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Flood basalt buildup warms climate
Flood basalts are connected to Earth’s most extreme environmental crises, yet warming is sometimes observed before surface eruptions. Modelling reveals that a complex buildup of basalt intrusions into the crust releases enough CO2 to cause this pre-eruptive warming.
- Jennifer Kasbohm
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Intrusions induce global warming before continental flood basalt volcanism
Continental flood basalt emplacement is facilitated by basaltic intrusions, which crystalize and release carbon dioxide leading to pre-eruptive global warming, according to numerical models and a comparison with Deccan Traps and Columbia River Basalt records.
- Xiaochuan Tian
- & W. Roger Buck
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Article |
Cyclical geothermal unrest as a precursor to Iceland’s 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption
Ingression of magmatic gas into a geothermal aquifer generated cyclical deformation and primed the system for the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption, Iceland, according to a catalogue of 39,500 precursory earthquakes combined with a poroelastic model.
- Ólafur G. Flóvenz
- , Rongjiang Wang
- & Claus Milkereit
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Thermochemical structure and evolution of cratonic lithosphere in central and southern Africa
Cratons in central and southern Africa exhibit diverse structures, compositions and responses to geodynamic settings, according to a high-resolution thermochemical regional model constructed from land- and satellite-based geophysical observations.
- Juan C. Afonso
- , Walid Ben-Mansour
- & Yingjie Yang
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Sea-level stability over geological time owing to limited deep subduction of hydrated mantle
Accounting for experimental data on hydrous peridotites reduces the estimated water recycled into the deep mantle during subduction and suggests sea-level stability over geological time, according to subduction zone thermopetrological modelling.
- N. G. Cerpa
- , D. Arcay
- & J. A. Padrón-Navarta
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Correspondence |
Estimating pi using geoscience
- Fabian B. Wadsworth
- , Jérémie Vasseur
- & Lucía Pérez-Díaz
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Instability of the African large low-shear-wave-velocity province due to its low intrinsic density
The seismic anomaly in the lowermost mantle beneath Africa is greater in height and less stable than its Pacific counterpart because of its lower density, according to numerical simulations of the anomalies as thermochemical piles.
- Qian Yuan
- & Mingming Li
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Plate tectonic chain reaction revealed by noise in the Cretaceous quiet zone
Formation of a subduction zone in the Neotethys Ocean triggered a cascade of plate tectonic events, according to a plate kinematic model constrained by geomagnetic intensity variations.
- Derya Gürer
- , Roi Granot
- & Douwe J. J. van Hinsbergen
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An initial map of fine-scale heterogeneity in the Earth’s inner core
Two regions of fine-scale heterogeneity in Earth’s inner core may be due to the random alignment of fast-freezing crystals associated with downwelling in the mantle and outer core, according to a 3D map of inner-core seismic data.
- Wei Wang
- & John E. Vidale
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Stress transition from horizontal to vertical forces during subduction initiation
Stress transitions from horizontally forced compression to vertically forced extension during subduction initiation, according to seismic images of the Puysegur plate boundary, New Zealand.
- Brandon Shuck
- , Sean P. S. Gulick
- & Erin Hightower
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News & Views |
Top-down control on water subduction
The structure of the overriding plate may control bending and water ingress into the subducting plate based on an exceptional 3D velocity model of the Nankai subduction zone.
- Donna J. Shillington
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Upper-plate controls on subduction zone geometry, hydration and earthquake behaviour
Structures in the upper, overriding plate impact the geometry, hydration state and seismogenic region of subduction zones, according to a 3D seismic structural model of the Nankai subduction zone.
- Adrien F. Arnulf
- , Dan Bassett
- & Gregory Moore
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Earth’s missing argon paradox resolved by recycling of oceanic crust
Oceanic crust subduction sequesters substantial amounts of argon in the Earth’s mantle, while atmosphere-derived argon affects only the isotopic composition and not the overall budget, according to geodynamic–geochemical models of mantle convection.
