Available data suggest that the breakup of the Neoarchean Kenorland supercontinent at 2.5–2.4 Ga was likely triggered by a large mantle plume upwelling that caused significant magmatism. Here, we present 2D high-resolution magmatic-thermomechanical numerical models of extension of the continental crust underplated by a hot mantle plume material. Using this model, it is demonstrated that mantle plume

We applied the modified centroid method with a fractal magnetization model on a new magnetic anomaly grid for the Circum-Arctic area (CAMP) to obtain the first high-resolution Arctic Curie-point model and to infer geothermal structure. The shallowest Curie-point depths, found in the oceanic domain, reveal the cooling pattern of oceanic lithosphere and asymmetric mantle thermal activities across spreading

Continental rifts are the expression of regional horizontal stretching and are in modelling studies often assumed to be the result of orthogonal or oblique extension. However, naturally occurring V-shaped rift geometries infer an underlying rotational component, resulting in a divergence velocity gradient. Here we use such analogue models of rifting in rotational settings to investigate and quantify

Geological observations have revealed a rapid evolution and obvious east–west differential evolution in the North Sulawesi subduction zone. The Celebes Sea plate has inserted itself under the north arm of Sulawesi Islands, which has simultaneously rotated clockwise. The Sulawesi Islands' north arm rotation might be critical in facilitating tectonic processes, such as the slab subduction and rollback

Based on field geology, seismic reflection profiling data and isopach maps, the structural deformation pattern, timing of deformation, and mechanism of formation of the western part of the NE Qaidam Basin (including the Pingtai Uplift, Lenghu and Eboliang structural belts) during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras have been investigated. Several anticlines in the Lenghu and Eboliang structural belts are

SKS wave splitting measurements revealed strong and complex seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle beneath the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. To better understand lithospheric deformation and upper mantle anisotropy observed in this region, we performed studies on microstructures, seismic anisotropy and chemical compositions of the mantle peridotite xenoliths collected from Maguan, Yunnan Province,

Constraining the shortening rate, timing, and deformation pattern in the frontal parts of the southern Qilian Shan (China) is helpful to further understand the strain distribution model and the tectonic deformation mechanism of the Qilian Shan. The Santai fold belt is one of the active thrust and fold belts parallel to southern Qilian Shan in the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin. It has experienced

We investigated the late Upper Pleistocene activity of the eight main faults that comprise the active, dip-slip Gran Sasso fault system (GSFS) in the Gran Sasso d'Italia Massif (central Italian Apennines; 2912 m a.s.l.). We carried out novel paleoseismological analyses at four sites of three different fault segments, and reviewed the data of the previous results for three other segments. We carried

As an active intracontinental orogenic belt within the far field influence of the India-Eurasia collision, the Tien Shan is a natural laboratory to study the mechanisms of the large-scale mountain building. In this study, we image crustal seismic structures beneath the central Tien Shan using the H-κ-c method with the harmonic corrections on Ps and its crustal multiples (PpPs, PpSs + PsPs) in P-wave

The NE-trending Liaodong Bay Subbasin (LDBS), a subunit of the Bohai Bay Basin (BBB), developed along the Tan-Lu Fault Zone (TLFZ) in eastern China. The LDBS is controlled by both extensional and dextral strike-slip fault systems and has an episodic evolutionary history, leading to a poor understanding of its tectonic origin. In this paper, through interpretations of seismic data and other geological

The Gulf of Gökova is one of the earthquake-prone areas in the Aegean Sea and southwestern Turkey. The paleoseismology of the region is not well known because of the lack of robust field data. In this study, we focused on marine tidal notches as geomorphic markers of modern and paleoseismic deformations. Our geomorphic surveys suggest that the 20 July 2017 Bodrum-Kos Earthquake coseismically uplifted

The Indian Ocean Geoid Low (IOGL) in the Central Indian Ocean is the largest geoid depression on the globe. Spectral decomposition of geoid anomalies reveals that a significant fraction (up to ~90%) of the IOGL is due to mass anomalies lying within the lower mantle (~ > 700 km). The crustal density structure and Moho depth variations obtained from 3-D gravity inversion along with the upper mantle density

The Qilian Shan on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau contains structural, sedimentary and tectonothermal records of plateau formation and growth in response to the Indian-Asian continental collision. In this study, we reveal the tectonic deformation evolution of the Qilian Shan by detrital apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronology and provenance analysis of a sedimentary section on the

