Solid Earth sciences articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The cause of diamond precipitation has previously been attributed to poorly understood redox changes at depth. Here, the authors propose that a drop in pH during water–rock interactions leads to diamond formation as a consequence of the migration of reactive fluids at elevated temperatures and pressures.

    • Dimitri A. Sverjensky
    •  & Fang Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sediment-hosted gas hydrates may release vast quantities of methane upon failure, but destabilizing mechanisms at the molecular level are poorly understood. Here, the authors study the deformation using simulations and find that failure differs between single crystals and polycrystalline hydrates.

    • Jianyang Wu
    • , Fulong Ning
    •  & Zhiliang Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Observations indicate that the southern hemisphere of Enceladus is geologically active, with spray containing Si nanoparticles being ejected from an underground ocean. Here, the authors report that experiments to constrain reaction conditions suggest the core is similar to that of carbonaceous chondrites.

    • Yasuhito Sekine
    • , Takazo Shibuya
    •  & Sin-iti Sirono

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Natural spikes in radiocarbon have been identified at AD 774/5 and 993/4 and attributed to exceptional cosmic-ray events, although the cause remains uncertain. Here, the authors analyse records recovered from ice cores and suggest these spikes originated from extreme solar particle events.

    • Florian Mekhaldi
    • , Raimund Muscheler
    •  & Thomas E. Woodruff

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The stratigraphy of the Molasse basin has been related to the convergent regime, but aspects do not fit with observations or isostatic models. Here, the authors show that rollback of the European plate may have caused the thick sedimentary successions in the foreland basin, independent of plate convergence mechanisms.

    • Fritz Schlunegger
    •  & Edi Kissling

  • Article |

    The evolutionary transitions leading to the modern endothermic state of birds and mammals is unclear. Here, the authors use isotopologues from eggshells to determine body temperatures of females during periods of ovulation, suggesting variability existed between sauropods and the more bird-like oviraptors.

    • Robert A. Eagle
    • , Marcus Enriquez
    •  & John M. Eiler

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The discovery of rounded pebbles by Curiosity suggests sustained fluvial activity existed on Mars, but interpretations have been qualitative. Here, the authors show that transport distance can be calculated on the basis of pebble shape alone, suggesting they travelled 10 s of km by bed-load transport.

    • Tímea Szabó
    • , Gábor Domokos
    •  & Douglas J. Jerolmack

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Theories of Cenozoic mountain uplift and associated global cooling assume that eroded mountain sediments are stored in marine basins. Here, based on detailed provenance data, Nie et al. show that Northeast Tibetan sediments are in fact stored inland, in the Chinese Loess Plateau and Mu Us desert.

    • Junsheng Nie
    • , Thomas Stevens
    •  & Baotian Pan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tidewater glacier calving is assumed to be dependent on ice dynamics, but direct evidence is lacking. Here, Luckman et al. use satellite data to derive frontal ablation rates for dynamically contrasting Svalbard glaciers, and show that frontal ablation rate varies primarily with sub-surface ocean temperature.

    • Adrian Luckman
    • , Douglas I. Benn
    •  & Mark Inall

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Our understanding of the origin and stability of deep-mantle melts depends on our knowledge of the component silicate liquids. Here, the authors model the effects of iron and water on melt structure and density, with results that support potential water enrichment of deep-mantle melts and an early magma ocean.

    • Suraj Bajgain
    • , Dipta B. Ghosh
    •  & Bijaya B. Karki

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How the Greenland ice sheet responds to the drainage of water below the ice remains uncertain. Here, the authors combine digital elevation models and Landsat optical imagery to map subglacial drainage pathways and investigate the ice sheet surface response to a periodically draining subglacial lake.

