Featured
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Article
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Deep CO2 release and the carbon budget of the central Apennines modulated by geodynamics
The regional geodynamic gradient controls metamorphic carbon release during mountain building and regulates the inorganic carbon budget, according to carbon estimates in two river catchments of Italy’s central Apennines.
- Erica Erlanger
- , Aaron Bufe
- & Niels Hovius
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Editorial |
The ultra-lowdown on mantle heterogeneity
Compositional and structural variations within Earth’s lower mantle are a complex puzzle to which seismic data hold clues.
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All Minerals Considered |
Out of sight burbankite
Burbankite is a rare sodium carbonate mineral that is easily dissolved away in its host igneous rocks. Its formation and dissolution can help concentrate rare earth elements that are vital for a low-carbon future, as Sam Broom-Fendley explains.
- Sam Broom-Fendley
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Comment |
Seismic methodologies key to unlocking Earth’s lowermost mantle
Advances in seismological observational and modelling techniques are needed to constrain complex lowermost mantle structures and understand their influence on the global dynamics and evolution of Earth’s interior.
- Lauren Waszek
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Q&A |
Ultralow velocity zones in the deep Earth
Nature Geoscience spoke with Samantha Hansen, a geophysicist at the University of Alabama and Sebastian Rost, a global seismologist at the University of Leeds about the ultralow velocity zones in the lowermost mantle.
- Alireza Bahadori
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Article
| Open Access
Crustal carbonate build-up as a driver for Earth’s oxygenation
The accumulation and subsequent recycling of carbonate in the crust may have helped to drive the oxygenation of the early Earth, according to an ocean and atmosphere box model incorporating the inorganic carbon cycle.
- Lewis J. Alcott
- , Craig Walton
- & Benjamin J. W. Mills
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Review Article |
Anthropogenic impacts on mud and organic carbon cycling
Human activities have altered the production, transport and fate of mud and associated organic carbon, with important implications for global carbon cycling.
- Thomas S. Bianchi
- , Lawrence M. Mayer
- & Pierre Regnier
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News & Views |
Underestimated volcanic hazard of Santorini
Volcanism after large, caldera-forming eruptions is thought to be muted. Exploration of the partially submerged caldera of Santorini reveals that large explosive eruptions have occurred since the caldera formed.
- Ben Kennedy
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Article
| Open Access
Hazardous explosive eruptions of a recharging multi-cyclic island arc caldera
Evidence for a past large explosive eruption within the Santorini caldera suggests that early stages of silicic caldera cycles can be more hazardous than previously assumed, according to analyses of intra-caldera deposits from the Kameni Volcano.
- Jonas Preine
- , Jens Karstens
- & Dimitrios Papanikolaou
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Editorial |
Connecting geology to ecology
Understanding the ecosystem response to global environmental change requires consideration of geological processes, highlighting the interconnected nature of our Earth system.
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All Minerals Considered |
Phosphorus’s cosmic courier
Schreibersite is found in meteorites and thought to dwell in planetary cores. Tingting Gu explains how it may also have supported life on the early Earth.
- Tingting Gu
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Article
| Open Access
Remnants of shifting early Cenozoic Pacific lower mantle flow imaged beneath the Philippine Sea Plate
A record of lower mantle flow from 50 million years ago is preserved in the Pacific region and provides evidence for past lower mantle deformation, according to seismic anisotropy tomography.
- Jianke Fan
- , Dapeng Zhao
- & Dongdong Dong
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Article |
Cenozoic eastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau controlled by tearing of the Indian slab
The Cenozoic eastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau can be explained by slab tear and the resulting mantle flow beneath the eastern region, according to analysis of seismic tomography, tectonic and magmatic records of the Indian mantle lithosphere.
