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Balancing along geological cross sections reveals that the Giudicarie Belt comprises two kinematic domains. The SW domain accommodated at least ~18 km Late Oligocene to Early Miocene shortening. Since the Middle Miocene, the SW domain experienced at least ~12–22 km shortening, whereas the NE domain underwent at least ~25–35 km shortening. Together, these domains contributed to a ~53–75 km of sinistral offset of the Periadriatic Fault along the Northern Giudicarie Fault since the Late Oligocene.

A new analog modelling approach was used to simulate the influence of tectonic extension and tilting of the basin floor on salt tectonics in rift basins. Our results show that downward salt flow and gravity gliding takes place, if the flanks of the rift basin are tilted. Thus, extension occurs at the basin margins, which is compensated by reduced extension and later by shortening in the graben centre. These outcomes improve the reconstruction of salt-related structures in rift basins.

We quantify the relative importance of forces driving the dynamics of mountain building using two-dimensional computer simulations of long-term coupled lithosphere-upper mantle deformation. Buoyancy forces can be as high as shear forces induced by far-field plate motion and should be considered when studying the formation of mountain ranges. The strength of rocks flooring the oceans and the density structure of the crust control deep rock-cycling and the topographic elevation of orogens.

Geodynamic modelling provides a powerful tool to investigate processes in the Earth's crust, mantle, and core that are not directly observable. In this review, we present a comprehensive, yet concise overview of the modelling process with an emphasis on best practices. We also highlight synergies with related fields, such as seismology and geology. Hence, this review is the perfect starting point for anyone wishing to (re)gain a solid understanding of geodynamic modelling as a whole.

Although viscosity of the crust largely exceeds that of magmas, we show, based on the Aegean and Tyrrhenian Miocene syn-kinematic plutons, how the intrusion of granites in extensional contexts is controlled by crustal deformation, from magmatic stage to cold mylonites. We show that a simple numerical setup with partial melting in the lower crust in an extensional context leads to the formation of metamorphic core complexes and low-angle detachments reproducing the observed evolution of plutons.

The Alpine mountains are known for a complex tectonic history. We shed light onto ongoing tectonic processes by studying rupture mechanisms of small to moderate earthquakes between 2016 and 2019 observed by the temporary AlpArray seismic network. The rupture processes of 75 earthquakes were analyzed along with past earthquakes and satellite deformation data. Our observations point at variations in the underlying tectonic processes and stress regimes across the Alps.

After an earthquake, the fault continues to slip for days to months. Yet, little is know about the very early part of this phase (i.e., minutes to hours). So, we have looked at what happens just after an earthquake in Chile from 2015. We find that the fault responds in two ways: south of the rupture zone it slips seismically in the form of aftershocks, while north of the rupture zone it slips slowly. Early inference of such bimodal behavior could prove to be useful for forecasting aftershocks.

The construction of tunnels leads to substantial alterations of the surrounding rock which can be critical concerning safety aspects. Here, we use different mobile methods to assess the hydro-mechanical properties of an excavation damaged zone (EDZ) in a claystone. We show that long-term exposure and dehydration preserves a notable fracture permeability and significantly increases strength and stiffness. The methods are suitable for on-site monitoring without any further disturbance of the rock.

Several large strike-slip faults in Western Slovenia are known to be active, but most of them did not produce strong earthquakes in historical times. In this study we use geomorphology, near-surface geophysics, and fault excavations to show that two of these faults had surface-rupturing earthquakes during the Holocene. These rare but strong earthquake dominate the total moment release. Instrumental and historical seismicity data do not capture the strongest events in this area.

We analyse broadband ocean bottom seismometer data of the AlpArray OBS network in the Ligurian Basin. Two earthquake clusters with thrust faulting focal mechanisms indicate compression of the rift basin. The locations of seismicity suggest reactivation of pre-existing rift structures and strengthening of crust and uppermost mantle during rifting related extension. Slightly different striking directions of faults may mimic the counter-clockwise rotation of the Corsica-Sardinia block, ~20–16 Ma.