- Jonathan M. Tucker
- , Peter E. van Keken
- & Chris J. Ballentine
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Lunar compositional asymmetry explained by mantle overturn following the South Pole–Aitken impact
The compositional asymmetry between the Moon’s near- and farsides can be explained as the result of impact-induced mantle convection and gravitational instability, according to numerical modelling of the South Pole–Aitken impact and the ensuing mantle evolution.
- Nan Zhang
- , Min Ding
- & Zongyu Yue
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Internal structure of ultralow-velocity zones consistent with origin from a basal magma ocean
The internal structures of ultralow-velocity zones at the base of the mantle are consistent with an origin from remnants of the early Earth’s differentiation, according to seismic data analysis and geodynamical modelling.
- Surya Pachhai
- , Mingming Li
- & Hrvoje Tkalčić
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Dynamics of the abrupt change in Pacific Plate motion around 50 million years ago
Changes in Pacific Plate motion combined near equally with hotspot drift to generate the prominent bend in the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain some 50 million years ago, according to kinematic plate reconstruction and global dynamic models.
- Jiashun Hu
- , Michael Gurnis
- & R. Dietmar Müller
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A poorly mixed mantle transition zone and its thermal state inferred from seismic waves
The mantle transition zone is poorly, mechanically mixed, and acts to impede mantle flow, according to seismic observations integrated with detailed mineral-physics models.
- Lauren Waszek
- , Benoit Tauzin
- & Juan Carlos Afonso
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Global chemical weathering dominated by continental arcs since the mid-Palaeozoic
Earth’s surface temperature is stabilized by the drawdown of CO2 owing to weathering of continental arcs, whose length is shown to be a primary control on global weathering fluxes, according to a probabilistic analysis of interdependencies.
- Thomas M. Gernon
- , Thea K. Hincks
- & R. Dietmar Müller
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Oceanic transform fault seismicity and slip mode influenced by seawater infiltration
Seawater infiltration into oceanic transform faults may control their seismicity extent and slip mode variations, according to numerical models of the mechanical and thermal structure of these faults that account for hydration effects.
- Arjun Kohli
- , Monica Wolfson-Schwehr
- & Jessica M. Warren
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Carbon concentration increases with depth of melting in Earth’s upper mantle
The carbon concentration of Earth’s upper mantle increases with depth, indicating a role for carbon in melt formation, according to data on magmatic gases and volcanic rocks from ocean island and continental rift settings around the world.
- Alessandro Aiuppa
- , Federico Casetta
- & Giancarlo Tamburello
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Eruptive activity of the Santorini Volcano controlled by sea-level rise and fall
Sea-level lowstands over the last 360,000 years strongly controlled the timing of eruptions of the Santorini Volcano, according to an analysis of tephras and sea-level records, as well as numerical modelling of the underlying magma chamber.
- Chris Satow
- , Agust Gudmundsson
- & Mark Hardiman
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A record of plume-induced plate rotation triggering subduction initiation
A mantle plume induced plate rotation that initiated subduction and rifting along a >12,000 km plate boundary about 105 Myr ago, according to an analysis of geological data and numerical simulations.
- Douwe J. J. van Hinsbergen
- , Bernhard Steinberger
- & Wim Spakman
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Contribution of background seismicity to forearc uplift
Frequent and dispersed small earthquakes may contribute substantially to uplift of subduction margins, according to an analysis of such seismicity in the Peru–Chile and Japan margins.
- Andrea Madella
- & Todd A. Ehlers
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A tree of Indo-African mantle plumes imaged by seismic tomography
Indo-African mantle upwellings are arranged in a tree-like structure, which might reflect linear staggered detachment of proto-plumes from the lowermost mantle, according to seismic tomographic imaging.
- Maria Tsekhmistrenko
- , Karin Sigloch
- & Guilhem Barruol
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Dynamic history of the inner core constrained by seismic anisotropy
The inner core underwent preferential equatorial growth and translation after nucleation ~0.5–1.5 billion years ago, according to an analysis of its seismic anisotropy and self-consistent geodynamic simulations.
