Our study investigates ca. 1.78 Ga Jiguanshan diorite in the North China Craton. We found that Paleoproterozoic diorites across the craton share similar compositions and formed from melted deep crust, differing from volcanic and mafic rocks of the same age. Geochemical analysis reveals these diorites formed during crustal stretching, marking a tectonic shift from orogenic-related to within-plate settings. This provides key evidence for understanding how tectonic setting evolved after collisions.

We studied faults in Utah to understand how rock type controls fault dimensions. Using photogrammetry, field mapping, and mineral data, we found faults grow differently in weak and strong rocks because of variable mineralogy. For equivalent displacements, faults tend to be shorter in clay-rich layers and taller in rocks containing strong minerals. We built a model to predict hidden fault height from mineralogy and applied it to seismic data, showing fault dimensions are often underestimated.

Near-surface imaging plays a crucial role in mine development, safety, efficiency, and environmental risk mitigation. Challenges in deep mining often stem from complex geological conditions and anthropogenic factors, such as undocumented historical mining activities. This study presents an integrated geophysical approach that combines multiple geophysical techniques to characterize the near-surface environment and delineate potential water conduits in a deep mining context.

We studied a deep fault zone in Switzerland to gain a better understanding of how water moves through faults and how this affects earthquake activity. Using field and laboratory tests, we found that flow is strongly controlled by open fractures and permeability changes significantly with scale. Small samples underestimate flow compared to larger tests. Our results show that faults are heterogeneous, highlighting the need for site-specific studies when assessing risks or planning experiments.

LKAB (Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag) is the largest iron ore producer in the EU, with the Kiirunavaara mine in northern Sweden as the main production unit. The company is now exploring the adjacent Per Geijer Deep iron mineralization, which is associated with rare-earth elements (REEs) and phosphorus, recognized to be of critical importance to EU. We present results from reflection seismic measurements and demonstrate that there is a distinct response from the Per Geijer Deep mineralization, and from the nearby Kiruna orebody.

We investigate how the spatial arrangement of normal faults in the Italian Apennines affects earthquake timing and size. Computer-based models show that wide networks with faults offset across-strike produce more irregular and variable earthquakes, while narrow networks with fewer across-strike faults lead to more regular events. Faster-moving faults are more sensitive to nearby positive stress interactions, highlighting the need to consider fault geometry in seismic hazard assessments.

We applied fat ray travel time tomography to image the geothermal testbed at the BedrettoLab (Switzerland). An active seismic crosshole survey provided a dataset of 41’881 manually picked first breaks. The complex major fault zone was identified by a 3D velocity model and validated with wireline logs and geological observations. Induced seismicity from hydraulic stimulation experiments preferentially occurs in intermediate-velocity regions, possibly due to the presence of stress gradients.