Recent  

(1) Structural diagenesis analysis is performed on the ultra-deep tight sandstone; (2) Fracture and intergranular pores are related to the low in situ stress magnitudes; (3) Dissolution is associated with the presences of fracture.

This study uses seismic reflection data to interpret the geometric relationship and evolution of intrabasement and rift-related structures in the Enping sag, the northern South China Sea. Our observations suggest primary control of pre-existing thrust fault on formation of low-angle normal fault, with possible help of low-friction materials, and significant role of pre-existing basement thrust fault on fault geometry, paleotopography and syn-rift stratigraphy of rift basin.

During the 20th century, shallow damaging seismicity occurred in and near the Hainaut coal mining area in Belgium. We provide an overview of the earthquake parameters and their impact combining felt and damage testimonies and instrumental measurements. Shallower earthquakes have a depth and timing compatible with mining activity. The most damaging events occurred deeper than the mines but could still be triggered by crustal changes caused by mining. Our modelling can be applied to other regions.

A fiber optic cable was installed along a sucker rod in a deep geothermal well in Munich, Germany. A cold water injection test was monitored by means of fiber-optic distributed acoustic and temperature sensing. During injection, we observe vibrational events in the lower part of the well. On the basis of a mechanical model, we conclude that the vibrational events are caused by thermal contraction of the sucker rod. The results illustrate potential artifacts when analyzing downhole seismic data.

This original work starts from the need to investigate the possible ground effects of the historical Cagli earthquake (June 3, 1781). Some geological and geomorphological evidences were clear that testify a tectonic behaviour very similar to those of the recent earthquake of 2016 in central Italy. In the light of field observations, seismic data and reinterpreted previous works, this sector shows a current extensional tectonics, in accordance with the interpretations of some recent research.

Hydraulic stimulation experiments in underground facilities allow for placing monitoring equipment close to and surrounding the stimulated rock under realistic and complex conditions at depth. We evaluate how accurately the direction-dependent velocity must be known for high-resolution seismic monitoring during stimulation. Induced transient deformation in rocks only 2.5–5 m apart may differ significantly in magnitude and style and monitoring requires sensitive sensors adapted to the frequency.

This paper aims at illustrating how the timing and duration of contractional deformation associated to folding in orogenic forelands can be constrained by the dating of brittle mesostructures observed in folded strata. The study combines new and already published absolute ages of fractures to provide for the first time an educated discussion about the factors controlling the duration of the sequence of deformation encompassing layer-parallel shortening, fold growth and late fold tightening.

We interpret a Late Cretaceous Łysogóry-Dobrogea Land in the axial part of the Danish-Polish Trougha, a place considered to be deeply submerged in the Cretaceous seas. It gives a fresh look into the asedimentary environment and paleogeography. Inversion-related tectonic instability (uplift and enhanced subsidence) drove the development of the Szozdy delta. The geochemistry of heavy minerals might suggest different burial history.

We investigated the 1-D velocity structure of the Earth's crust in the NW Dinarides with inversion of arrival times from earthquakes. The obtained velocity models give a better insight into the crustal structure and show velocity variations among different parts of the study area. In addition to general structural implications and a potential for improving further work, the results of our study can also be used for routine earthquake location and for detecting errors in seismological bulletins.

Hydraulic rock properties such as porosity and permeability are relevant factors that have an impact on groundwater resources, geological repositories and fossil fuel reservoirs. We investigate the influence of chemical compaction upon the porosity evolution in salt-biotite mixtures and related transport length scales by conducting laboratory experiments in combination with 4D analysis. Our observations invite a renewed discussion of the effect of sheet silicates on chemical compaction.

High-resolution tomographic images of the upper mantle beneath the E. Alps and the adjacent Bohemian Massif (BM) in the North is presented. The northward-dipping E. Alps lithosphere keel is imaged down to ~200–250 km depth, without signs of delamination, and we associate it with the Adriatic plate subduction. Detached high-velocity heterogeneity, sub-parallel to and distinct from the E. Alps heterogeneity is imaged at ~100–200 km depths beneath the southern part of the BM.