- Zengqian Hou
- , Lijun Liu
- & Qingtian Lü
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Article |
Detections of ultralow velocity zones in high-velocity lowermost mantle linked to subducted slabs
Global detections of ultralow velocity zones in high-velocity lowermost mantle regions are associated with thermochemical anomalies linked to subducted slabs, according to analysis of SKKKP B-caustic diffractions with anomalous seismic structures in the mantle and outer core.
- Yulong Su
- , Sidao Ni
- & Daoyuan Sun
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Research Briefing |
Ultralow velocity zone and deep mantle flow beneath the Himalayas are linked to a subducted slab
Through the detection of postcursors of shear waves diffracted at the core–mantle boundary, a zone of ultralow seismic velocities has been identified at the base of the mantle beneath the Himalayas. The presence of this zone is probably linked to a subducted slab remnant that is driving mantle flow in the region.
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Article |
Ultralow velocity zone and deep mantle flow beneath the Himalayas linked to subducted slab
The presence of an ultralow velocity zone and seismic anisotropy in the lowermost mantle beneath the Himalayas is linked to subducted slab remnants and southwest mantle flow, according to analyses of seismic waves and mantle anisotropy measurements.
- Jonathan Wolf
- , Maureen D. Long
- & Daniel A. Frost
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Article
| Open Access
Early Jurassic large igneous province carbon emissions constrained by sedimentary mercury
Sedimentary mercury measurements suggest carbon emissions from Early Jurassic large igneous province activity were lower than estimates from carbon-cycle models, implying feedbacks that are unaccounted for.
- Isabel M. Fendley
- , Joost Frieling
- & Hugh C. Jenkyns
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All Minerals Considered |
Amphibole interlocking into jade
Nephrite jade is a semi-precious gemstone composed of tiny crystals and needles of amphibole. Here, Matthew Tarling and Steven Smith describe how its origins lead to inner toughness and beauty.
- Matthew S. Tarling
- & Steven A. F. Smith
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Article
| Open Access
Regional variations in relative sea-level changes influenced by nonlinear vertical land motion
A probabilistic reconstruction of vertical land motion reveals regional variations in relative sea-level changes and large uncertainties in sea-level projections due to nonlinear effects.
- Julius Oelsmann
- , Marta Marcos
- & Florian Seitz
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Article |
Stress-driven recurrence and precursory moment-rate surge in caldera collapse earthquakes
The initiation and rupture extent of earthquakes are controlled by stress heterogeneity, according to analysis of seismicity and deformation during caldera collapse of Kilauea Volcano.
- Paul Segall
- , Mark V. Matthews
- & Kyle R. Anderson
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Article
| Open Access
Titanium-rich basaltic melts on the Moon modulated by reactive flow processes
Petrological reaction experiments and magnesium isotope data suggest that reactive flow with mantle cumulates can explain the composition of Ti-rich basaltic magmas.
- Martijn Klaver
- , Stephan Klemme
- & Tim Elliott
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All Minerals Considered |
Ubiquitous magnetite
Magnetite is found throughout the Earth system and has many uses, explains Barbara Maher. It is a tracer of plate tectonic movements, a sub-cellular navigation aid and an economic resource, but also a pollutant.
- Barbara Maher
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Article |
Coevolving aerodynamic and impact ripples on Earth
Wind tunnel experiments and numerical modelling reveal the existence of two distinct ripples on Earth: centimetre-scale impact ripples and decimetre-scale hydrodynamic ripples, akin to those in water and on Mars.
- Hezi Yizhaq
- , Katharina Tholen
- & Itzhak Katra
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Article |
Regional rare-earth element supply and demand balanced with circular economy strategies
Mobilization of in-use rare-earth element stocks in regions of high consumption can ease dependence on regions of rare-earth extraction, according to dynamic integrated modelling combining material flow and scenario analysis.
- Peng Wang
- , Yu-Yao Yang
- & Wei-Qiang Chen
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Research Briefing |
Clay minerals store organic carbon and cool Earth’s climate over millions of years
An integrated model of mineral weathering and carbon cycling reveals the substantial influence that clay minerals originating from the weathering of magnesium-rich rocks have on Earth’s climate. This research indicates that this clay-forming process contributed to each Palaeozoic glaciation.