The Bahla massif exposes the lower crustal section of the Oman ophiolite located close to the thrust front of the Semail nappe. It is affected by intense faulting previously attributed to tectonic events that dismembered a classical ophiolitic sequence during or after the obduction. Here we show that most of this complexity is primary, inherited from syn-accretion tectonics. The crustal section is

Central Anatolia (Turkey) is a small and nascent example of a high orogenic plateau, providing a natural laboratory to study processes driving plateau rise. The 1-km-high plateau interior uplifted since c. 8–5 Ma, with a further phase of kilometre-scale uplift affecting the southern plateau margin since 0.45 Ma. Several causes of plateau rise have been proposed: peeling or dripping delamination of

The tectonic plate under the eastern Mediterranean Sea shows a remarkable variability as it comprises Earth's oldest oceanic lithosphere as well as the transition towards continental lithosphere beneath the Levant Basin. Its thickness and other properties offer essential information on the lithospheric evolution but have been difficult to determine seismically due to the high heterogeneity of the region

Foreland basins associated with collisional mountain belts undergo postdepositional deformation in response to compressive stress exerted from the evolving orogen. The low thermal regime of such processes requires sensitive methods to unravel the structural evolution of such regions. In this study, we conducted apatite fission track (AFT) and (U-Th)/He thermochronology on the sedimentary succession

The Tien Shan is one of the highest, youngest, and most active orogenic belts at the southwestern margin of Central Asia. The topography of the Central Tien Shan is characterized by nearly parallel orogenic belts with interposing intermontane basins, providing an ideal site to investigate the formation and modification of the intermontane basins. Here we construct a high-resolution crustal velocity

Collisional shortening in the external Western Alps was first accommodated by internal (distributed) deformation in the External Crystalline Massifs (ECM) and then on frontal crustal ramps (localized deformation). However, the timing of transition between these two periods is still under-constrained, mainly because the available dataset is incomplete in the Western Alps. We here provide new zircon

Satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has been playing an important role in the earthquake surface deformation observation and source model inversions with its advantage of fine spatial resolution in comparison with seismological data. At present, the two-step inversion approach, including a nonlinear inversion step for determining the fault geometry (e.g., length, width, depth

The mantle transition zone (MTZ) of the Earth lies between 410 and ∼1000 km in depth and has a key role in mantle convection processes. In particular, the discontinuity at 660 km and its associated endothermic mineralogical transformation can slow or inhibit the passage of matter between the upper and lower mantle. The MTZ thus acts as a boundary layer within the mantle. The depth variations of radial

The timing and mechanism of the changes in the stress/strain field direction on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau are controversial, which limits our understanding of the tectonic evolution of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and the Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF). Here, we conducted a detailed anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility analysis of successive fluvial-lacustrine sediments deposited since

Residual gravity anomalies over Central Italy clearly indicate a prominent regional minimum over the Fucino Basin. Here, we forward model this anomaly along seven cross-sections. The modeling results validate the geometries and petrophysical properties of the Plio-Quaternary units previously proposed by reflection seismic data interpretation. Moreover, we suggest that a thick wedge-shaped sequence

Tectonic stresses governed by the Arabia – Central Iran collision are transferred throughout the Iranian Plateau. The orientation of the maximum horizontal stress (σ1) significantly changes (~90°) in the Persian block of NW Iran. However, the exact spatial extent and boundary conditions for these changes are poorly defined. This study investigates the late Cenozoic stress regime in a key region in

The Gulf of Mexico is an economically important basin with more than a century-long history of hydrocarbon exploration. However, the opening history of the basin remains debated for two reasons: 1) the quality of data does not allow for reliable interpretations of crustal features beneath thick and complex overburden, and 2) most industry well and geophysical data are proprietary. The last concerted

The Great Sumatran Fault (GSF) 1900 km long active and segmented strike-slip faults. One of the segments is the Sumani segment in the province of West Sumatra that passes through a relatively densely populated area. Knowing the geometry of subsurface structures in this segment is one of the efforts to identify potential disasters in the future. To achieve this objective, ground magnetic measurements

Practical attempts are made for a better understanding of the deformation mechanisms among porous siliciclastic, carbonate and volcanic rocks, in which the localized compaction has commonly been detected, with emphasis on the effect of micro-pore and size difference between grains and macro-pores. Based on a distinct element model comprised of multiple identical elements, the variation in relative

