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.

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 assess the fault impact on the stress field in northern Switzerland using 3D geomechanical models, calibrated with stress data. We see that faults affect the stresses only locally, with negligible impact beyond 1 km, suggesting that faults may not be necessary in reservoir-scale models predicting stresses of undisturbed rock volumes, such as for a geological repository. Omitting them can substantially reduce model set-up time and computational cost without compromising prediction reliability.

A method for shape quantification based on geometrical parameters is proposed alongside a set of regular geometries established as geomodeling benchmarks. Dimensions, gradient and curvature data is obtained on cross-sections. Data analyses provide insight into the main geometrical characteristics of the benchmark models and visualizes geometrical dis-/similarities between bodies. The method and benchmarks are usable in geomodeling workflows and structural comparisons based on sparse data.

We used sound waves to look beneath the surface in the Northern Cape of South Africa to search for hidden layers of rock that may contain valuable manganese deposits. Our study revealed nine distinct underground layers, including one likely to host manganese. This method helps locate buried resources without drilling, showing how advanced imaging can support mineral exploration in areas covered by thick sand.

We use analogue outcrops to predict orientations of the background fracture network in the subsurface. The novelty of our research is that we group different sets of fractures and stylolites into associations, based on the orientation of the stress field in which they formed. We apply this methodology to the Geneva Basin. Regional observations enable us to predict fracture orientations in the subsurface. 45 % of the fractures observed on image logs of two wells fit the prediction.

Transition zone between the Precambrian East European Craton and the Palaeozoic Platform, by integrating seismic interpretation with two-dimensional gravity and magnetic modelling. The combined data provide new insights into the complex tectonic evolution of the region.

Lava samples and seismic signals show that Earth's lower mantle is not well-mixed, but how this heterogeneity relates to the mantle's long-term history remains unclear. We study this with computer simulations of secular movements of masses in the mantle, with various materials to represent recycled and ancient rocks with different properties. We find that deep strong piles of recycled rock can help large ancient blobs survive, linking current deep-Earth observations to Earth's earliest infancy.

We investigated the Vocontian Basin in the SE of France to understand its tectonic evolution at the intersection between the Alps and Pyrenees. By combining calcite U–Pb dating, burial modeling, and Raman thermometry, we identified three major deformation phases from the Late Cretaceous to the Miocene. Our results highlight how brittle deformation, fluid circulation, and thermal gradients record the interplay of multiple mountain-building and rifting events.

This research introduces a semi-structured conformal hexahedral mesh for three-dimensional magnetotelluric modeling. This enhances accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility, especially with local mesh refinement. Numerical tests confirm good accuracy and better results than standard meshes, validated against benchmark models. The codes effectively handle topography and complex zones, utilizing fewer nodes and elements to enhance modeling accuracy.

We present SK[K]S splitting measurements from 18 new seismic stations in the Zagros foreland, primarily in Iraq, offering novel insights into mantle flow and lithospheric deformation related to both ongoing and past tectonic processes. Results show two distinct anisotropic patterns: NE-SW orientation in northern Iraq, aligning with large-scale mantle flow, and NW-SE orientation in the Mesopotamian Plain and Persian Gulf, likely reflecting lithospheric remnants of past rifting. 

The study investigates a glacially overdeepened basin near the town of Schäftlarn, Germany, to provide the datasets for the methodological developmonet of combining high-resolution seismic reflection (HRSR) and full-waveform inversion (FWI). Seismic data with different source and receiver configurations reveal detailed basin structures, including previously unknown internal reflectors. HRSR with S-waves show more details than P-waves. First FWI delivers consistent velocity models.