    • Steven Palmer
    • , Malcolm McMillan
    •  & Mathieu Morlighem

  • Article
    | Open Access

    On 1 April 2014 the Mw 8.1 Iquique earthquake seemed to close the well-recognized northern Chile seismic gap, producing only a small rupture. Here, the authors present seismic reflection and multibeam bathymetry data from the area suggesting that seamount subduction played a role in halting the rupture.

    • Jacob Geersen
    • , César R. Ranero
    •  & Christian Reichert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Collisions in the early Solar System affected the final composition of the terrestrial planets, and enstatite chondrites (EC) are thought to represent the primordial Earth’s precursors. Here, the authors show that differences between Earth and EC are due to impact erosion of >15% of the early Earth’s mass.

    • Asmaa Boujibar
    • , Denis Andrault
    •  & Julien Monteux

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Identifying past continental configurations is important for our understanding of the Earth system. Here, the authors present mapping and geochemical analyses that connect the North China Craton with other continents, with implications for the Nuna/Columbia supercontinent configuration at 1.8 Ga.

    • Bo Wan
    • , Brian F. Windley
    •  & Ji’en Zhang

  • Article |

    The Central Indian Ocean Basin is one of the most active intra-plate deformation zones on Earth; such areas and their associated earthquakes are poorly understood. Here, the authors show very deep reflectors in the oceanic mantle, suggesting that the lithospheric mantle deformation can be divided into two layers.

    • Yanfang Qin
    •  & Satish C Singh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pressure- and temperature-induced phase transitions have long been studied, but little is known about the processes by which the atoms rearrange. Here, the authors presentin situmeasurements on shock compressed fused silica, revealing an amorphous to crystalline high pressure stishovite phase transition.

    • A. E. Gleason
    • , C. A. Bolme
    •  & W. L. Mao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal toxicity is a primary source of abnormalities in aquatic organisms, and these have been used to evaluate anthropogenic heavy metal pollution. Here, the authors suggest that abnormalities in Silurian acritarchs were caused by heavy metal pollution corresponding to Early Palaeozoic extinction events.

    • Thijs R. A. Vandenbroucke
    • , Poul Emsbo
    •  & Wolfgang Kiessling

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The extent to which greenhouse gases forced glacier retreat during the last deglaciation remains unclear. Here, the authors recalculate cosmogenic nuclide ages for 195 glacier moraines and show that deglacial glacier retreat was broadly globally synchronous with rising levels of atmospheric CO2.

    • Jeremy D. Shakun
    • , Peter U. Clark
    •  & Bette L. Otto-Bliesner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Our understanding of the internal dynamics of the Earth is limited by the lack of seismic data available from oceanic domains. Here, the authors use observations from floating submarine seismographs to show that this technique may provide seismic data to fill the gaps in our knowledge.

    • Alexey Sukhovich
    • , Sébastien Bonnieux
    •  & Guust Nolet

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Small, frequent rockfalls are thought to dominate the erosion of mountains above rockfalls, and little is known about rare large landslides as material is rapidly reworked. Here, the authors present sub-surface data from a large rock avalanche showing how such landslides can be recognized from their deposits.

    • Stuart A. Dunning
    • , Nicholas J. Rosser
    •  & Natalya V. Reznichenko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    U-shaped glacial valleys dominate >10 ka since the last major glaciation and the transitions from glacier-dominated to fluvial regimes are poorly understood. Here, the authors use digital topographic data to show that glacial topography is rapidly replaced by fluvial topography where rock uplift rates are high.

    • Günther Prasicek
    • , Isaac J. Larsen
    •  & David R. Montgomery

  • Article |

    Previous studies suggest that rates of gorge formation are controlled by bedrock erodibility, erosion mechanism and hillslope processes. Here, the authors show evidence of rapid gorge formation in granite bedrock and report no relationship with flood size or bedload, attributing the rate to pre-existing jointing.

