately to the seafloor to study ongoing seismic and volcanic activity near the islands of Mayotte.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Potential of Leaking Modes to Reveal Underground Structure
Instead of waiting for earthquake waves to tell scientists about the structure of Earth’s interior, scientists can now use ambient noise from humans to “see” underground.
Posted inFeatures
Distributed Sensing and Machine Learning Hone Seismic Listening
Fiber-optic cables can provide a wealth of detailed data on subsurface vibrations from a wide range of sources. Machine learning offers a means to make sense of it all.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Comparing Machine Learning Models for Earthquake Detection
A new study evaluated the performance of emerging deep learning models for earthquake detection, phase identification, and phase picking.
Posted inNews
Layered Zone Beneath Coral Sea Suggests Ancient Magma Ocean
Scientists studying South Pacific earthquakes suggest that an ultralow-velocity zone at the core-mantle boundary may be a remnant of a molten early Earth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Neural Networks Can Identify Carbon Dioxide in Seismic Observations
By establishing a machine-driven approach to interpreting seismic observations of carbon dioxide injection, researchers hope to improve tracking of carbon capture and sequestration projects.
