Recent  

Heat flux heterogeneities at the bottom of Earth's mantle play an important role in the dynamic of the underlying core. Here, we study how these heterogeneities are affected by the global rotation of the Earth, called true polar wander (TPW), which has to be considered to relate mantle dynamics with core dynamics. We find that TPW can greatly modify the large scales of heat flux heterogeneities, notably at short timescales. We provide representative maps of these heterogeneities.

Smøla island, in the mid-Norwegian margin, has complex fracture and fault patterns resulting from tectonic activity. This study uses a multiple-method approach to unravel Smøla's tectonic history. We found five different phases of deformation related to various fracture geometries and minerals dating back hundreds of millions of years. 3D models of these features visualise these structures in space. This approach may help us to understand offshore oil and gas reservoirs hosted in the basement.

Simulations of subducting tectonic plates often use material properties extrapolated from the behavior of small rock samples in a laboratory to conditions found in the Earth. We explore several typical approaches to simulating these extrapolated material properties and show that they produce very rigid subducting plates with unrealistic dynamics. Our findings imply that subducting plates deform by additional mechanisms that are less commonly implemented in simulations.

The Ellsworth Mountains, situated in a remote area of Antarctica, span 350 km in length and 50 km in width, encompassing Antarctica's tallest peak. Due to their isolated location, understanding their formation has been challenging and remains incomplete. Our analysis of zircon minerals from the Ellsworth Mountains indicates that the mountain chain formed between 180 and 100 million years ago, contributing to our understanding of their formation.

Fractures tend to dominate the mechanical and hydraulic properties of porous rock and impact the scattering characteristics of passing waves. This study takes into account the poroelastic effects of fractures in numerical modeling. Our results demonstrate that scattered waves from complex fracture systems are strongly affected by the fractures.

Here we introduce a new approach for analysing time-resolved 3D X-ray images tracking mineral changes in rocks. Using deep learning, we accurately identify and quantify the evolution of mineral components during reactions. The method demonstrates high precision in quantifying a metamorphic reaction, enabling accurate calculation of mineral growth rates and porosity changes. This showcases artificial intelligence's potential to enhance our understanding of Earth science processes.

Geothermal heat flow influences ice sheet dynamics, making its investigation important for ice-covered regions. Here we evaluate the sparse measurements for their agreement with regional solid Earth models, as well as with a statistical approach. This shows that some points should be excluded from regional studies. In particular, the NGRIP point, which strongly influences heat flow maps and the distribution of high basal melts, should be statistically considered an outlier.

We investigate the extensional fault geometry and its evolution during the stretching and thinning of continental crust and lithosphere leading to continental breakup. We focus on the fault-controlled processes that thin and rupture the final 10 km of continental crust at magma-poor margins prior to mantle exhumation. We show that isostatic fault rotation in response to extension is fundamental to understanding the formation of tectonic structures observed on seismic reflection data.

We present a numerical model for lahars generated by the mobilization of tephra deposits from a reference size eruption at Somma–Vesuvius. The paper presents the model (pyhsics and numerics) and a sensitivity analysis of the processes modelled, numerical schemes, and grid resolution. This work provides the basis for application to hazard quantification for lahars in the Vesuvius area. To this end, we rely on results of the two companion papers (Part 1 on field data, Part 3 on hazard maps).

We study the lahar hazard due to the remobilization of tephra deposits from reference eruptions at Somma–Vesuvius. To this end, we rely on the results of two companion papers dealing with field data and model calibration and run hundreds of simulations from the catchments around the target area to capture the uncertainty in the initial parameters. We process the simulations to draw maps of the probability of overcoming thresholds in lahar flow thickness and dynamic pressure relevant for risk.

We study the distribution of two historical pyroclastic fall–flow and lahar deposits from the sub-Plinian Vesuvius eruptions of 472 CE Pollena and 1631. The motivation comes directly from the widely distributed impact that both the eruptions and lahar phenomena had on the Campanian territory, not only around the volcano but also down the nearby Apennine valleys. Data on about 500 stratigraphic sections and modeling allowed us to evaluate the physical and dynamical impact of these phenomena.

Uplift rates up to 40 mm yr⁻¹ are measured by GNSS in the southern Patagonian Icefield, a remainder of the Patagonian Ice Sheet that covered the Andes in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) at 26 ka. Using numerical modelling, we estimate an increase of 150 to 200 °C of the asthenospheric temperature due to the slab window under southern Patagonia, and we show that post-glacial rebound, after the long-term LGM and the short-term Little Ice Age (400 a), contributed to the modern uplift rate budget.