Underneath old and stable pieces of Earth's crust in North America, the mantle's uppermost portion contains multiple layers that change the velocities of seismic waves.
seismology
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 inNews
Seeing the Gravitational Waves, Despite the Seismic Waves
For detectors to sense the minute jolt of a gravitational wave announced last week, savvy geophysicists and engineers had to keep Earth's tiniest jiggles from reaching ultrasensitive instruments.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Seismic Clues Reveal the Mechanisms Behind Iceberg Calving
Scientists combine models and video footage of iceberg calving to analyze the potential of seismology to unravel physical processes behind the breakup of ice sheets.
Posted inNews
What Makes the Ground Suddenly Pop?
A geological feature in Michigan’s wooded Upper Peninsula has scientists scratching their heads.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Understanding the Formation and Primordial Evolution of the Earth
The processes that formed the infant Earth set the stage for its subsequent evolution into the dynamic and habitable planet we know today.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
P Wave Amplitude Decay Offers a Glimpse of Earth's Structure
Scientists look at deep earthquake signals to map how seismic waves lose energy in the upper mantle across the United States.
Posted inNews
Quake or Bomb? Seismic Waves Speak Truth, Even If Nations Don't
When the Earth rumbles and no one knows why, seismologists can analyze the seismic event's waveforms to determine whether a hidden explosion or an earthquake caused the shaking.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Oklahoma's Dormant Faults Hide Huge Seismic Risk Potential
Researchers look at induced seismicity data in Oklahoma to spot an increase of stress in faults that could cause even more damage than recent quakes.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Hawaii’s Swelling Lava Lake Charts a Volcano’s Hidden Plumbing
Geophysicists used unique seismic signatures to track the cyclic rise and fall of lava inside Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park's Overlook crater.