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| Open AccessGlobal observations of reflectors in the mid-mantle with implications for mantle structure and dynamics
The Earth’s mantle undergoes changes as temperature and pressure increase with depth. Here, the authors present a global interrogation of reflectors in the Earth’s mid-mantle revealing a significant variation in their properties, with widespread compositional heterogeneity and seismic velocity in the mid-mantle, which signify contrasting styles of mantle flow.
- Lauren Waszek
- , Nicholas C. Schmerr
- & Maxim D. Ballmer
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Article
| Open AccessVolcanic crystals as time capsules of eruption history
Crystals can record the timing of volcanic eruptive triggers at depth by examining their zoning histories. Here, the authors analyse clinopyroxene crystal zoning from eruptions at Mount Etna, Italy from 1974-2014 and show that the intrusion of magma can trigger an eruption within 2 weeks of arrival.
- Teresa Ubide
- & Balz S. Kamber
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Article
| Open AccessFreshwater lake to salt-water sea causing widespread hydrate dissociation in the Black Sea
Gas hydrates are maintained via a balance of temperature and pressure, if this changes then destabilization may occur. Here, the authors show instead that due to recent changes in the salinity of the sea water of the Black Sea, gas hydrates may become destabilized with widespread methane seepage.
- Vincent Riboulot
- , Stephan Ker
- & Gabriel Ion
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Article
| Open AccessTectonically-triggered sediment and carbon export to the Hadal zone
Within sediments in deep ocean trenches an earthquake record may be observed. Here, the authors present 14C data on bulk organic carbon (OC) and thermal decomposition from a sediment core in the Japan Trench and match OC values with known earthquake events.
- Rui Bao
- , Michael Strasser
- & Timothy I. Eglinton
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Article
| Open AccessGas hydrate dissociation off Svalbard induced by isostatic rebound rather than global warming
Methane seepage from continental slopes has been attributed to gas hydrate dissociation induced by anthropogenic bottom water warming. Here, the authors show that hydrates dissociated before the Anthropocene when the isostatic rebound induced by deglaciation of the Arctic ice sheet outpaced eustatic sea-level rise.
- Klaus Wallmann
- , M. Riedel
- & G. Bohrmann
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Article
| Open AccessIron diapirs entrain silicates to the core and initiate thermochemical plumes
During planetary formation segregation of an iron core from rocky silicates takes place. Here, the authors use analogue fluid experiments show that iron diapirs entrain volatiles and silicates to the Earth’s core and initiate buoyant thermochemical plumes to reoxidize and hydrate the upper mantle and atmosphere.
- J. R. Fleck
- , C. L. Rains
- & P. L. Olson
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Article
| Open AccessLower plate serpentinite diapirism in the Calabrian Arc subduction complex
Understanding subduction zone mechanics and resulting volcanism remains challenging. Here, the authors present seismic reflection profiles from the Mediterranean Sea where serpentinite diapirs are present on the external subduction system of the Calabrian Arc and may be linked to recent volcanism at Etna.
- A. Polonia
- , L. Torelli
- & M. Carlini
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Article
| Open AccessNanoscale geochemical and geomechanical characterization of organic matter in shale
Solid organic matter (OM) plays a key role in the production of hydrocarbons in shale formations, yet information on OM heterogeneity at a nanoscale is lacking. Here, the authors use atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy to document the evolution of individual organic macerals with maturation.
- Jing Yang
- , Javin Hatcherian
- & Andrew E. Pomerantz
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Article
| Open AccessExperimental evidence supporting a global melt layer at the base of the Earth’s upper mantle
A 56–60 km thick low velocity layer exists at the base of the Earth’s upper mantle. Here, the authors experimentally reproduced the wadsleyite-to-olivine transition in the upwelling mantle and show that the low velocity anomaly can be explained by melting of hydrous peridotite.
