Matters Arising |
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Matters Arising |
Reply to: Penitente formation is unlikely on Europa
- Daniel E. J. Hobley
- , Jeffrey M. Moore
- & Orkan M. Umurhan
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Article |
Duplex in the Main Himalayan Thrust illuminated by aftershocks of the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake
The Main Himalayan Thrust comprises two fault planes connected by imbricated faults, a structure that impedes convergence, according to an analysis of the distribution and orientation of aftershocks of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal.
- M. M. Mendoza
- , A. Ghosh
- & A. Velasco
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Article |
Role of dynamic topography in sustaining the Nile River over 30 million years
The path of the river Nile has been stable for as long as 30 million years, sustained by mantle convection, according to geophysical and geological evidence and geodynamic model simulations.
- Claudio Faccenna
- , Petar Glišović
- & Zohar Gvirtzman
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News & Views |
Building mountains on Ceres
The large domes found on the dwarf planet Ceres may not result from cryovolcanism, but from solid-state flow analogous to salt doming on Earth, according to numerical simulations of gravitational loading.
- Michael Küppers
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Article |
Dome formation on Ceres by solid-state flow analogous to terrestrial salt tectonics
Domes on the dwarf planet Ceres could form by solid-state flow of low-density, ice-rich parts of its crust—a process analogous to salt doming on Earth—according to numerical simulations.
- M. T. Bland
- , D. L. Buczkowski
- & C. T. Russell
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Article |
Earthquake-triggered 2018 Palu Valley landslides enabled by wet rice cultivation
Aqueduct-supported cultivation of rice resulted in liquefaction of the alluvial soils that led to the landslides triggered by the Palu 2018 earthquake, according to satellite analyses.
- Kyle Bradley
- , Rishav Mallick
- & Emma M. Hill
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Article |
Impact of communal irrigation on the 2018 Palu earthquake-triggered landslides
Landslides triggered during the Palu 2018 earthquake correlate spatially with the presence of irrigation systems according to satellite analyses, suggesting that liquefaction of alluvial fans played a role.
- Ian M. Watkinson
- & Robert Hall
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Article |
Earth’s topographic relief potentially limited by an upper bound on channel steepness
The channel morphology of rapidly eroding landscapes does not scale with river erosion rates, according to isotopic and topographic analysis.
- George E. Hilley
- , Stephen Porder
- & Holly H. Young
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Article |
Possible explosion crater origin of small lake basins with raised rims on Titan
Some lake basins in the polar regions of Titan may be craters from nitrogen vapour explosions due to past warming, according to analysis of their morphology in comparison to terrestrial explosion craters from magma–water interaction.
- Giuseppe Mitri
- , Jonathan I. Lunine
- & Valerio Poggiali
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Article |
A unified model of ripples and dunes in water and planetary environments
Terrestrial and planetary subaqueous and aeolian ripples and dunes can be compared in a unified framework, according to simulations with a hydrodynamic and sediment transport model.
- Orencio Duran Vinent
- , Bruno Andreotti
- & Christian Winter
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Article |
A deep groundwater origin for recurring slope lineae on Mars
Observations and heat-flow modelling suggest that briny groundwater surfacing from fractures forms recurring slope lineae on Mars.
- Abotalib Z. Abotalib
- & Essam Heggy
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Article |
Craters, boulders and regolith of (101955) Bennu indicative of an old and dynamic surface
Near-Earth rubble-pile asteroid Bennu has an unexpectedly old surface, with numerous candidate impact craters and morphologically diverse boulders, according to early observations by the OSIRIS-REx mission.
- K. J. Walsh
- , E. R. Jawin
- & B. Marty
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Article |
Shape of (101955) Bennu indicative of a rubble pile with internal stiffness
Near-Earth asteroid Bennu has a top-like shape with longitudinal ridges, macroporosity, prominent boulders and surface mass wasting, suggesting that it is a stiff rubble pile, according to early observations by the OSIRIS-REx mission.
- O. S. Barnouin
- , M. G. Daly
- & B. Marty
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Article |
Surface refreshing of Martian moon Phobos by orbital eccentricity-driven grain motion
The distribution of two distinct geologic units on Mars’s moon Phobos – red and blue units – can be explained by surface grain motion triggered by orbital variations in slope steepness, according to dynamical analyses and numerical simulations.
- Ronald-Louis Ballouz
- , Nicola Baresi
- & Masaki Fujimoto
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Article |
Increased landslide activity on forested hillslopes following two recent volcanic eruptions in Chile
A delayed increase of landslide activity occurred about two to six years after two volcanic eruptions in Chile in 2008 and 2011, according to remote-sensing data. The time lag is consistent with decaying tree roots in areas covered by tephra.
