The low-relief, mean-elevation Baima Xueshan massif experienced slow exhumation at a rate of 0.01 km/Myr since at least 22 Ma and then regional rock uplift at 0.25 km/Myr since ~10 Ma. The high-relief, high-elevation Kawagebo massif shows much stronger local rock uplift related to the motion along a west-dipping thrust fault, at a rate of 0.45 km/Myr since at least 10 Ma, accelerating to 1.86 km/Myr since 1.6 Ma. Mekong River incision plays a minor role in total exhumation in both massifs.

We performed shear experiments on calcite–dolomite gouge mixtures to better understand the behaviour of carbonates during sub-seismic to seismic deformation in the shallow crust. The development of a foliation in the gouge was only restricted to coseismic sliding, whereas fluidisation occurred over a wide range of slip velocities (sub-seismic to coseismic) in the presence of water. These observations will contribute to a better interpretation of the rock record.

The study of intraplate volcanism can inform us about underlying mantle dynamic processes and thermal and/or compositional anomalies. Here, we investigated numerical models of mantle flow and melting of edge-driven convection (EDC), a potential origin for intraplate volcanism. Our most important conclusion is that EDC can only produce moderate amounts of mantle melting. By itself, EDC is insufficient to support the formation of voluminous island-building volcanism over several millions of years.

The last lava dome eruption of Mount Unzen (Japan) ended in 1995, but ongoing instability means much of the area remains an exclusion zone. The rocks in the lava dome impact its stability; heterogeneity (contrasting properties) and anisotropy (orientation-specific properties) can channel fluids and localise deformation, enhancing the risk of lava dome collapse. We recommend using measured material properties to interpret geophysical signals and to model volcanic systems.

In this paper, we evaluate a multi-methodological approach for the comprehensive characterization of reservoir sandstones. The approach enables identification of links between rock permeability and textural and topological rock descriptors quantified at microscale. It is applied to study samples from three sandstone layers of Lower Cretaceous age in northern Israel, which differ in features observed at the outcrop, hand specimen and micro-CT scales, and leads to their accurate characterization.

This study estimates the gravitational contribution from subcrustal density heterogeneities interpreted as subducting lithosphere beneath the Alps to the gravity field. We showed that those heterogeneities contribute up to 40 mGal of gravitational signal. Such density variations are often not accounted for in Alpine lithospheric models. We demonstrate that future studies should account for subcrustal density variations to provide a meaningful representation of the complex geodynamic Alpine area.

COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in countries with a dominant informal economy have been a greater challenge than in other places. This motivated the monitoring of the mobility of populations with seismic noise throughout the various phases of lockdown and in the city of Querétaro (central Mexico). Our results emphasize the benefit of densifying urban seismic networks, even with low-cost instruments, to observe variations in mobility at the city scale over exclusively relying on mobile technology.

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the city of Barcelona was covered by a network of 19 seismometers. The results confirm that the quieting of human activity during lockdown has resulted in a reduction of seismic vibrations. The different lockdown phases in Barcelona are recognized consistently at most of the seismic stations. Our contribution demonstrates that seismic noise can be used as a free and reliable tool to monitor human activity in urban environments.

This work investigates the impact of commonly used seismic interpretation methods on the analysis of faults. Fault analysis refers to fault length, displacement, and the impact these factors have on geological modelling and hydrocarbon volume calculation workflows. This research was conducted to give geoscientists a better understanding of the importance of interpretation methods and the impact of unsuitable methology on geological analyses.

Small earthquakes in Alberta and north-east British Columbia have been previously ascribed to industrial activities. The COVID-19 pandemic forced almost all these activities to stop for ~ 4 months. However, unexpectedly, earthquakes still occurred during this time. Some of these earthquakes may be natural and some the result of earthquakes > M6 occurring around the world. However, ~ 65 % of the earthquakes detected may be the remnants of previous fluid injection in the area (latent seismicity).