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News & Views |
Triggers of Chile’s mega-earthquakes
Megathrust earthquakes along subduction zones present significant hazards. Evidence from the South Chile subduction zone suggests that the structure and fluid distribution of the megathrust interface governs the size and timing of large earthquakes.
- Mohamed Chlieh
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Article |
Recurrence time and size of Chilean earthquakes influenced by geological structure
Geological structure and pore fluid pressure in the subduction zone forearc govern the size and recurrence of megathrust earthquakes in Chile, according to quasi-dynamic simulations of the seismic cycle.
- Joaquín Julve
- , Sylvain Barbot
- & Valeria Becerra-Carreño
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Article
| Open Access
Mercury fluxes from hydrothermal venting at mid-ocean ridges constrained by measurements
Hydrothermal venting makes limited contribution to the inventory of oceanic mercury compared with anthropogenic inputs, according to measurements at mid-ocean ridges.
- Natalia Torres-Rodriguez
- , Jingjing Yuan
- & Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
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Article
| Open Access
Antarctic Peninsula glaciation patterns set by landscape evolution and dynamic topography
Spatially distinct ice-sheet growth on the Antarctic Peninsula through the Pleistocene was the result of dynamic topography and pre-glacial landscape evolution, not climate, according to a palaeotopographic reconstruction and ice-sheet modelling.
- Matthew Fox
- , Anna Clinger
- & Frederic Herman
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Article |
Palaeozoic cooling modulated by ophiolite weathering through organic carbon preservation
Weathering of mafic and ultramafic lithologies in ophiolites can enhance the preservation of organic carbon through the formation of smectite clays and modulate Earth’s climate, according to a coupled mineral weathering and carbon box model.
- Joshua Murray
- & Oliver Jagoutz
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Article |
A hydrogen-enriched layer in the topmost outer core sourced from deeply subducted water
Deeply subducted water may have enabled the exchange of hydrogen and silicon between the mantle and core, according to high-pressure and -temperature experiments.
- Taehyun Kim
- , Joseph G. O’Rourke
- & Yongjae Lee
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Article |
Diverse slip behaviour of velocity-weakening fault barriers
Velocity-weakening seismic barriers in subduction zones display a range of behaviours consistent with geologic structural control on earthquake seismicity, according to earthquake cycle simulations along a megathrust.
- Diego Molina-Ormazabal
- , Jean-Paul Ampuero
- & Andrés Tassara
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Research Briefing |
A rock record of H2 production in the ancient Earth
H2, which is formed by the oxidation of iron in rocks, was likely a critical source of energy for early life. Analysis of natural rock samples from 3.5–2.7 billion-year-old komatiites, combined with geochemical data from a global database, quantifies the amount of H2 likely to have been produced in Earth’s ancient oceans.
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Article |
Geological evidence for high H2 production from komatiites in the Archaean
Serpentinization of komatiites produced large quantities of H2 in the Archaean, which has implications for the start of early chemosynthetic life, according to petrologic and bulk rock chemical analyses.
- R. Tamblyn
- & J. Hermann
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Article |
Emergence of the modern global monsoon from the Pangaea megamonsoon set by palaeogeography
Varying monsoon extent and intensity since the expansive megamonsoon on the Pangaea supercontinent was controlled by the position and fragmentation of continental land masses, according to climate simulations and atmospheric energetic analyses.
- Yongyun Hu
- , Xiang Li
- & Zhengtang Guo
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Article
| Open Access
Oxygenation of the Baltoscandian shelf linked to Ordovician biodiversification
Animal diversification coincided with increasing oxygenation of the Baltoscandian continental shelf from the Early to Middle Ordovician, according to iodine and calcium records.