The Cambrian Santa Angélica intrusive complex (SAIC - SE, Brazil), is composed of two lobes with concentric fabric and bull's eyes shapes, each lobe containing a mafic nuclei and granitic borders. It intruded during the post-collisional phase of the Araçuaí orogen (AO). Although SAIC'S internal structure is described as exclusively magmatic, prominent solid-state deformation occurs at its borders,

As a petrofabric indicator, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) can potentially be used to infer seismic properties of rocks, and in particular seismic anisotropy. To evaluate the link between AMS and seismic anisotropy we present laboratory measurements of elastic wave velocities and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) for eight samples from the deep drilling investigation forming

The nature of the crust beneath central Iberia was estimated by a wide-angle seismic reflection/refraction transect, ALCUDIA-WA, which sampled the southern half of the Variscan Central Iberian Zone, covered in the north by the Cenozoic Tajo Basin. The shot gathers recorded by vertical component sensors revealed well defined P- and S-wave phases. These arrivals were modeled by an iterative forward approach

Although the East China Sea (ECS) is widely accepted as the offshore extension of the South China Block (SCB), an alternate hypothesis is that the ECS basement is a buoyant allochthon that collided with Eurasia in the Cretaceous. In order to constrain the Mesozoic collision position, or the Mesozoic suture zone, wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic profiles (ECS2017 and ECS2019) were carried out

The Deccan volcanic province (DVP) in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent is the largest continental volcanic province in the world. Talala, located in the middle of the DVP, experience seismicity with swarm-like behavior towards the end of, or shortly after, the annual monsoon period. Between the years 2007 and 2012, seismic activity was recorded with moment magnitudes up to Mw 5.1. Although

Reservoir-triggered seismicity (RTS) has the potential to generate disastrous seismic events of M6 and bigger. Song Tranh 2 (STR2) is an artificial water reservoir located in Central Vietnam. High seismic activity has been observed in this area since the reservoir was first filled in 2011. The relation between water level and seismic activity in the Song Tranh area is complex, and previous studies

From 2008 to 2011 a broadband seismic array (BILBY) spanned the Australian continent from North to South, crossing the suture zone between the North and South Australian cratons, and traversing the Central Australian orogenic belt. Past tectonic events, including orogenies during the Proterozoic and Paleozoic, have left a long-lasting impression on the crustal and Moho structure of this inter-cratonic

As part of the Variscan orogen, the Pyrenean realm has undergone several rifting episodes, starting from the Permian-Carboniferous post-orogenic collapse and culminating with mid-Cretaceous lithospheric mantle exhumation. We present the Pressure-Temperature-time-deformation (P-T-t-d) evolution of the tonalite bodies (here described for the first time) intruded in the late Carboniferous high pressure

The effects of anisotropic thermal conductivity due to the crystallographic-preferred orientation (CPO) of olivine in the mantle wedge on the steady-state thermal structure of the Tohoku subduction zone, Northeast Japan, are investigated using geodynamic modeling. Four different olivine crystal fabrics are modeled based on theoretical CPO development in the mantle wedge: random (i.e., isotropic thermal

An unusual earthquake doublet ruptured the high-risk middle segment of the Xianshuihe fault in November 2014, exhibiting significant variations in the rupture and aftershock characteristics. By conducting rupture kinematic inversions jointly with local broadband seismic data, strong-motion data, and coseismic InSAR data, we find diverse rupture processes of this earthquake doublet. The first event

Multiphase cave conduit offset and related speleothem damage in the Demänová Cave System (DCS; the Low Tatra Mts, Central Western Carpathians) were dated with U-series methods, revealing five events: (1) 570 (442)–417 ka, (2) 306–291 ka, (3) 184–130 ka, (4) ~19 ka, and (5) 2.56–2.3 ka. To decipher the cause of the damage, we combined geochronological data with structural, geomorphological, and seismological

The subsidence/uplift patterns of forearc basins are controlled by subduction dynamics and are strongly dependent on the nature of the margin (erosive vs. accretionary). Here, we explore the role that increased megathrust shear force plays in triggering and sustaining the short wavelength topography of coastal forearc regions at erosive margins, where subsidence is supposed to prevail. The northern

Asthenosphere-lithosphere interactions modulated by surface processes generate outstanding topographies and sedimentary basins, but the nature of these interactions and the mechanisms through which they control the evolution of extensional tectonic settings are elusive. Basal lithospheric shearing due to plume-related mantle flow leads to extensional lithospheric rupturing and associated magmatism

