Mantle rocks in Papua New Guinea contain curious geochemical signatures that scientists have traditionally interpreted as evidence of billions-year-old melting. New evidence suggests otherwise.
subduction
Posted inFeatures
Is Earth’s Core Rusting?
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.
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 inEditors' Highlights
Transient Mantle Flow Triggers Morphotectonic Activity in Asia
Changes in mantle dynamics following the Australian collision in southeast Asia triggered fast and intense morphotectonic activity at the surface.
Posted inFeatures
Exploring Subduction Zone Geohazards on Land and at Sea
A new initiative is bringing together scientists to address fundamental questions about subduction zone geohazards, using the latest advances in observation technology and computational resources.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Continent-Scale Detection of Triggered Low Frequency Earthquakes
Very low frequency events in the gap zone of Cascadia illustrate how stress evolves on megathrusts, advancing our understanding of rupture dynamics.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radiometric Dating Sheds Light on Tectonic Debate
The emplacement of the Samail Ophiolite in Oman has been a source of disagreement among geologists. New state-of-the-art research offers a fresh perspective on its timing and geometry.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Unearthing the Cause of Slow Seismic Waves in Subduction Zones
Researchers look to the fossil rock record to unearth the driving forces for variable seismic speed through subduction zones.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Subduction Zone Earthquakes: Fast and Slow, Weak and Strong
What causes slow earthquakes in subduction zones? New insights from numerical models suggest that a mixture of strong and weak rocks might be the cause.
Posted inScience Updates
Swipe Left on the “Big One”: Better Dates for Cascadia Quakes
Improving our understanding of hazards posed by future large earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone requires advancements in the methods and sampling used to date and characterize past events.