Abstract. Dating syntectonic sedimentary sequences is often seen as the unique way to constrain the initiation, kinematics and rate of folding and the sequence of deformation in the shallow crust. Beyond fold growth however, deformation mesostructures accommodate the internal shortening of pre-folding strata before, during and after strata tilting. Absolute dating of mesostructures developed during

Abstract. The Danish-Polish Trough – a large Trans-European sedimentary basin stretching from Denmark, through Germany, to south-eastern Poland and even further to the south into Ukraine, had undergone an uplift during the Late Cretaceous, which in consequence resulted in its inversion and development into the Mid-Polish Anticlinorium. In many existing paleotectonic interpretations, SE Poland, i.e

Abstract. The investigated area of the NW Dinarides is located at the NE corner of the Adriatic microplate and is bordered by the Adriatic foreland, the Southern Alps, and the Pannonian basin. Its complex crustal structure is the result of interactions among different tectonic units, mainly the Eurasian plate and the Adriatic microplate. Despite numerous seismic studies in this tectonically complex

Abstract. