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Physical conditions and frictional properties in the source region of a slow-slip event
A shallow slow-slip source region has laterally variable elastic properties and pore pressure, and near-velocity-neutral frictional properties, according to seismic imaging of part of the Hikurangi subduction margin and data-constrained modelling.
- Adrien F. Arnulf
- , James Biemiller
- & Andreia Plaza Faverola
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News & Views |
Unrushed megathrusts
Corals reveal that part of the plate-boundary fault near Sumatra slipped slowly and quietly for three decades before a large earthquake in 1861. The exceptional duration of this slip event has implications for interpreting deformation to assess seismic hazard.
- Daniel Melnick
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Article |
Slip rate deficit and earthquake potential on shallow megathrusts
Shallow parts of megathrusts up-dip of locked patches generally have a high slip rate deficit, which could mean tsunami hazard has been underestimated, according to a stress-constrained inversion of geodetic data.
- Eric O. Lindsey
- , Rishav Mallick
- & Emma M. Hill
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Long-lived shallow slow-slip events on the Sunda megathrust
A 32-year-long slow-slip event occurred on a shallow part of the Sunda megathrust, perhaps because of stress accumulation after fluid expulsion, according to an analysis of the deformation history of the area and physics-based simulations.
- Rishav Mallick
- , Aron J. Meltzner
- & Emma M. Hill
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News & Views |
Stressed rocks cause big landslides
Near-surface stress patterns, influenced by topography, control the size and location of the largest landslides — but not necessarily smaller ones — according to a study of mountains at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
- Peter van der Beek
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Topographic stress control on bedrock landslide size
Stress from tectonics and topography may be the primary control on the size of bedrock landslides, according to a comparison of a stress model with landslide inventories for a mountainous area in eastern Tibet.
- Gen K. Li
- & Seulgi Moon
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Spatiotemporal clustering of great earthquakes on a transform fault controlled by geometry
The rupture mode between major and great earthquakes is controlled by transform fault geometry, according to simulations of a reconstructed record of 20 palaeoearthquakes along the Alpine Fault, New Zealand.
- Jamie D. Howarth
- , Nicolas C. Barth
- & Rupert Sutherland
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Global dominance of tectonics over climate in shaping river longitudinal profiles
Spatially varying uplift rates strongly influence the concavity of river profiles worldwide, with smaller contributions from hydrological factors, according to a comparison of river profile, tectonic and climatic datasets.
- Hansjörg Seybold
- , Wouter R. Berghuijs
- & James W. Kirchner
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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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Calibrating the marine turbidite palaeoseismometer using the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake
Marine turbidite deposition is confirmed to relate to earthquake ground motions by an analysis of turbidite deposits and simulations of ground motions from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.
- Jamie D. Howarth
- , Alan R. Orpin
- & M. Namik Cağatay
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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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Nonlinear forcing of climate on mountain denudation during glaciations
Constraints on the denudation of the Southern Alps over the last glacial cycle indicate a nonlinear influence of climate on landscape evolution in glaciated areas, according to a beryllium isotope record measured from quartz in a sequence of Mediterranean turbidites.
- Apolline Mariotti
- , Pierre-Henri Blard
- & Karim Keddadouche
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Distinct slab interfaces imaged within the mantle transition zone
Two seismic discontinuities in the mantle transition zone beneath the western Pacific represent subducted slab interfaces that could be the slab Moho and partially molten sub-slab asthenosphere, according to an analysis of seismic data.
- Xin Wang
- , Qi-Fu Chen
- & Lijun Liu
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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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News & Views |
Inelastic earthquake damage
Permanent surface deformation caused by the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes has been directly measured, constraining the mechanics of surface damage in earthquakes.
- Wanpeng Feng
- & Rafael V. Almeida
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Article |
Localized fault-zone dilatancy and surface inelasticity of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes
Inelastic failure in the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes was localized and influenced by mylonitic deformation of the fault damage zone, according to an analysis of surface displacements derived from satellite images.
- William D. Barnhart
- , Ryan D. Gold
- & James Hollingsworth
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Slip-rate-dependent friction as a universal mechanism for slow slip events
A transition from rate-weakening to rate-strengthening frictional behaviour with increasing slip rate could explain the observed diversity of slow slip events on faults, according to numerical simulations.
- Kyungjae Im
- , Demian Saffer
- & Jean-Philippe Avouac
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Back-propagating supershear rupture in the 2016 Mw 7.1 Romanche transform fault earthquake
In one earthquake, an oceanic transform fault ruptured in one direction and then backwards at a speed exceeding that of shear-wave propagation, according to an analysis of data recorded by nearby seafloor and global seismometers.
- Stephen P. Hicks
- , Ryo Okuwaki
- & Henriette Sudhaus
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Late Cenozoic climate change paces landscape adjustments to Yukon River capture
Increased river incision and landscape erosion can be attributed to late Cenozoic cooling/changes in hydroclimate, according to cosmogenic isotope and luminescence ages of a sequence of bedrock terraces in the Yukon River basin.
- Adrian M. Bender
- , Richard O. Lease
- & Tammy M. Rittenour
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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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Article |
Evidence for a hot start and early ocean formation on Pluto
Pluto’s subsurface ocean may have formed early due to accretionary heating, a comparison of thermal evolution modelling with observed tectonic structures suggests.
