Featured
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Disproportionately strong climate forcing from extratropical explosive volcanic eruptions
Explosive volcanic eruptions in the extratropics have cooled the climate in their hemisphere more than tropical eruptions, suggests an analysis of reconstructions since ad 750 and simulations with an atmosphere–aerosol model.
- Matthew Toohey
- , Kirstin Krüger
- & Rob Wilson
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News & Views |
Data mining for seismic slip
Seismic data during the time interval between larger earthquakes could contain information about fault displacements and potential for future failure, suggest analyses of data from laboratory and real-world slow-slip earthquakes using machine-learning techniques.
- Kenneth C. Creager
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Review Article |
Anthropogenic stresses on the world’s big rivers
Stressors such as large-scale damming, hydrological change, pollution, the introduction of non-native species and sediment mining are challenging the integrity and future of large rivers, according to a synthesis of the literature on the 32 biggest rivers.
- Jim Best
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Article |
Continuous chatter of the Cascadia subduction zone revealed by machine learning
Continuous seismic signal, filtered out by machine-learning methods, could help infer fault displacement in the Cascadia subduction zone.
- Bertrand Rouet-Leduc
- , Claudia Hulbert
- & Paul A. Johnson
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Article |
Similarity of fast and slow earthquakes illuminated by machine learning
Both fast and slow earthquakes are preceded by micro-failure events that radiate energy. According to machine learning, these events can foretell catastrophic failure in laboratory experiment earthquakes.
- Claudia Hulbert
- , Bertrand Rouet-Leduc
- & Chris Marone
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Editorial |
Deaths versus dollars
Past and future changes in tropical cyclones and the damage they cause are fiendishly difficult to detect and project. For the Atlantic, progress is being made; other ocean basins lag behind.
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Article |
Locking on a megathrust as a cause of distributed faulting and fault-jumping earthquakes
Earthquakes that jump from fault to fault in subduction zones can be explained by locking on the plate interface, according to GPS data from New Zealand where the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake produced a complex array of crustal ruptures.
- Simon Lamb
- , Richard Arnold
- & James D. P. Moore
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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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Article |
Influence of eruptive style on volcanic gas emission chemistry and temperature
The redox state of volcanic gases and melts can become decoupled during magma ascent, according to observations of gas emissions from Kīlauea’s lava lake, Hawaii. Cooling of fast-rising bubbles changes the abundance of redox-sensitive gas species.
- Clive Oppenheimer
- , Bruno Scaillet
- & Yves Moussallam
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Article |
Episodic creep events on the San Andreas Fault caused by pore pressure variations
Slow-slip events on the central San Andreas Fault are localized creep bursts that aseismically rupture isolated fault compartments, according to analyses of satellite deformation data.
- Mostafa Khoshmanesh
- & Manoochehr Shirzaei
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News & Views |
Unsettled earthquake nucleation
Detailed analyses of the source characteristics of two earthquake sequences lead to seemingly contradictory interpretations: one study concludes that each earthquake triggers subsequent ones, while the other favours a slow-slip trigger.
- Joan Gomberg
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Article |
Nucleation of the 1999 Izmit earthquake by a triggered cascade of foreshocks
The magnitude 7.6 Izmit earthquake that struck Turkey in 1999 was nucleated by an eastward-migrating cascade of foreshocks, according to high-resolution analyses of seismic data.
- William L. Ellsworth
- & Fatih Bulut
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Article |
Earthquake nucleation and fault slip complexity in the lower crust of central Alaska
A strike-slip fault zone in central Alaska exhibits a range of earthquake slip processes, including very-low-frequency earthquakes, some of which transition into regular, fast earthquakes.
- Carl Tape
- , Stephen Holtkamp
- & Michael E. West
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Article |
An updated stress map of the continental United States reveals heterogeneous intraplate stress
Crustal stress in the interior of the United States is spatially variable and largely controlled by local forces, rather than those transmitted from tectonic plate boundaries, according to a map of the continental stress field.
- Will Levandowski
- , Robert B. Herrmann
- & Ryan Gold
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News & Views |
Training machines in Earthly ways
Geoscientists are training computers to learn from a wide range of geologic data and, in the process, the machines are teaching geoscientists about the workings of Earth.
- Chris Marone
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Article |
Migrating pattern of deformation prior to the Tohoku-Oki earthquake revealed by GRACE data
Deformation migrated from depth towards the surface in the months leading up to the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, according to analyses of satellite gravity data.
- Isabelle Panet
- , Sylvain Bonvalot
- & Jean-Michel Lemoine
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Article |
Repeated drainage from megathrusts during episodic slow slip
Slow slip events may cause fluids to drain from the plate boundary into the overlying plate at subduction zones, according to seismic analyses of events recorded in Kanto, Japan.
- Junichi Nakajima
- & Naoki Uchida
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News & Views |
Super-volcanic investigations
Multi-disciplinary analyses of Earth’s most destructive volcanic systems show that continuous monitoring and an understanding of each volcano’s quirks, rather than a single unified model, are key to generating accurate hazard assessments.