- D. Freitas
- , G. Manthilake
- & D. Andrault
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Article
| Open AccessHydrologically-driven crustal stresses and seismicity in the New Madrid Seismic Zone
Large-scale changes in continental water storage have been shown to have an impact on seismicity. Here, the authors show that variation in the rate of microearthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone coincides with hydrological loading in the Mississippi embayment at both annual and multi-annual timescales.
- Timothy J. Craig
- , Kristel Chanard
- & Eric Calais
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Article
| Open AccessProdigious submarine landslides during the inception and early growth of volcanic islands
As volcanic islands grow via subaerial shield-building and edifice growth, large submarine landslides occur. Here, the authors reconstruct the emergence of the Canary Islands via turbidites created by submarine landslides as the islands grew, showing that slides are multi-stage.
- James E. Hunt
- & Ian Jarvis
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Article
| Open AccessSporadic low-velocity volumes spatially correlate with shallow very low frequency earthquake clusters
In the Nankai subduction zone a low-velocity zone (LVZ) has been detected. Here, the authors present shear wave velocity profiles to show that low frequency earthquakes correlate with the distribution of the LVZ in the Nankai subduction zone.
- Takashi Tonegawa
- , Eiichiro Araki
- & Kensuke Suzuki
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Article
| Open AccessAndean mountain building and magmatic arc migration driven by subduction-induced whole mantle flow
The Andean orogeny commenced in the Cretaceous, but was preceded by backarc extension starting in the Jurassic. Here, the author presents a 4D geodynamic subduction model reproducing the evolution of overriding plate deformation along with a progressive decrease in slab dip, explaining Jurassic-present arc migration.
- W. P. Schellart
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Article
| Open AccessViscosity jump in the lower mantle inferred from melting curves of ferropericlase
Viscosity increase in the mantle may cause slab stagnation and plume deflection, but the cause has been unclear. Here, the authors perform experiments showing that the viscosity of ferropericlase increases by 10–100 times from 750 to 1250 km depth indicating a single mechanism for these observations.
- Jie Deng
- & Kanani K. M. Lee
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Article
| Open AccessAn assessment of the global impact of 21st century land use change on soil erosion
Human activity and related land use change are the primary cause of soil erosion. Here, the authors show the impacts of 21st century global land use change on soil erosion based on an unprecedentedly high resolution global model that provides insights into the mitigating effects of conservation agriculture.
- Pasquale Borrelli
- , David A. Robinson
- & Panos Panagos
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Article
| Open AccessGeochemical and mineralogical evidence that Rodinian assembly was unique
The supercontinent Rodinia has been hypothesised to have formed in a different manner from other supercontinents. Here, the authors report geochemical and mineralogical evidence for prevalence of non-arc magmatism and enhanced erosion of volcanic arcs and orogens during Rodinian assembly.
- Chao Liu
- , Andrew H. Knoll
- & Robert M. Hazen
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Article
| Open AccessCrystal plasticity as an indicator of the viscous-brittle transition in magmas
The rheological behaviour of magma in shallow conditions may help determine a volcano’s eruptive style. Here, the authors perform deformation experiments on lava from Volcán de Colima to demonstrate that crystal plasticity may preclude failure at certain shallow magmatic conditions.
- J. E. Kendrick
- , Y. Lavallée
- & N. R. Varley
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Article
| Open AccessMulti-scale magnetic mapping of serpentinite carbonation
Peridotite carbonation plays an important role in the carbon cycle. Here, the authors present a geophysical characterization of serpentinite carbonation from km to mm scale and confirm that the abundance of magnetic minerals provides a strong correlation with the overall carbonation reaction process.
- Masako Tominaga
- , Andreas Beinlich
- & Yumiko Harigane
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Article
| Open AccessMantle hydration and the role of water in the generation of large igneous provinces
The genesis of large igneous provinces (LIPs) remains controversial. Here, the authors examine the water contents of picrites from the Emeishan LIP and find that despite high water contents, the elevated temperature and trace elements suggest a mantle plume from a hydrous deep reservoir rather than subduction zone related.