- Carver J. Bierson
- , Francis Nimmo
- & S. Alan Stern
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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 |
The rough ride of subducting fault surfaces
The morphology and geometry of the plate interface in a subduction zone is heterogeneous and influenced by lower-plate normal faulting, suggests an analysis of seismic data. These properties of subduction interfaces may influence how the largest earthquakes occur.
- Matt J. Ikari
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Subduction megathrust heterogeneity characterized from 3D seismic data
Geometric and rheological complexities may control the mechanical behaviour of megathrusts, according to an analysis of the heterogeneity in roughness and rock properties of the Middle America megathrust from 3D seismic reflection data.
- James D. Kirkpatrick
- , Joel H. Edwards
- & Eli A. Silver
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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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Earthquakes and tsunamis caused by low-angle normal faulting in the Banda Sea, Indonesia
Low-angle normal faults in the Banda Sea have caused large earthquakes that indirectly generated tsunamis due to earthquake-triggered submarine slumping, according to an analysis of historical earthquake and tsunami events and GPS observations.
- Phil R. Cummins
- , Ignatius R. Pranantyo
- & Siyuan Zhao
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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
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Great Oxidation and Lomagundi events linked by deep cycling and enhanced degassing of carbon
Carbon cycling in the mantle may be a common mechanism that links the Great Oxidation Event and the subsequent Lomagundi increase in carbon isotope values, according to a box model that accounts for carbon and oxygen fluxes and reservoirs.
- James Eguchi
- , Johnny Seales
- & Rajdeep Dasgupta
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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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Release of oxidizing fluids in subduction zones recorded by iron isotope zonation in garnet
Lawsonite dehydration and release of oxidizing fluids could play an important role in sub-arc mantle oxidation in subduction zones, suggest measurements of changing oxygen fugacity in zoned garnets from Sifnos, Greece.
- Anna R. Gerrits
- , Edward C. Inglis
- & Kevin W. Burton
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News & Views |
Chemical origin of tectonic tremor
Tectonic tremor may ultimately be caused by in situ fluid overpressure generated by chemical reactions between a subducting slab and the mantle, according to field and microstructural observations of a shear zone.
- Kohtaro Ujiie
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Fluid overpressure from chemical reactions in serpentinite within the source region of deep episodic tremor
Chemical reactions between slab and mantle rocks may lead to brittle failure where deep episodic tremor occurs in subduction zones, according to field and microstructural observations of a shear zone in New Zealand.
- Matthew S. Tarling
- , Steven A. F. Smith
- & James M. Scott
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News & Views |
Irrigation and the Palu landslides
Wet rice cultivation in the Palu Valley, Indonesia, prepared the ground for the devastating liquefaction-induced landslides that were triggered by the Mw 7.5 earthquake in 2018, suggest two studies of the spatial relationship between landslide morphology and irrigation.
- Phil R. Cummins
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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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Extensive crustal extraction in Earth’s early history inferred from molybdenum isotopes
Steady-state chemical differentiation between Earth’s mantle and crust was reached 3.5 billion years ago, following vigorous crustal recycling, according to mass balance modelling of molybdenum isotopes measured in mantle-derived volcanic rocks.
- Alex J. McCoy-West
- , Priyadarshi Chowdhury
- & Helen M. Williams
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The susceptibility of Oklahoma’s basement to seismic reactivation
Seismicity induced by wastewater injections is widespread in Oklahoma, probably because its basement is susceptible to the reactivation of basement-rooted faults, according to three-dimensional seismic analyses, rock-mechanics experiments and field surveys.
- F. Kolawole
- , C. S. Johnston
- & B. M. Carpenter
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Early evolution of a young back-arc basin in the Havre Trough
The Havre Tough back-arc basin, New Zealand, formed rapidly and in two phases: initial, limited seafloor spreading was followed by a transition to arc magmatism, as shown by geophysical data and modelling.
- Fabio Caratori Tontini
- , Dan Bassett
- & Richard Wysoczanski
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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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Burma Terrane part of the Trans-Tethyan arc during collision with India according to palaeomagnetic data
The Burma Terrane was part of a Trans-Tethyan island arc that began to collide with India 60 million years ago, according to palaeomagnetic data.
- Jan Westerweel
- , Pierrick Roperch
- & Day Wa Aung
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News & Views |
Plateaus from seafloor spreading
Ocean-floor plateaus are not voluminous lava flows from central volcanoes as thought, but anomalously thick oceanic crust, suggest magnetic anomaly patterns from the Shatsky Rise, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
- Joanne M. Whittaker
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Ross Ice Shelf response to climate driven by the tectonic imprint on seafloor bathymetry
The boundary between West and East Antarctica is a tectonic feature that bisects the Ross Ice Shelf. This boundary constrains ocean circulation under the ice, which affects ice stability, according to airborne survey data and ocean simulations.
- K. J. Tinto
- , L. Padman
- & R. E. Bell
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Episodic stress and fluid pressure cycling in subducting oceanic crust during slow slip
Stress cycling in subducting crust before and during slow slip events is due to accumulation and release of fluid pressure, according to analysis of small earthquakes in the Hikurangi subduction zone.
- E. Warren-Smith
- , B. Fry
- & S. Lebedev
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Shallow seismic activity and young thrust faults on the Moon
Shallow moonquakes detected at four Apollo landing sites between 1969 and 1977 occurred during maximum stress and in close proximity to young faults, suggesting that the Moon is tectonically active, according to reanalyses of the seismic data and tidal force modelling.
- Thomas R. Watters
- , Renee C. Weber
- & Catherine L. Johnson