- Christy B. Till
- , Matthew Pritchard
- & Juliet Ryan-Davis
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Article |
Chilean megathrust earthquake recurrence linked to frictional contrast at depth
The recurrence time of megathrust earthquakes in Chile may be controlled by frictional contrasts at depth, according to analyses of stress build-up and release related to the December 2016 southern Chile earthquake.
- M. Moreno
- , S. Li
- & O. Oncken
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Article |
Corrugated megathrust revealed offshore from Costa
Rica
Mature parts of the shallow megathrust beneath Costa Rica are characterized by striking corrugations that may channel fluids, according to seismic images. Nascent sections of the subduction zone plate boundary appear only weakly corrugated.
- Joel H. Edwards
- , Jared W. Kluesner
- & Kristina Okamoto
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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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Article |
Creeping subduction zones are weaker than locked subduction zones
The faults in creeping segments of subduction zones are weaker than those in locked segments, according to analyses of stress orientations and GPS data from subduction zones globally.
- Jeanne L. Hardebeck
- & John P. Loveless
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Article |
Past seismic slip-to-the-trench recorded in Central America megathrust
Past megathrust earthquakes in the Costa Rica subduction zone have slipped all the way up to the seafloor, according to analyses of core and seismic data. This shallow slip was accommodated by layers of weak biogenic ooze.
- Paola Vannucchi
- , Elena Spagnuolo
- & Stefan Nielsen
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Article |
Links between sediment consolidation and Cascadia megathrust slip behaviour
Consolidated sediments in the Cascadia subduction zone may create conditions favourable for megathrust earthquake ruptures over long distances and close to the trench, according to analyses of seismic velocity of sediments from the region. Less-consolidated sediments instead may promote aseismic slip of the plate boundary.
- Shuoshuo Han
- , Nathan L. Bangs
- & James C. Gibson
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Article |
Large-scale dynamic triggering of shallow slow slip enhanced by overlying sedimentary wedge
Seismic waves can trigger further fault slip. Analysis of seismic and geodetic data shows that seismic waves from the 2016 Kaikōura, New Zealand earthquake were amplified by subduction zone sediments, triggering slow fault slip up to 600 km away.
- Laura M. Wallace
- , Yoshihiro Kaneko
- & Bill Fry
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Article |
Protracted near-solidus storage and pre-eruptive rejuvenation of large magma reservoirs
Super-eruptions are fed by large magma reservoirs. Geochemical analyses of volcanic rocks erupted in New Mexico suggest the magma was stored under cool conditions in the crust for 600,000 years, before late-stage heating triggered an eruption.
- Dawid Szymanowski
- , Jörn-Frederik Wotzlaw
- & Albrecht von Quadt
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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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Editorial |
Progress from catastrophe
Natural disasters can devastate local communities. However, these rare events also often trigger new ways of thinking, and provide a treasure trove of data that must be used to reduce vulnerability.
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Article |
Tsunamigenic structures in a creeping section of the Alaska subduction zone
Creeping subduction zones are unlikely to generate tsunamigenic earthquakes. Analysis of a creeping part of the Alaskan subduction zone reveals fault structures similar to those in Tohoku, suggesting it may host large earthquakes and tsunamis.
- Anne Bécel
- , Donna J. Shillington
- & Harold Kuehn
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Article |
Dynamics and early post-tsunami evolution of floating marine debris near Fukushima Daiichi
The tsunami triggered by the 2011 Tōhoku-Oki earthquake carried debris seaward. Satellite data and numerical simulations suggest that small-scale wind modifications over a smooth film-covered sea surface affected debris motions.
- John Philip Matthews
- , Lev Ostrovsky
- & Hitoshi Tamura
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Article |
Lifetime and size of shallow magma bodies controlled by crustal-scale magmatism
Super-eruptions require high magma supply rates. Numerical simulations show that even for volcanoes with low supply rates, the warming influence of magma on the crust prevents solidification, allowing super-eruption volumes of magma to accumulate.
- Ozge Karakas
- , Wim Degruyter
- & Josef Dufek
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Article |
Quasi-equilibrium melting of quartzite upon extreme friction
Quartz minerals in Earth’s crust are thought to melt at high temperatures. Laboratory friction experiments, however, show that metastable melting of quartz on a fault surface can occur at lower temperatures, and could lead to large earthquakes.
- Sung Keun Lee
- , Raehee Han
- & Takehiro Hirose
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Article |
Deep and shallow long-period volcanic seismicity linked by fluid-pressure transfer
Shallow volcanic earthquakes can aid eruption forecasts. Analysis of seismicity beneath the Klyuchevskoy volcano group in Russia reveals much deeper magma-induced earthquakes that may serve as an early eruption indicator.
- N. M. Shapiro
- , D. V. Droznin
- & E. I. Gordeev
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Article |
Tremor-rich shallow dyke formation followed by silent magma flow at Bárðarbunga in Iceland
Magma movement is thought to trigger volcanic tremor. However, analysis of seismic data suggests that tremor prior to the Bárðarbunga eruption in Iceland instead marked the crust cracking open, whereas subsequent magma flow was seismically silent.