- Oliver Korup
- , Jan Seidemann
- & Christian H. Mohr
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Article |
Formation of metre-scale bladed roughness on Europa’s surface by ablation of ice
Sublimation rates of water ice in equatorial regions of Jupiter’s moon Europa are sufficient to sculpt bladed terrain that would pose a hazard to a potential lander mission.
- Daniel E. J. Hobley
- , Jeffrey M. Moore
- & Orkan M. Umurhan
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Review Article |
Geological and climatic influences on mountain biodiversity
Species richness in mountain environments is linked to mountain-building and climatic processes, an integration of geological, climatic, and biological datasets reveals.
- Alexandre Antonelli
- , W. Daniel Kissling
- & Carina Hoorn
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Article |
Carbon export from mountain forests enhanced by earthquake-triggered landslides over millennia
Large earthquakes export significant carbon from mountain forests over millennia, according to analyses of sediments mobilized by earthquake-triggered landslides in New Zealand.
- Nicole V. Frith
- , Robert G. Hilton
- & Alexander L. Densmore
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News & Views |
Species signatures in landscapes
Plants influence geomorphology. Research on salt marshes suggests that feedbacks between geomorphic processes and life-history traits of plants produce species-specific signatures in the organization of biogeomorphic landscapes.
- Dov Corenblit
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Article |
Self-organization of a biogeomorphic landscape controlled by plant life-history traits
Fast-colonizing plants stabilize wetland landscapes, whereas slow-colonizing plants promote channel formation according to biogeomorphic model simulations and field observations.
- Christian Schwarz
- , Olivier Gourgue
- & Stijn Temmerman
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Comment |
Future winters glimpsed in the Alps
January 2018 was an unusually warm and wet month across the Western Alps, with widespread landslides at low elevations and massive snowfall higher up. This extreme month yields lessons for how mountain communities can prepare for a warmer future.
- Markus Stoffel
- & Christophe Corona
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Perspective |
The geological and climatological case for a warmer and wetter early Mars
A warm and semi-arid climate may be most consistent with geological evidence for flowing water on the surface of early Mars, despite the challenges of warming Mars under a faint young Sun.
- Ramses M. Ramirez
- & Robert A. Craddock
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Article |
Net retreat of Antarctic glacier grounding lines
Grounding lines in parts of West Antarctica, East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula retreated faster than typical post-glacial pace, according to satellite observations and ice geometry measurements.
- Hannes Konrad
- , Andrew Shepherd
- & Thomas Slater
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Article |
Accretion mode of oceanic ridges governed by axial mechanical strength
The shape of mid-ocean ridges is influenced by lithospheric mechanical strength, according to laboratory simulations of diverging plates. The results imply that large tectonic plates probably could not have formed on a younger, hotter Earth.
- A. L. R. Sibrant
- , E. Mittelstaedt
- & R. Pidoux
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Article |
Microplastic contamination of river beds significantly reduced by catchment-wide flooding
Winter floods flushed out 70% of the microplastic contamination from riverbed sediments in northwest England, according to analyses of sediment samples from 40 rural and urban sites.
- Rachel Hurley
- , Jamie Woodward
- & James J. Rothwell
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Article |
Massive collapse of two glaciers in western Tibet in 2016 after surge-like instability
Two catastrophic glacier collapse events in western Tibet in 2016 were caused by a convergence of weather and glacier-bed conditions, according to an analysis of observations and modelling.
- Andreas Kääb
- , Silvan Leinss
- & Tandong Yao
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Perspective |
Granular flows at recurring slope lineae on Mars indicate a limited role for liquid water
Recurring slope lineae are likely to be dry granular flows with little-to-no requirement for large volumes of liquid water on Mars, according to an emerging view that is supported by topographic analyses.
- Colin M. Dundas
- , Alfred S. McEwen
- & Anna Urso
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Article |
Regional patterns of extreme precipitation on Titan consistent with observed alluvial fan distribution
Extreme methane rainstorms on Titan occur in mid-latitudes, where alluvial fans are most common, according to a general circulation model. Average precipitation rates are insufficient to actively shape Titan’s surface.
- S. P. Faulk
- , J. L. Mitchell
- & J. M. Lora
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Article |
Carbon storage in the Mississippi River delta enhanced by environmental engineering
Substantial amounts of organic carbon have been buried in the Wax Lake delta, USA, over the past 20 years, according to sediment analyses. This suggests that river diversions can lead to both coastal accretion and carbon sequestration.
- Michael R. Shields
- , Thomas S. Bianchi
- & Jason H. Curtis
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Article |
Anatomy of a meltwater drainage system beneath the ancestral East Antarctic ice sheet
The East Antarctic ice sheet was larger than present during past cold periods. Seafloor geophysical data show that in the Ross Sea, the extended ice sheet was underlain by an active hydrologic system during the glacial termination.