- Jia Liu
- , Qun-Ke Xia
- & Hao-Ran Yu
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Article
| Open AccessCounter-intuitive influence of Himalayan river morphodynamics on Indus Civilisation urban settlements
The Bronze-age Indus civilisation (4.6–3.9 ka) was thought to have been linked to the development of water resources in the Himalayas. Here, the authors show that along the former course of the Sutlej River the Indus settlements developed along the abandoned river valley rather than an active Himalayan river.
- Ajit Singh
- , Kristina J. Thomsen
- & Sanjeev Gupta
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Article
| Open AccessCaldera resurgence driven by magma viscosity contrasts
Following a large caldera creating volcanic eruption, caldera resurgence may occur as magma accumulation takes place, but this rarely leads to another a major eruption. Here, the authors using thermal and experimental models show that caldera resurgence is driven by magma viscosity contrasts.
- Federico Galetto
- , Valerio Acocella
- & Luca Caricchi
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Article
| Open AccessMicroscale cavitation as a mechanism for nucleating earthquakes at the base of the seismogenic zone
Earthquakes frequently occur in the brittle-ductile transition near the base of the seismogenic zone. Using shear experiments on calcite faults, here the authors show that microscale cavitation plays a role in controlling the brittle-ductile transition, and in nucleating earthquakes at the base of the seismogenic zone.
- Berend A. Verberne
- , Jianye Chen
- & Christopher J. Spiers
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Article
| Open AccessMixing instabilities during shearing of metals
The mechanisms behind deformation of multiphase solids are elusive. Here, the authors use X-rays and simulations to show that the same mechanisms causing rocks to fold occur at the micrometer scale in dual-metal lamellas of Ag/Cu and Al/Cu under high-pressure torsion, leading to vortices formation.
- Mohsen Pouryazdan
- , Boris J. P. Kaus
- & Horst Hahn
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Article
| Open AccessDiverse landscapes beneath Pine Island Glacier influence ice flow
Projecting the future retreat and thus global sea level contributions of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier is hampered by a poor grasp of what controls flow at the ice base. Here, via high-resolution ice-radar imaging, the authors show diverse landscapes beneath the glacier fundamentally influence ice flow.
- Robert G. Bingham
- , David G. Vaughan
- & David E. Shean
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Article
| Open AccessUplift of the central transantarctic mountains
The source of the Transantarctic Mountains’ high elevation has remained unclear. Here, the authors present data from a 550 km long magnetotelluric geophysical transect showing that uplift is likely to be mechanical via cantilevered flexure along a master boundary fault and not upper mantle or lower crustal thermal mechanisms.
- Phil Wannamaker
- , Graham Hill
- & Daniel Feucht
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Article
| Open AccessDrip tectonics and the enigmatic uplift of the Central Anatolian Plateau
The recycling of continental lithosphere and rapid plateau uplift is believed to be the result of lithospheric drips, but natural examples are missing. Here, the authors use geodynamic models to suggest that the folding and thickening of the Central Anatolian arc caused lithospheric dripping of the arc root.
- Oğuz H. Göğüş
- , Russell N. Pysklywec
- & Erkan Gün
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Correspondence
| Open AccessCorrespondence: Reply to ‘Challenges with dating weathering products to unravel ancient landscapes’
- Ola Fredin
- , Giulio Viola
- & Jochen Knies
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Correspondence
| Open AccessCorrespondence: Challenges with dating weathering products to unravel ancient landscapes
- Haakon Fossen
- , Anna K. Ksienzyk
- & Joachim Jacobs
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Article
| Open AccessVolcanism in slab tear faults is larger than in island-arcs and back-arcs
The volcanism of subduction settings concentrates in island-arcs and back-arc basins. Here, the authors show that the lithospheric tear faults bounding roll-backing slabs may focus huge volcanism with a volume of the erupted products exceeding that of the island-arcs edifices and back-arcs spreading centres.
