Geophysics articles within Nature Communications

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  • 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

    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

  • Article |

    Ocean island basalts contain primordial and recycled crustal components, sourced from the deep mantle by plumes. Here, the authors examine Hf-Nd-He isotopes in ocean floor basalts south of Samoa and suggest that selective ingress of only the primordial component from the Samoan plume can occur.

    • Oliver Nebel
    •  & Richard J. Arculus

  • Article |

    The behaviour of subducted carbonates at high pressures within the Earth is still poorly understood. Here, the authors present experimental and theoretical evidence of a new carbon–oxygen bond in a high-pressure mineral phase, which has implications for the viscosity and mobility of carbonate melts.

    • Eglantine Boulard
    • , Ding Pan
    •  & Wendy L. Mao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Excitations of seismic background noise are mostly related to fluid disturbances, and earthquakes have not been considered as a source due to their intermittent nature. Here, the authors use a seabed hydrophone array and show that background noise offshore Japan is mainly due to small earthquakes.

    • Takashi Tonegawa
    • , Yoshio Fukao
    •  & Yoshiyuki Kaneda

  • Article |

    Suspended dust and sea salt are currently considered to be two major sources of environmental aerosol particles. Here, Joung and Buie report another mechanism of aerosol generation from rainfall impact on porous soil surfaces, whereby elements can be delivered to the air.

    • Young Soo Joung
    •  & Cullen R. Buie

  • Article |

    Slow slip events have been observed in different subduction zones, but their relationship to megathrust earthquakes remains elusive. Here, the authors postulate that a transient event may have led to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake as the hypocentre falls within a zone of positive Coloumb stress change.

    • Yusuke Yokota
    •  & Kazuki Koketsu

  • Article |

    Understanding of the Earth’s interior requires insight into the thermal properties of silicate melts under high pressure. Here, the authors present high-pressure spectroscopic measurements of iron-enriched dense silicate glasses and infer the radiative conductivity of dense melts at the core–mantle boundary.

    • Motohiko Murakami
    • , Alexander F. Goncharov
    •  & Craig R. Bina

  • Article |

    Growth of salt crystals in pores is one of the most damaging weathering mechanisms for stone in ornamental structures and historical buildings. Here, the authors present a simple yet powerful treatment for predicting when salt damage will occur, quantifying this susceptibility to salt crystallization.

    • Robert J. Flatt
    • , Francesco Caruso
    •  & George W. Scherer

  • Article |

    Obtaining reliable estimates of the absolute palaeointensity of the Earth’s magnetic field is difficult and many methods induce alteration. de Groot et al.present a means to see and explain changes in magnetization in unreliable samples, explaining why some samples systematically fail paleointensity experiments.

    • Lennart V. de Groot
    • , Karl Fabian
    •  & Mark J. Dekkers

  • Article |

    Studies suggest almost the same amount of biomass is present in subterranean settings as on Earth’s surface. Here, the authors propose that a large intraterrestrial microbial system was responsible for mineralization in southern Spain, and that microbes may play a major role in sub-surface ore-forming processes.

    • Fernando Tornos
    • , Francisco Velasco
    •  & Juan Manuel Escobar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Signs of instability in the Antarctic Larsen C ice shelf have raised concerns that it might soon collapse like its northern neighbour Larsen B. Kulessa et al.combine an ice-shelf model with satellite and geophysical data to show that despite dynamic similarities, Larsen C is presently stabilized by marine ice.

    • Bernd Kulessa
    • , Daniela Jansen
    •  & Peter R. Sammonds

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Deformation is often used in volcano monitoring, but the associated hazard is hard to interpret. Biggs et al.analyse 20 years of global satellite data and show a strong statistical link between deformation and eruption, although deformation alone is not necessarily a precursor of imminent eruption.

    • J. Biggs
    • , S. K. Ebmeier
    •  & T. A. Mather

  • Article |

    Alaskan mountain glaciers are losing ice and contribute to sea level rise, but contributions from specific ice-loss mechanisms are not known. Here, calving losses in Central Alaska are found to equal 36% of the net regional mass change each year and regional flux is dictated largely by snow accumulation rates.

    • Evan W. Burgess
    • , Richard R. Forster
    •  & Christopher F. Larsen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Low-resistivity crustal fluids occur near fault zones, but their relation to earthquake generation is unclear. Here, electromagnetic data from the Izmit earthquake reflects the pressure-induced transition between isolated and interconnected fluids that is linked to foreshocks before large earthquakes.

    • Yoshimori Honkura
    • , Naoto Oshiman
    •  & Elif Tolak Çiftçi

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