- Anders Lindskog
- , Seth A. Young
- & Jeremy D. Owens
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Article |
Geometric controls on cascading rupture of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake doublet
Analysis of remote-sensing and seismological observations from the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake doublet reveals how fault geometry can control fault slip distribution and rupture kinematics, including the occurrence of supershear rupture.
- Yijun Zhang
- , Xiongwei Tang
- & Heping Sun
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All Minerals Considered |
The crystal timekeeper zircon
Recording 4.3 billion years of Earth’s history, Jesse Reimink explores the many ways that zircon allows geologists to keep track of the past.
- Jesse Reimink
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Research Briefing |
The Shatsky Rise oceanic plateau formed through plume–ridge interaction
There are two competing hypotheses for the origin of oceanic plateaus: plume versus plate. Thermodynamic modelling of magmatism at Shatsky Rise, in the Pacific Ocean, now suggests that neither mechanism is adequate on its own and in fact plume–ridge interaction is required to explain the formation of this ocean plateau.
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Article |
Magmatism of Shatsky Rise controlled by plume–ridge interaction
Thermodynamic simulations suggest that Shatsky Rise magmatism is controlled by the interaction between mantle plume and mid-ocean ridge.
- Xubo Zhang
- , Eric L. Brown
- & William W. Sager
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Matters Arising |
Sensitivity of Santorini eruption model predictions to input conditions
- R. J. Walker
- , S. P. A. Gill
- & T. L. Stephens
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Matters Arising |
Reply to: Sensitivity of Santorini eruption model predictions to input conditions
- A. Gudmundsson
- , M. Bazargan
- & C. Satow
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All Minerals Considered |
Rutile’s fiery brilliance
From pressure indicator to paint brightener, Alicia Cruz-Uribe examines the many uses of rutile.
- Alicia M. Cruz-Uribe
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Research Briefing |
Atmosphere-altered sediments were recycled into the mantle across the Great Oxidation Event
Analysis of mineral inclusions in magmas that crystallized before and after the Great Oxidation Event reveals marked changes in the oxidation state of sulfur — owing to the recycling into the mantle of sediments that had been geochemically altered at the surface by atmospheric events.
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Article
| Open Access
Sub-arc mantle fugacity shifted by sediment recycling across the Great Oxidation Event
Subduction of sediments shaped geochemically by an increasingly oxidized atmosphere shifted the redox state of the mantle during the early Proterozoic, according to an analysis of sulfur speciation in apatites from ancient igneous zircons.
- Hugo Moreira
- , Craig Storey
- & Bruno Dhuime
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Article |
Forearc seismogenesis in a weakly coupled subduction zone influenced by slab mantle fluids
Fluids at the plate interface are sourced from the dehydrating slab mantle beneath the Shumagin Gap in Alaska, and contribute to regional seismic risk by influencing rupture propagation, according to magnetotelluric observations and electrical resistivity modelling.
- Darcy Cordell
- , Samer Naif
- & Anne Bécel
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News & Views |
Forming the oldest-surviving crust
The chemical signatures of granitic continental crust from the earliest Archean are consistent with formation during subduction, indicating some form of plate tectonics was active at the time.
- Allen P. Nutman
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Article
| Open Access
Deep formation of Earth’s earliest continental crust consistent with subduction
Early continental crust formed at depth, implying some type of plate tectonics operating as long as 4 billion years ago, according to high-pressure and temperature melting experiments of an analogue material.
- Alan R. Hastie
- , Sally Law
- & Duncan D. Muir
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Article |
High-elevation Tibetan Plateau before India–Eurasia collision recorded by triple oxygen isotopes
The triple oxygen isotope composition of quartz veins indicates that the southern Tibetan Plateau was already around 3.5 km high by 60 million years ago, showing that substantial surface uplift started before collision of the Eurasian and Indian plates.
- Daniel E. Ibarra
- , Jingen Dai
- & Chengshan Wang
Tectonics regulate CO2 release more strongly than chemical weathering in central Italy