In this manuscript, we investigated the kinematics and dynamics of strike-slip damage zones using laboratory mechanical tests and analogue modelling techniques. The results underline the importance of a multi-scale approach (from crustal to outcrop-scale) to improve the understanding of such deformation processes, deriving fundamental correlations with the physical and mechanical properties of the model materials applied in the experiments.

Obtaining reliable estimates of the subsurface state distributions is essential to determine the location of, e.g., potential nuclear waste disposal sites. However, providing these is challenging since it requires solving the problem numerous times, yielding high computational cost. To overcome this, we use a physics-based machine learning method to construct surrogate models. We demonstrate how it produces physics-preserving predictions, which differentiates it from purely data-driven approaches.

This study examines the evolution of the Harlik Mountains in the eastern Tian Shan. Low-relief surfaces were formed by the Early Cretaceous erosion and subsequent tectonic stability. Later fault activity segmented these surfaces, with uplift and tilting in the Cenozoic driven by tectonic reactivation. These findings provide insights into how landscapes evolve in response to geological and environmental changes over millions of years.

One of the main numerical methods in geodynamics is the finite element method. Many types of elements have been used in the past decades in hundreds of publications. They usually fall under two categories: quadrilaterals and triangles. For the first time we compare results obtained with the most-used elements of each type on a series of geodynamical benchmarks and draw conclusions as to which are the best ones and which are to be preferably avoided.

Seismic noise from wind farms can disturb nearby sensitive instruments. We examine the noise of Italy's largest wind farm, located near the proposed site for the third-generation gravitational wave detector. We find that seismic noise is considerable and can be detected up to 13 km distance. Seismic sensors placed at ∼ 250 m depth confirm an excellent level of noise suppression; however, small disturbances in the recorded spectra are detectable when the wind park operates at full capacity.

We investigate geophysical properties and the distribution of vertical stress, which is defined by the weight of the rock column above a certain location in the subsurface, in the upper 5 km of the North Alpine Foreland Basin in Germany. Our results help us to understand the present-day geological configuration and to improve safety for subsurface use, such as deep geothermal energy production in the study area.

Three 2D seismic profiles were acquired in the Thinia valley, an isthmus connecting the main part of the island to the Paliki peninsula, to improve the subsurface knowledge of the tectonically peculiar Kefalonia island. Here the presence of a possible channel has been largely disputed in ongoing investigations for the possible location of Homer’s Ithaca. Results from different analyses further constrain the recent tectonic history of the area and thus the long-debated presence of a historic water channel in the valley.

We obtain the highest-resolution three-dimensional P-wave attenuation model in the China Seismic Experimental Site to date. The P-wave attenuation value anomalies along large fault zones, some basin areas, and the Tengchong volcanic area are low, reflecting the high degree of medium fragmentation in these areas with thick sedimentary layers or rich in fluids.

Several cross-hole seismic surveys in the undisturbed Rotondo granite are used to analyze the seismic anisotropy in the Bedretto Lab, Switzerland. The P and S1 waves show a clear trend of faster velocities in the NE–SW direction and slower velocities perpendicular to it, indicating a tilted transverse isotropic velocity model. The symmetry plane is mostly aligned with the direction of maximum stress, but also the orientation of fractures is expected to influence the velocities.

At any scale, the limited size of a study area introduces a bias in the interpretation of linear features, defined as right-censoring bias. We show the effects of not considering such bias and apply survival analysis techniques to obtain unbiased estimates of multiple parametrical distributions in three censored length datasets. Finally, we propose a novel approach to select the most representative model from a sensible candidate pool using the probability integral transform technique.

We developed a deep learning model that uses hyperspectral imaging data to predict key physical rock properties, specifically density, slowness, and gamma-ray values. Our model successfully learned to translate hyperspectral information into predicted physical properties. Tests on independent data gave accurate results, demonstrating the potential of hyperspectral data for mapping physical rock properties.

Our research aims to accurately differentiate the elastic properties of tight sands with thin shale beds and fractures. Traditional models struggle to distinguish between these two features. We developed a hybrid rock physics model. Our model's reliability is validated against well log data, revealing distinct anisotropic characteristics for thin shale beds and fractures. This model helps identify fractures more accurately, improving geophysical exploration.

Phase transitions can influence mantle convection, inhibiting or promoting vertical flow. We are motivated by two examples: the post-spinel reaction proceeding via akimotoite at cool temperatures and a curving post-garnet boundary. Some have suggested these could change mantle dynamics. We find this is unlikely for both reactions: the first due to the uniqueness of thermodynamic state and the second due to the low magnitude of the boundary’s  slope in pressure–temperature space and density change.

In this work we compare magnetic maps obtained from the EMAG2v2 (Earth Magnetic Anomaly Grid 2 arcmin resolution) magnetic-intensity data with the main geological structures and units of the Pyrenees and adjacent areas. The magnetic-response arrangement for the different domains mimics the main structural lineaments and highlights the occurrence of major magnetic anomalies linked to specific geological bodies.

We performed a paleoseismological study on the active Mt. Morrone fault, which constitutes one of the most problematic structures of the central Apennines in terms of large earthquake probability. Information on historical seismicity is relatively sparse, and the paleoseismological record is only limited  to the northern portion of the fault. We investigated four trenches, and we recovered the occurrence of three events over the last 5–6 kyr, suggesting an average recurrence interval of 1800 years.