- Daniel A. Frost
- , Marine Lasbleis
- & Barbara Romanowicz
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Pre-collisional extension of microcontinental terranes by a subduction pulley
Microcontinents drifting towards a subduction zone can be extended before reaching it by slab pull, not just extended after their accretion, according to numerical simulations supported by geological evidence.
- Erkan Gün
- , Russell N. Pysklywec
- & Gültekin Topuz
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Subslab heterogeneity and giant megathrust earthquakes
Mantle heterogeneity beneath subducting plates may influence giant megathrust earthquakes, according to seismic tomography of the subslab structure beneath six megathrusts that have ruptured in M ≥ 9.0 earthquakes.
- Jianke Fan
- & Dapeng Zhao
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Brittle fragmentation by rapid gas separation in a Hawaiian fountain
In a Hawaiian fountain eruption, rapid gas expansion cools the melt below the glass transition temperature and causes brittle magma fragmentation, producing small, vesicular pyroclasts, according to observations of the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea.
- Atsuko Namiki
- , Matthew R. Patrick
- & Bruce F. Houghton
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News & Views |
Hydrogen dances in the deep mantle
Hydrogen ions move freely within the crystal structure of a hydrous mineral under lower mantle conditions, resulting in high electrical conductivity that may make it possible to map water in the deep mantle.
- Tetsuya Komabayashi
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Superionic iron oxide–hydroxide in Earth’s deep mantle
Under conditions of Earth’s deep lower mantle, hydrogen ions diffuse freely through the FeOOH lattice framework and electrical conductivity increases rapidly, according to electrical conductivity experiments and first-principles simulations.
- Mingqiang Hou
- , Yu He
- & Ho-Kwang Mao
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Oceanic crustal flow in Iceland observed using seismic anisotropy
The lower oceanic crust beneath Iceland is flowing and internally deforming, according to constraints on seismic anisotropy in the Icelandic crust from an analysis of seismic surface waves.
- Omry Volk
- , Robert S. White
- & Nicholas Rawlinson
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Postseismic geodetic signature of cold forearc mantle in subduction zones
Deformation after large subduction earthquakes reflects the thermal contrast between the mantle wedge and its nose, according to numerical simulations and a synthesis of postseismic uplift data from subduction zones.
- Haipeng Luo
- & Kelin Wang
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Archaean seafloors shallowed with age due to radiogenic heating in the mantle
In contrast to present-day seafloor subsidence with age, there may have been Archaean seafloor shallowing and landmass exposure due to high internal heating in the mantle that halted subsidence, according to numerical models of mantle convection.
- Juan Carlos Rosas
- & Jun Korenaga
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Active crustal differentiation beneath the Rio Grande Rift
A link between post-thickening lithospheric extension and the differentiation of continental crust is implied by granulite conditions beneath the Rio Grande Rift, inferred from analysis of lower-crustal xenoliths and thermobarometric modelling.
- Jacob H. Cipar
- , Joshua M. Garber
- & Andrew J. Smye
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Corona structures driven by plume–lithosphere interactions and evidence for ongoing plume activity on Venus
Thermomechanical modelling shows that the formation and diverse morphologies of coronae on Venus can be explained by interactions between the lithosphere and impinging mantle plumes. Some corona structures are consistent with ongoing plume activity.
- Anna J. P. Gülcher
- , Taras V. Gerya
- & Jessica Munch
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Preferential localized thinning of lithospheric mantle in the melt-poor Malawi Rift
The mantle lithosphere has thinned more than the crust beneath the Malawi Rift despite being melt-poor, according to seismic wave imaging; this suggests early melting of fusible mantle material.
- Emily Hopper
- , James B. Gaherty
- & Gabriel Mbogoni
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Global distribution of sediment-hosted metals controlled by craton edge stability
Major sediment-hosted base metal deposits are located within 200 km of the border between thick and thin lithosphere, according to statistical comparisons between global lithospheric thickness and known deposit locations.
