Recent  

One of the main numerical methods in geodynamics is the finite-element method. Many types of elements have been used in the past decades in hundreds of publications. They usually fall under two categories: quadrilaterals and triangles. For the first time we compare results obtained with the most used elements of each type on a series of geodynamical benchmarks and draw conclusions as to which are the best ones and which are to be preferably avoided.

The Tethyan Orogenic Belt documents an extensive history of subduction along the southern margin of Eurasia. This study examines the stratigraphy and provenance of Jurassic strata in the West Kunlun Mountains, highlighting the alternating extensional and contractional tectonic episodes in this region. We interpret that this complex evolution was related to the northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, transitioning from southward retreat to northward flat-slab advancement.

In this work we compare magnetic maps obtained from the EMAG2v2 (Earth Magnetic Anomaly Grid 2-arc-minute resolution) magnetic intensity data with the main geological structures and units of the Pyrenees and adjacent areas. The magnetic response arrangement for the different domains mimic the main structural lineaments and highlight the occurrence of major magnetic anomalies linked to specific geological bodies.

At the high temperatures present in the deeper crust, minerals such as quartz can flow much like silly putty. The detailed mechanisms of how atoms are reorganized depends upon several factors, such as the temperature and the rate of which the mineral changes shape. We present observations from a naturally-deformed rock showing that the amount of water present also influences the type of deformation in quartz, with implications for geological interpretations.

We constrained the rheology of glaucophane aggregates deforming near its brittle-ductile transition with general shear deformation experiments. In the experiments, glaucophane first underwent work hardening and strain weakening associated with brittle grain size reduction and incipient dislocation processes, then evolved to steady-state dislocation creep. We developed a flow law that can be used to approximate the rheological behavior of mafic oceanic crust at blueschist facies conditions.

We postulate that the observed spatial distribution of large earthquakes in active convergence zones, organized in segments where large events are repeated every 100–300 years, depends on large scale continental faults and fluid release from the subducting slab. In order to support this model, we use proxies at different spatial and temporal scales (historic seismicity, megathrust slip solutions, inter-seismic cumulative seismicity, GPS/viscous plate coupling, and coast line morphology).

We revised the conceptual model of the Solfatara magmatic-hydrothermal system and we used new geothermometers and geobarometers, specifically calibrated for the Solfatara fluids, to monitor temperature, T, and total fluid pressure, P, in three distinct reservoirs at different depths, over ~40 years. The T, P changes in the intermediate reservoir (at 2.7–4 km depth) are of utmost interest because its pressurization-depressurization acts as the “engine” of bradyseism currently affecting the area.

This study estimates source properties by analyzing seismic data of 303 earthquakes (2018–2020) in Marmara Region, Turkey and finds a strong correlation between M_w-coda and M_L. Moreover, the scaled energy increases with seismic moment estimates and shows non-self similar scaling in earthquake sources.

Our study investigates the structural evolution of the Fars Arc in the Zagros Mountain by numerical modeling. We focus on the effects of the interaction between basement faults and salt décollement levels during tectonic inversion, including a rifting and a convergence phase. In conclusion, our results emphasize the importance of considering fault geometry, salt rheology, and basement involvement in understanding the resistance to deformation and seismic behavior of fold-thrust belts.

The STAR project set out to drill 6 shallow holes and use geophysical logging to figure out the best depth for placing seismometers and strainmeters, to image the upper crust and in particular the Alto Tiberina fault, Italy. These measurements give us a better idea of what the rocks are like, helping us connect what we know from literature with what we find underground, giving solid information on rock properties, which helps understand the first couple hundred meters of the Earth's crust.

The late Mesozoic igneous rocks in South China Block exhibit flareup and lull, which is debated forming in compressional or extensional background. The ascending of magma forms a mush-like head and decreases the crustal thickness. The presence of faults and pre-existing magmas will accelerate emplacement of underplating magma. The magmatism at different times may be formed under similar subduction conditions, and the boundary compression forces will delay magma ascent.

Based on the construction of major fault system and investigation of several main boundaries of the Bohai Sea, eastern China, we proposed a right-lateral strike-slip fault between the eastern margin of the Liaodong Peninsula and northwestern margin of the Jiaodong Peninsula. Then, we suggest that the two-direction extension perpendicular and parallel to the subduction zone should be the genesis of the Bohai Sea, and also the basic pattern of the back-arc extension.

The theory of plate tectonics postulates that the opening and closure of an ocean are tied together into a cycle, namely the Wilson cycle. The rocks exposed in the western Southern Alps preserve the geologic record of two Wilson cycles: an earlier one, which led to the formation of the Variscan orogen, and the recent one, which led to the formation of the European Alps. We delved into this transition, and we found that it did not occur smoothly but through several abrupt changes.

Gravity aspects applied to the well-known impact craters Popigai and Chicxulub. Findings about them from 2010 confirmed and extended with better data and more advanced method. Both craters are double or multiple craters. Both crater formations seem to be associated with impact induced tectonics that triggered development of impact grabens.