In some situations where the crust plates collide to each other, they deform by creating folds and thrusts. Based on thrusts development direction, they are categorized into fore- or back-thrusts. We use numerical simulation to investigate their development over geological time-scales. We examine the importance of rock strength, friction, displacement type and geometry on back-thrusting with regard to the final geometry of the deformation, as well as the distribution of porosity and stresses.

There is still considerable controversy over the duration of the subduction-collision orogeny process of the Wushan-Shangdan Ocean. Here, we present new geochronological and geochemical data for Silurian granites from the North Qinling Orogen. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the ocean had closed prior to 438 Ma; (2) The transition phase from syn-collision to post-collision took place between 429 and 421 Ma; (3) A three-stage tectonic model of the Wushan-Shangdan Ocean is proposed.

Our research aims to accurately differentiate the elastic properties of tight sands with thin shale beds and fractures. Traditional models struggle to distinguish between these two features. We developed a hybrid rock physics model. Our model's reliability is validated against well log data, revealing distinct anisotropic characteristics for thin shale beds and fractures. This model helps identify fractures more accurately, improving geophysical exploration.

Obtaining reliable estimates of the subsurface state distributions is essential to determine the location of e.g. potential nuclear waste disposal sites. However, providing these is challenging since it requires solving the problem numerous times yielding high computational cost. To overcome this, we use a physics-based machine learning method to construct surrogate models. We demonstrate how it produces physics-preserving predictions, which differentiates it from purely data-driven approaches.

In this manuscript, we investigated the kinematics and dynamics of strike-slip damage zones using laboratory mechanical tests and analogue modelling techniques. The results underline the importance of a multi-scale approach (from crustal to outcrop-scale) to improve the understanding of such deformation processes, deriving fundamental correlations with the physical and mechanical properties of the model materials applied in the experiments.

West Norwegian 'diamond facies' eclogite contains tiny mineral inclusions of quartz and amphibole lamellae that are not stable in the diamond field. Low trace amounts of water in the lamellae-bearing host minerals suggest that the inclusion microstructure was not formed by fluid infiltration but by dehydration during early exhumation of these rocks. Some samples with higher water content argue that a late fluid overprint was spatially restricted and obliterated evidence of extreme metamorphism.

At any scale, the limited size of a study area introduces a bias in the interpretation of linear features, defined as right-censoring bias. We show the effects of not considering such bias and apply survival analysis techniques to obtain unbiased estimates of multiple parametrical distributions in three censored length datasets. Finally, we propose a novel approach to select the most representative model from a sensible candidate pool using the Probability Integral Transform technique.

Our study investigates the statistical relationship between geological faults and earthquakes in the Southwestern Swiss Alps. We analyze how the fault size and earthquake rupture are related and find differences in how faults at different depths rupture seismically. While shallow faults tend to rupture only partially, deeper faults are more likely to rupture along their entire length, potentially resulting in larger earthquakes.

We assessed the poro-perm relations of both host rocks and fault rocks of Mesozoic carbonate rocks, by integrating a laboratory petrophysical studyn with a digital image analysis. Three different protocols were employed to compute permeability: i) Effective Medium Theory on laboratory data, ii) constant crack aperture and iii) crack density values from 2D images. Carbonate host rocks did not show a clear poro-perm trend due to the presence of stiff, sub-rounded pores and of small vugs.

We investigate geophysical properties and the distribution of vertical stress, which is defined by the weight of the rock column above a certain location in the subsurface, in the upper 5 km of the North Alpine Foreland Basin in Germany. Our results help to understand the present-day geological configuration and to improve safety for subsurface use, such as deep geothermal energy production in the study area.

In this study, we present an innovative method to study the inner structure of ore deposits using seismic waves produced by earthquakes and production blasts. Results of numerical simulations and field tests show that the proposed method can effectively detect mineralization zones inside orebodies.