- Mark J. Hoggard
- , Karol Czarnota
- & Sia Ghelichkhan
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Distinct formation history for deep-mantle domains reflected in geochemical differences
Earth’s deep-mantle domains are geochemically distinct. The African domain is enriched in subducted material, which suggests a different history from the Pacific domain and a dynamic relationship between plate tectonics and deep-mantle structures.
- Luc S. Doucet
- , Zheng-Xiang Li
- & Ross N. Mitchell
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Weak magnetic field changes over the Pacific due to high conductance in lowermost mantle
High conductance in the lowermost mantle beneath the Pacific deflects the planetary gyre, which results in limited variation in the magnetic field in the region, according to numerical modelling of Earth’s core dynamics.
- Mathieu Dumberry
- & Colin More
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Steady erosion rates in the Himalayas through late Cenozoic climatic changes
Long-term Himalayan erosion rates remained stable through the global climatic changes of the past six million years, according to the cosmogenic nuclide composition of terrestrial sediments recovered from the Bay of Bengal.
- Sebastien J. P. Lenard
- , Jérôme Lavé
- & Karim Keddadouche
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Perspective |
Critical role of water in the formation of continental crust
Migration of water from the slab to the surface during subduction is highlighted as a key process in the formation of continental crust.
- William J. Collins
- , J. Brendan Murphy
- & Hui-Qing Huang
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News & Views |
Clues to late accretion from Venus’s atmosphere
Whether Earth’s water was delivered early or late in its formation is debated. The composition of Venus’s atmosphere may indicate that late accretion, the final stage of planet formation, delivered little water to the terrestrial planets.
- Ramon Brasser
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Dry late accretion inferred from Venus’s coupled atmosphere and internal evolution
Venus’s atmospheric composition suggests limited water delivery to the terrestrial planets by late accretion, according to numerical simulations of the interior and atmospheric evolution of Venus under various late accretion scenarios.
- C. Gillmann
- , G. J. Golabek
- & V. Debaille
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Iron isotope fractionation at the core–mantle boundary by thermodiffusion
Iron isotopic fractionation at the core–mantle boundary due to thermal diffusion may partly explain the iron isotope composition of the upper mantle, according to high-temperature experiments and numerical simulations.
- Charles E. Lesher
- , Juliane Dannberg
- & James M. Brenan
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Larger tsunamis from megathrust earthquakes where slab dip is reduced
Tsunami generation by megathrust earthquakes is enhanced by extensional faulting in the upper plate when the subducting slab shallows, according to numerical modelling and observations from the Sumatra–Andaman and Tohoku earthquake–tsunami events.
- Bar Oryan
- & W. Roger Buck
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Mechanical and hydrological effects of seamount subduction on megathrust stress and slip
Changing stresses and pore fluid pressures during subduction of seamounts, as simulated with a numerical model that couples mechanical and hydrological processes, help explain observed patterns of megathrust slip.
- Tianhaozhe Sun
- , Demian Saffer
- & Susan Ellis
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Complex evolving patterns of mass loss from Antarctica’s largest glacier
Thinning rates of Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica’s largest glacier, are now highest in slowly flowing regions, suggesting that future changes in the grounding line may be more modest than thought, according to high-resolution satellite data.
- Jonathan L. Bamber
- & Geoffrey J. Dawson
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Slab weakening during the olivine to ringwoodite transition in the mantle
In relatively cold subducted slabs, olivine may transform to finer-grained, weaker ringwoodite than in warm slabs, according to deformation experiments under conditions analogous to those in the mantle transition zone and scaling analysis.
- Anwar Mohiuddin
- , Shun-ichiro Karato
- & Jennifer Girard
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A thick crustal block revealed by reconstructions of early Mars highlands
A discrete block of thick ancient crust revealed by a crustal reconstruction suggests a complex geologic history for the southern highlands of Mars.
- Sylvain Bouley
- , James Tuttle Keane
- & Brigitte Zanda