- Luca Cocchi
- , Salvatore Passaro
- & Guido Ventura
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Article
| Open AccessGlobal patterns of nitrate storage in the vadose zone
Current global-scale nitrogen (N) budgets quantifying anthropogenic impacts on the N cycle do not explicitly consider nitrate storage in the vadose zone. Here, using estimates of depth to groundwater and nitrate leaching between 1900–2000, the authors show that the vadose zone is an important store of nitrate.
- M. J. Ascott
- , D. C. Gooddy
- & A. M. Binley
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Article
| Open AccessDepth dependent stress revealed by aftershocks
Aftershocks are earthquakes triggered in the near field by the dynamic rupture of larger earthquake events. Here, the authors show along the San Andreas fault system that the early aftershock decay rate can be used to infer the variations of stress with depth.
- Peter Shebalin
- & Clément Narteau
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Article
| Open AccessMarine oxygen production and open water supported an active nitrogen cycle during the Marinoan Snowball Earth
Snowball Earth glaciations were some of the most extreme climate events in Earth history, and are temporally linked to major biogeochemical changes. Here, using geochemical proxies, the authors show that during the Marinoan glaciation, there was likely open water, active oxygen production, and nitrogen cycling.
- Benjamin W. Johnson
- , Simon W. Poulton
- & Colin Goldblatt
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Article
| Open AccessPlanktic foraminifera form their shells via metastable carbonate phases
Understanding foraminifera mineralisation pathways is essential to correctly decipher the geochemical climate signals recorded in their shells. Here, the authors identify a non-classical crystallization pathway via metastable phases for Orbulina universa and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei.
- D. E. Jacob
- , R. Wirth
- & S. M. Eggins
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Article
| Open AccessComplex fault interaction controls continental rifting
Continental rifting and break up processes are poorly constrained in the early stages. Here, the authors using high-resolution numerical simulations to show how early formed faults in continental extension can then control subsequent structure evolution of rifts.
- John B. Naliboff
- , Susanne J. H. Buiter
- & Joya Tetreault
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Article
| Open AccessBurial-induced oxygen-isotope re-equilibration of fossil foraminifera explains ocean paleotemperature paradoxes
The oxygen-isotope composition of fossil foraminifera tests is an established proxy for ocean paleotemperatures. Here, the authors show that isotope re-equilibration can occur during sediment burial without structural modification of the tests and cause a substantial overestimation of ocean paleotemperatures.
- S. Bernard
- , D. Daval
- & A. Meibom
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Article
| Open AccessThe effect of giant lateral collapses on magma pathways and the location of volcanism
Flank instability and lateral collapse are a potential hazard at volcanic edifices. Here, the authors use numerical simulations to show that at Fogo volcano, lateral collapse can trigger a significant deflection of magma pathways in the crust, demonstrating how volcanic edifices may evolve.
- Francesco Maccaferri
- , Nicole Richter
- & Thomas R. Walter
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Correspondence
| Open AccessCorrespondence: Response of a gravimeter to an instantaneous step in gravity
- Thomas H. Heaton
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Correspondence
| Open AccessCorrespondence: Reply to ‘Numerical modelling of the PERM anomaly and the Emeishan large igneous province’
- N. Flament
- , S. Williams
- & D. J. Bower
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Correspondence
| Open AccessCorrespondence: Numerical modelling of the PERM anomaly and the Emeishan large igneous province
- Trond H. Torsvik
- & Mathew Domeier
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Article
| Open AccessPlume-subduction interaction forms large auriferous provinces
The lithospheric controls on giant gold deposits remain unclear. Here, the authors show evidence for native gold in the mantle from the Deseado Massif in Patagonia demonstrating that refertilisation of the lithospheric mantle is key in forming metallogenic provinces.