At the Decatur carbon capture and storage site (IL, USA) CO2 has been injected from 2011–2014 and from 2017 to present near the base of the Lower Mt. Simon Sandstone saline reservoir, resulting in microseismicity. Microseismicity is mainly located in the basement and distributed in distinct spatial clusters. The lack of significant impedance contrasts within the basement makes the interpretation of

The Erzgebirge dome, exposing Proterozoic - Early Palaeozoic metagranitoids and metasedimentary rocks of the Saxothuringian domain in the Bohemian Massif, is formed by a tectonic stack of several UHP-HP and HT units exhumed during Variscan continental subduction-collision process. A systematic study of orthogneiss deformation microstructures carried out on a regional scale has been done to evaluate

The slip rates on the faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau play an important role in understanding the plateau's evolution and assessing its seismic hazard. In order to obtain a quantitative picture of the continuous slip rate along and slip partitioning between the faults, we establish a comprehensive 3D geomechanical-numerical model of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Our results show that the NW-SE-trending

The proto-South China Sea (proto-SCS) is a fully consumed Mesozoic plate that once existed between the South China-Eurasian margin and Borneo. Remnants of this oceanic domain are believed to be emplaced as ophiolitic lithologies in Palawan and Zambales, Philippines and Borneo. Cretaceous and Eocene ophiolitic lithologies are exposed in the central and southern portions of Palawan island. The Eocene

We present a high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity model of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Trans-North China Orogen and its adjacent regions derived from a joint inversion of Rayleigh wave phase velocity and ellipticity computed from ambient noise data. The 3-D velocity model reveals large lateral variations in sedimentary and crustal structure across the study area. In addition to the

The origin of seismically-defined high-velocity lower crust (HVLC) is an important scientific issue that has attracted much debate. This study compiles 12 published wide-angle seismic velocity models from the northeastern South China Sea (SCS) to define the spatial distribution and origin of the HVLC. We have compiled the P-wave seismic velocities and interface depths of sediment, crust (including

We report compositional, microstructural and seismic properties from 24 samples collected from the Middle Allochthon (Seve Nappe) of the central Scandinavian Caledonides, and its bounding shear zones. The samples stem both from field outcrops and the continental drilling project COSC-1 and include quartzofeldspathic gneisses, hornblende gneisses, amphibolites, marbles, calc-silicates, quartzites and

We examined water level data at the Rongchang (RC) well in the Rongchang natural gas field in China's Sichuan Basin from November 2007 through 2019, where injection-induced seismicity with a magnitude of up to 5.2 has been reported. Coseismic water level changes caused by earthquakes from 3 km to 3500 km away, as well as changes in water temperature, provide a good opportunity to systematically study

We determined the crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) and derived the CPO-related seismic anisotropy of naturally deformed gabbronorites and mafic mylonites to better understand the deformation processes and seismic anisotropy in the lower crust. The CPO of plagioclase and pyroxene were measured using the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Microstructural and CPO analyses of

Mantle rheology is an essential property to understand the dynamics and evolution of the Earth. Estimates of mantle viscosity date from Haskell's canonical estimate of 1021 Pa s. For the asthenosphere, as a mechanically weak layer beneath the lithosphere, estimates have varied over a large viscosity range from 4 × 1017 to 1 × 1022 Pa s. In this paper, we use global and regional tomography-based geodynamic

We used numerical methods and the rate-and-state dependent friction law to investigate the role of localized stress perturbation, as a simple analog of fluid overpressure caused by fluid injection, on pre-existing fault. The failure stress exceeds that predicted by the Coulomb failure criterion, inversely proportional to the size of the perturbation zone and the criticality of the tectonic stress on

The reactivation mechanisms of coseismic surface ruptures associated with the 2011 Mw 6.7 Fukushima-ken Hamadori earthquake in Japan are investigated using in-situ controlled hydraulic injections in subsurface boreholes. Two fault segments were selected for reactivation studies, one across a coseismic rupture, the Shionohira site, and one across a non-coseismically ruptured segment, the Minakami-kita

In Holsnøy (Bergen Arcs, Norway), metastable granulite facies anorthosite rocks are partially eclogitised within hydrous shear zones, that have been interpreted as widening over time with fluid influx and strain. We here present a detailed petrological description of two different metre-scale shear zones from this area. Within a few tens of centimetres of each shear zone, the granulite protolith (initially