    • L. Anton
    • , A. E. Mather
    •  & G. De Vicente

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The behaviour of airborne fine ash during explosive volcanic eruptions is poorly understood. Here, the authors study hail formation during an eruption, proposing a mechanism of particle aggregation that leads to the fallout of fine ash and the occurrence of concentrically layered aggregates in volcanic deposits

    • Alexa R. Van Eaton
    • , Larry G. Mastin
    •  & Amanda B. Clarke

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The rapid decay of Earth’s dipole magnetic field has recently captured the public imagination. Here, the authors present a southern hemisphere magnetic record from South African Iron Age sites using oriented samples in the floors and suggest that the anomalous field behaviour is not just a recent feature.

    • John A. Tarduno
    • , Michael K. Watkeys
    •  & Courtney L. Wagner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Utilizing supercritical geothermal water could multiply energy production, but the abundance, location and size of such resources is unclear. Here, the authors present numerical simulations and suggest that supercritical water may play a key role in removing heat from all magmatic intrusions.

    • Samuel Scott
    • , Thomas Driesner
    •  & Philipp Weis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Striped geochemical zonation has been observed along parts of hotspot tracks, although its origin is not well-understood. Here, the authors present Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotope data and present a model that can explain the evolution of zonation in both Tristan-Gough and Hawaiian hotspots, reflecting two end members.

    • Kaj Hoernle
    • , Joana Rohde
    •  & Jason P. Morgan

  • Article |

    The Earth’s mantle transition zone may play a key role in large-scale intraplate magmatism and plate tectonics. Here, the authors provide evidence for the origin of continental flood basalts in this zone, by combining oxygen isotope and geochemical evidence from the late Cenozoic Chifeng volcanics of East Asia.

    • Xuan-Ce Wang
    • , Simon A. Wilde
    •  & Ya-Nan Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Following the Mw6 South Napa earthquake in California, previously dry streams and springs began to flow. Here, the authors present data from repeated stream surveys and laboratory measurements and suggest that the new flows originated from groundwater in the mountains and were released by the earthquake.

    • Chi-Yuen Wang
    •  & Michael Manga

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Neodymium isotopes are tracers for past and present ocean circulation and biogeochemistry. Here, the authors combine observations of neodymium and radium isotopes in the Amazon estuary and show that the rapid release of neodymium from river suspended sediments leaves a strong imprint on coastal sea water.

    • Tristan C. C. Rousseau
    • , Jeroen E. Sonke
    •  & Catherine Jeandel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recent studies suggest that the Moon is not as volatile-poor as once thought, and that volatile elements should be concentrated in crustal materials. Here, the authors present Zn isotopic and abundance data as evidence of evaporative loss of volatiles during formation of the Moon, supporting alternative models.

    • Chizu Kato
    • , Frederic Moynier
    •  & James M.D. Day

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Information regarding tectonic motion from before instrumental records can be found from palaeoshorelines and the reconstruction of sea level from observations. Here, the authors study corals uplifted by past earthquakes near the Solomon Islands and assess the Holocene deformation that took place there.

    • Kaustubh Thirumalai
    • , Frederick W. Taylor
    •  & Alison K. Papabatu

  • Article |

    Due to a paucity of terrestrial data, knowledge of the size of the East Antarctic ice sheet in the past is limited. Here, the authors present isotope data of sulfates from the Lewis Cliff Ice Tongue moraine, which suggest temporary existence of ice-free conditions in central Antarctica since the Miocene.

    • Tao Sun
    • , Richard A. Socki
    •  & Eric Tonui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Much hydrothermal circulation occurs away from the mid-ocean ridges and out on ridge flanks, affecting lithospheric heat deficit, solute fluxes, and influencing the biosphere. Here, the authors use 3D simulations to look at what controls the circulation and flow rate between and through seamounts.

    • Dustin M. Winslow
    •  & Andrew T. Fisher

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Recent megathrust earthquakes have been documented to cause large-scale stress changes, although this has not been identified in a fossil system. Here, the authors present data that establish a link between the observations at active subduction zones and the structural record preserved in ancient mountain belts.