- Eva P. S. Eibl
- , Christopher J. Bean
- & Finnur Pálsson
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Article |
Supercycle at the Ecuadorian subduction zone revealed after the 2016 Pedernales earthquake
Large earthquakes are often assumed to reset the seismic hazard of a region. Analysis of recent and historical seismicity in Ecuador suggests that this region may experience clusters of large earthquakes and extended periods of high seismic hazard.
- J.-M. Nocquet
- , P. Jarrin
- & P. Charvis
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Article |
Subduction megathrust creep governed by pressure solution and frictional–viscous flow
The controls on fast versus slow fault slip in subduction zones are unclear. Rock deformation experiments suggest that faults within the seismogenic region of a subduction zone may slip aseismically due to pressure solution creep.
- Åke Fagereng
- & Sabine A. M. den Hartog
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Letter |
Skilful predictions of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation one year ahead
The North Atlantic Oscillation profoundly influences European and North American winter weather. Dynamical model predictions now exhibit skill in prediction of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation more than one year in advance.
- Nick Dunstone
- , Doug Smith
- & Jeff Knight
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Letter |
Triggering of the 2014 Mw7.3 Papanoa earthquake by a slow slip event in Guerrero, Mexico
Links between subduction zone earthquakes and slow slip on the plate interface are unclear. Reconstructions of a slow slip event in the Guerrero subduction zone segment, in Mexico, suggest that the event triggered the 2014 Papanoa earthquake.
- M. Radiguet
- , H. Perfettini
- & M. Campillo
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Letter |
Earthquake potential revealed by tidal influence on earthquake size–frequency statistics
Tidal triggering of earthquakes is debated. Analysis of global earthquake catalogue data compared with tidal stress histories suggests that the probability of a large earthquake is greater during times of maximum tidal stress amplitude.
- Satoshi Ide
- , Suguru Yabe
- & Yoshiyuki Tanaka
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Letter |
Coupling of turbulent and non-turbulent flow regimes within pyroclastic density currents
The internal dynamics of pyroclastic density currents are not easily observed. Experiments reveal how the underflow and turbulent ash-cloud regimes within pyroclastic flows are dynamically coupled through a zone of intermediate turbulence.
- Eric C. P. Breard
- , Gert Lube
- & Anja Moebis
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Letter |
Intensification of landfalling typhoons over the northwest Pacific since the late 1970s
Landfalling typhoons can cause great damage in East and Southeast Asian countries. An analysis of bias-corrected data sets reveals that the proportion of the strongest landfalling typhoons has at least doubled over the past decades.
- Wei Mei
- & Shang-Ping Xie
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News & Views |
Tales of Himalayan topography
The Himalaya grow as India and Eurasia collide. Analyses of deformation during the 2015 Gorkha earthquake suggest that slip on small-scale splay faults, as well as motion during the interseismic period, help to create Earth's highest mountains.
- Michael H. Taylor
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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
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Letter |
Precursory changes in seismic velocity for the spectrum of earthquake failure modes
Whether fast and slow earthquakes nucleate in the same way is unclear. Laboratory simulations of fast and slow slip reveal similar precursor seismic signals for both modes, suggesting the same physical mechanisms may govern both types of slip.
- M. M. Scuderi
- , C. Marone
- & C. Collettini
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Article |
Earthquake nucleation in weak subducted carbonates
Subduction zones consume seafloor carbonates. Laboratory experiments on carbonate fault gouge from the Costa Rican subduction zone show that carbonates weaken with increasing temperature and pore-fluid pressure, and may nucleate earthquakes.
- Robert M. Kurzawski
- , Michael Stipp
- & Jan H. Behrmann
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Letter |
Locked and loading megathrust linked to active subduction beneath the Indo-Burman Ranges
It is unclear whether subduction is still active beneath the Indo-Burman mountain range. Analyses of GPS measurements from this region reveal a locked megathrust fault, implying that subduction is active and could generate a large earthquake.
- Michael S. Steckler
- , Dhiman Ranjan Mondal
- & Michael Howe
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Letter |
The vertical fingerprint of earthquake cycle loading in southern California
Vertical crustal motions during the earthquake cycle are poorly constrained for strike–slip faults. Analysis of GPS data from the San Andreas Fault shows that the crust flexes over hundreds of kilometres due to locking of the fault at depth.
- Samuel Howell
- , Bridget Smith-Konter
- & David Sandwell
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Letter |
Himalayan strain reservoir inferred from limited afterslip following the Gorkha earthquake
Great Himalayan earthquakes are rare. Analysis of surface motions in the months after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake reveals negligible aseismic slip, implying that stress may be stored in the crust to be tapped during future great earthquakes.
- David Mencin
- , Rebecca Bendick
- & Roger Bilham
Evidence of supershear during the 2018 magnitude 7.5 Palu earthquake from space geodesy
Catastrophic glacier collapse