One motivation for this study is to develop a workflow that enables the integration of geophysical datasets with different coverage which are quite common in exploration geophysics. We have utilized a level-set approach to achieve this goal. The utilized technique parametrizes the subsurface in the same fashion as geological models. Our results indicate that the approach is capable of integrating the information from the seismic in 2D to guide the 3D inversion results of the gravity data.

One of the main numerical methods to solve the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations in geodynamics is the Finite Element Method. Four main types of elements have been used in the past decades in hundreds of publications. We here for the first time compare results obtained with these four elements on a series of geodynamical benchmarks and applications and draw conclusions as to which are the best ones, and which are to be preferably avoided.

We studied the Gioia Sannitica active normal fault (GF) in southern Apennines (Italy). The GF is made of slowly-slipping faults, with a long slip history. Present activity has resulted in Late Quaternary fault scarps, and Holocene surface faulting. The maximum Late Quaternary throw rate is ~0.5 mm/yr. Activation of the 11.5 km-long GF can produce up to M 6.1 earthquakes. If activated together with the entire Southern Matese Fault system, the seismogenic potential would be M 6.8.

Past strong earthquakes can produce topographic deformations, often "memorized" in Quaternary sediments, which are typically studied by paleo-seismologists through trenching. Using a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), we unveiled possible buried Quaternary faulting in the Mt. Pollino region (southern Italy) in a total invasive way. We aim contributing to seismic hazard assessment of an area potentially prone to destructive events as well as promote our workflow in similar contexts around the world.

We present the first seismic noise variation levels during Covid-19 in Central America using ten seismometers. We study the impact of the seismic noise reduction on the detectability of earthquakes and in the felt reports. Our results show maximum values (~50 % decrease) in seismic stations near airports and densely cities. The decrease in seismic noise levels allowed to improve earthquake locations and reports. Our results show that it can be useful to verify the compliance of measures.

Raman spectroscopy of carbon-bearing rocks is often used to calculate peak temperatures and therefore burial history. However, strain is known to affect Raman spectral parameters. We investigate a series of deformed rocks that have been subjected to varying degrees of strain and find that there is a consistent change in some parameters in the most strained rocks, while other parameters are not affected by strain. We apply temperature calculations and find that strain affects them differently.

The Pollino region is a highly seismic area of Italy. Increasing the geological knowledge on areas like this contributes reducing risk and saving lives. We reconstruct the 3D model of the faults which generated the 2010–2014 seismicity integrating geological and seismological data. Appropriate relationships based on the dimensions of the activated faults, suggest that they did not fully discharge their seismic potential and could release further significant earthquakes in the near future.

One of the present-day challenges for geoscientists is tackling the Big Data revolution. An ever-growing amount of data needs to be processed and data are subjectively handled before using them to make inferences on the Earth’s interior. But imposing subjective decisions on the data might have strong influences on the final outputs. Here we present a totally novel and automatic application for screening the data and for defining data-volumes that are consistent with physical hypotheses.

Molasse deposits, deposited and deformed at the western alpine front during the Miocene (23 to 5.6 Ma), record the chronology of that deformation. We combine the first precise chronostratigraphy (precision of ~0.5 Ma) of the Miocene molasse, the reappraisal of the regional structure, and the analysis of growth deformation structures, in order to document three tectonic phases and the precise chronology of thrust westward propagation during the second one involving the Belledonne basal thrust.

Here we present new surface elevation constraints for the Middle Miocene Central Alps based on stable and clumped isotope geochemical analyses. Our reconstructed paleoelevation estimate is supported by isotope-enabled paleoclimate simulations and indicates that the Miocene Central Alps were characterized by a heterogeneous, and spatially transient topography with high elevations locally exceeding 4000 m.