This study analyses recently acquired marine seismic data along the Limpopo passive margin offshore south-east Mozambique. This dataset was collected to better understand the early history and formation of south-eastern African margins. It reveals a crustal structure and a segmentation that suggest the margin was affected by strike-slip rifting. This profoundly impacts the geodynamics of the East-Gondwana break-up since it requires no overlap between the Antarctica and Africa plates.

Properties of deformed rocks are frequently anisotropic. One of these properties is the travel time of seismic wave. In this study we measured the seismic anisotropy of different rocks, collected in the Alps. Our results show distinct differences between rocks of oceanic and those of continental origin.

Structural studies in active calderas have a key role in the exploration of geothermal systems. We reply in detail to the points raised by the comment of Norini and Groppelli (2020), strengthening the relevance of our structural fieldwork for geothermal exploration/exploitation in active caldera geothermal systems including the Los Humeros caldera. We also reject the hard judgments raised by N&G2020 showing many methodological/logical flaws in the scientific rationale followed in the comment.

We investigate the capability of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) in recording dynamic strain changes related to Etna volcano activity in 2019. To validate the DAS measures, we computed strain estimates from seismic signals recorded by a broadband array. A general good agreement is found between array-derived strain and DAS measures along the fibre optic cable.

In this study we conclude that, surface weathering has a prime control on the rock characteristic and also guides fluids through the system during deep burial process; The formation of the rock decomposition zone depends on rock composition, climatic conditions, and the duration of the process; The most important issue is that we provide a workflow for data reliability analysis for paleoclimate research.

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) technique provides an effective way to interpret deforming mountain belts. In both the Betics, Spain and Apennines, Italy weak but well-organized AMS fabrics were recovered from young unconsolidated and unburied rocks that could not be analyzed with more traditional methods. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the novel ways that AMS can be combined with other data to resolve earthquake hazards in space and time.

The increasing use of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) inhibits the transformation of optical fibers into dense arrays of seismo-acoustic sensors. Here, DAS strain records are converted to ground motions using the waves' apparent velocity. An algorithm for velocity determination is presented, accounting for velocity variations between different seismic waves. The conversion allows for robust determination of fundamental source parameters, earthquake magnitude and stress drop.

Through this research, the practical toolbox was developed to analyze thermo-hydro-mechanical stress shadow during multistage hydraulic fracturing within 30 stages. In fact, to the best of authors' knowledge, no core-based measurements had been published for the Bakken Formation from the Canadian portion of the Williston Basin prior to this research. All the mechanical, thermal, hydraulic, and natural fracture data were measured by the authors in the studied area.

Two time-lapse borehole ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were conducted during saline tracer experiments in weakly fractured crystalline rock with sub-mm fractures apertures, targeting electrical conductivity changes. Through the combination of time-lapse reflection and transmission GPR surveys from different boreholes we were able to monitor the tracer flow and reconstruct the flow path and its temporal evolution in 3D and provided a realistic visualization of the hydrological processes.

The North-East Rift of Mt Etna is affected by ground deformation linked to gravity sliding of the volcano flank and dyke injection. Drone surveys show that the rift is affected by NE-striking extensional fractures and normal faults. Given an age of 1614 yr AD for the offset lavas, we obtained an extension rate of 1.9 cm/yr for the last 406 yr. The stress field is characterised by a NW-SE σ_Hmin. Drone surveys allow to quickly collect data with a resolution of 2–3 cm.

In this study, we propose a refined methodology to upscale fluid flow in fractured reservoirs. First, we conducted numerical simulations of direct fluid flow to analyze the hydraulic complexities at locations, where fractures intersect. Next, we developed a concept that integrates these effects into larger-scale continuum models of fracture networks and demonstrated its applicability. This improves the accuracy and efficiency of numerical permeability predictions in fractured reservoirs.

We used laboratory experiments to simulate the early evolution of rift systems, and the influence of structural weaknesses left over from previous tectonic events that can localize new deformation. We find that the orientation and type of such weaknesses can induce complex structures with different orientations during a single phase of rifting, instead of requiring multiple rifting phases. These findings provide a strong incentive to reassess the tectonic history of various natural examples.