- Lauren M. Simkins
- , John B. Anderson
- & Robert M. DeConto
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Article |
Rapid post-seismic landslide evacuation boosted by dynamic river width
How rivers evacuate large landslide deposits is crucial for predicting post-seismic hazards. A 2D hydro-sedimentary model demonstrates that a narrowing river channel increases sediment transport, which reduces export time by orders of magnitude.
- Thomas Croissant
- , Dimitri Lague
- & Philippe Davy
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Review Article |
Tidal controls on river delta morphology
River deltas are shaped by interactions between fluvial and tidal processes. Tides act to stabilize delta morphology, but sediment depletion due to human activities disrupts the balance and leads to erosion and scour.
- A. J. F. Hoitink
- , Z. B. Wang
- & K. Kästner
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News & Views |
Origins of low-relief plateaus
Relatively flat, low-relief plateaus contrast with glacially carved, deep fjords. Computational experiments suggest that these astonishing landscapes are formed exclusively by glaciers.
- Annina Margreth
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Article |
Formation of plateau landscapes on glaciated continental margins
Plateaus separated by deeply incised fjords are hallmarks of glaciated passive continental margins. Computational experiments show that they arise from evolving feedbacks between topography, ice dynamics and erosion over millions of years.
- David L. Egholm
- , John D. Jansen
- & Mads F. Knudsen
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A post-accretionary lull in large impacts on early Mars
The timing and number of large impact basins on early Mars are poorly constrained. Gravity and topographic analyses support a lull in basin-forming impacts following the main stage of accretion.
- William F. Bottke
- & Jeffrey C. Andrews-Hanna
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Article |
River piracy and drainage basin reorganization led by climate-driven glacier retreat
River piracy—the diversion of one stream’s headwaters into another—has occurred on long timescales. An analysis of streamflow and digital elevation models documents river re-routing in response to glacier retreat in Yukon, Canada in May 2016.
- Daniel H. Shugar
- , John J. Clague
- & Gerard H. Roe
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Article |
Geomorphological evidence for ground ice on dwarf planet Ceres
Despite evidence for an ice-rich outer shell, little water ice has been observed on the surface of Ceres. Lobate morphologies observed on Ceres that are increasingly prevalent towards the dwarf planet’s poles are consistent with ice-rich flows.
- Britney E. Schmidt
- , Kynan H. G. Hughson
- & Carol A. Raymond
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Article |
Electrification of sand on Titan and its influence on sediment transport
Frictional charging of granular materials may readily occur on Saturn’s moon Titan. Laboratory experiments under Titan-like conditions suggest that the resulting electrostatic forces are strong enough to affect sand transport on Titan.
- J. S. Méndez Harper
- , G. D. McDonald
- & J. J. Wray
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Article |
Formation of recurring slope lineae on Mars by rarefied gas-triggered granular flows
Transient streaks on Martian slopes have been attributed to liquid water. Simulations show that a dry avalanche process involving the flow of gas in the Martian soil due to temperature contrasts can instead explain these recurring features.
- Frédéric Schmidt
- , François Andrieu
- & Alina G. Meresescu
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Perspective |
Historical carbon dioxide emissions caused by land-use changes are possibly larger than assumed
The net carbon flux on land comprises emissions from land-use change and uptake by vegetation. An evaluation of vegetation models suggests that emissions from land-use change, and thus the terrestrial sink, may be substantially underestimated.
- A. Arneth
- , S. Sitch
- & S. Zaehle
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News & Views |
Surface sculpting by hidden agents
Tectonic plate interiors are often regarded as relatively inactive. Yet, reconstructions of marine terrace uplift in Angola suggest that underlying mantle flow can rapidly warp Earth's surface far from obviously active plate boundaries.
- Nicky White
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Article |
Rapid mantle-driven uplift along the Angolan margin in the late Quaternary
Mantle flow can warp Earth’s surface. Reconstructions of surface deformation in Angola over the past 45,000 years reveal rapid uplift of about 2 mm per year, implying that mantle-induced uplift may occur in quick pulses.
- R. T. Walker
- , M. Telfer
- & A. B. Watts
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Article |
Active shortening within the Himalayan orogenic wedge implied by the 2015 Gorkha earthquake
The Himalaya grow as the Indian Plate is thrust beneath Tibet. Analysis of surface deformation caused by the 2015 Gorkha earthquake suggests slip on smaller-scale faults at the foot of the high Himalaya help build Earth’s highest peaks.
- Kelin X. Whipple
- , Manoochehr Shirzaei
- & J. Ramon Arrowsmith
Penitente formation is unlikely on Europa
Maar on Titan
Haboobs on Titan
Links between life and landscapes
Catastrophic glacier collapse
Mantle signatures in the surface
Accelerating riverbank erosion