    • Armin Dielforder
    • , Hauke Vollstaedt
    •  & Marco Herwegh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The atmosphere of a transiting planet shields the stellar radiation enabling size and density stratification to be estimated. Here, the authors study Venus and show that the measured radius depends on the wavelength used, which has implications for Venus’s ionosphere and may help in planning future missions.

    • Fabio Reale
    • , Angelo F. Gambino
    •  & Giuseppe Piccioni

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Regional surface climate response to a future decline in solar activity remains uncertain. Here, via numerical simulations, the authors show that a return to Maunder Minimum-like lows by 2050 could lead to some areas of significantly reduced surface warming via modulation of the North Atlantic Oscillation.

    • Sarah Ineson
    • , Amanda C. Maycock
    •  & Richard A. Wood

  • Article |

    Numerous theories exist regarding the evolution of a deep-water oxygen deficiency in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Here, the authors test several popular hypotheses with a focus on the S1 event showing that long-term stagnation was necessary, preconditioned by the changes associated with the last deglaciation.

    • Rosina Grimm
    • , Ernst Maier-Reimer
    •  & Kay-Christian Emeis

  • Article |

    Complex life forms began to emerge during the Precambrian. Here, the authors tie this evolution to an increase in trace metal availability, namely the Mo content of lacustrine shales, suggesting that life evolved in terrestrial and marginal marine environments rather than the Mo-limited deep ocean.

    • John Parnell
    • , Samuel Spinks
    •  & Stephen Bowden

  • Article |

    Volcanic eruptions are thought to restore equilibrium when overpressure in the crust is induced by new magma rising from depth. Here, the authors use data from the 2007 Stromboli eruption as well as models to suggest that eruption is instead a consequence of the gravity-driven instability of the volcanic edifice.

    • Maurizio Ripepe
    • , Dario Delle Donne
    •  & Pasquale Poggi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Cambrian explosion of biological diversity has been associated with widespread ocean oxygenation, yet early Cambrian ocean redox conditions remain controversial. Here, the authors present a suite of molybdenum isotope data and show that the ocean was oxygenated to modern-like levels by 521 Ma.

    • Xi Chen
    • , Hong-Fei Ling
    •  & Corey Archer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although magnetic reconnection is recognized as the dominant mode for solar wind plasma to enter the magnetosphere, Kelvin–Helmholtz waves (KHW) have been suggested to also be involved. Here, the authors use 7 years of THEMIS data to show that KHW occur 19% of the time, and may be important for plasma transport.

    • Shiva Kavosi
    •  & Joachim Raeder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Conditions below the active permafrost layer in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are thought to be ice cemented. Here, the authors use an airborne electromagnetic sensor to image the resistivity beneath the valley floor, which indicates the presence of high-salinity liquids at temperatures well below freezing.

    • J. A. Mikucki
    • , E. Auken
    •  & N. Foley

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The classic mantle plume concept explains large igneous provinces and hotspot magmatism, but often contradicts observed surface uplift and plume morphology. Here, the authors present a plume model that better supports observations by considering low-buoyancy plumes containing up to 15% of recycled oceanic crust.

    • Juliane Dannberg
    •  & Stephan V. Sobolev

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whether exploration causes earthquakes has been a matter of recent contention particularly regarding shale gas exploration. Here, the authors use hydraulic modelling and earthquake locations to show that brine production and wastewater injection in the Azle area are likely causing earthquakes.

    • Matthew J. Hornbach
    • , Heather R. DeShon
    •  & James H. Luetgert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Seismic anisotropy has been widely observed in the crust and mantle due to the crystal preferred orientation (CPO) of highly anisotropic minerals such as amphibole, though it is poorly constrained. Here, the authors present an experimental study showing that three CPOs exist depending on temperature and stress.

    • Byeongkwan Ko
    •  & Haemyeong Jung

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