- Santiago Tassara
- , José M. González-Jiménez
- & Alexandre Corgne
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Article
| Open AccessArchaean and Proterozoic diamond growth from contrasting styles of large-scale magmatism
Dating of inclusions within diamonds is used to reconstruct Earth’s geodynamic history. Here, the authors report isotope data on individual garnet inclusions within diamonds from Venetia, South Africa, showing that two suites of diamonds define two isochrons, showing the importance of dating individual inclusions.
- Janne M. Koornneef
- , Michael U. Gress
- & Gareth R. Davies
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Article
| Open AccessSilicate dissolution boosts the CO2 concentrations in subduction fluids
Current estimates of dissolved CO2 in subduction-zone fluids based on thermodynamic models rely on a very sparse experimental data base. Here, the authors show that experimental graphite-saturated COH fluids interacting with silicates at 1–3 GPa and 800 °C display unpredictably high CO2 contents.
- S. Tumiati
- , C. Tiraboschi
- & S. Poli
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Article
| Open AccessLate Permian wood-borings reveal an intricate network of ecological relationships
Numerous gaps remain in our knowledge of how groups of organisms interacted in ancient ecosystems. Here, Feng and colleagues describe a late Permian fossil wood-boring beetle microcosm, with the oldest known example of complex tunnel geometry, host tissue response, and the presence of fungi within.
- Zhuo Feng
- , Jun Wang
- & Conrad Labandeira
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Article
| Open AccessLithium enrichment in intracontinental rhyolite magmas leads to Li deposits in caldera basins
Lithium is increasingly being utilized for modern technology in the form of lithium-ion batteries. Here, using in situ measurements of quartz-hosted melt inclusions, the authors demonstrate that preserved lake sediments within rhyolitic calderas have the potential to host large lithium-rich clay deposits.
- Thomas R. Benson
- , Matthew A. Coble
- & Gail A. Mahood
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Article
| Open AccessZhamanshin astrobleme provides evidence for carbonaceous chondrite and post-impact exchange between ejecta and Earth’s atmosphere
Identifying the original impactor from craters remains challenging. Here, the authors use chromium and oxygen isotopes to indicate that the Zhamanshin astrobleme impactor was a carbonaceous chrondrite by demonstrating that depleted 17O values are due to exchange with atmospheric oxygen.
- Tomáš Magna
- , Karel Žák
- & Zdeněk Řanda
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Article
| Open AccessCompositionally-distinct ultra-low velocity zones on Earth’s core-mantle boundary
Ultralow velocity zones are detected on the core-mantle boundary, but their origin is enigmatic. Here, the authors find that the global distribution and large variations of morphology of ultralow velocity zones are consistent with most having a compositionally-distinct origin.
- Mingming Li
- , Allen K. McNamara
- & Shule Yu
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Article
| Open AccessSeismological evidence for a localized mushy zone at the Earth’s inner core boundary
The existence of a mushy zone in the Earth’s inner core has been suggested, but has remained unproven. Here, the authors have discovered a 4–8 km thick mushy zone at the inner core boundary beneath the Okhotsk Sea, indicating that there may be more localized mushy zones at the inner core boundary.
- Dongdong Tian
- & Lianxing Wen
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Article
| Open AccessInitial pulse of Siberian Traps sills as the trigger of the end-Permian mass extinction
Although the mass end-Permian extinction is linked to large igneous provinces, its trigger remains unclear. Here, the authors propose that the abrupt change from flood lavas to sills resulted in the heating of sediments and led to the release of large-scale greenhouse gases to drive the end-Permian extinction.
- S. D. Burgess
- , J. D. Muirhead
- & S. A. Bowring
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Article
| Open AccessSediment transport drives tidewater glacier periodicity
The reason some of the Earth’s tidewater glaciers are advancing despite increasing temperatures is not entirely clear. Here, using a numerical model that simulates both ice and sediment dynamics, the authors show that internal dynamics drive glacier variability independent of climate.
- Douglas Brinkerhoff
- , Martin Truffer
- & Andy Aschwanden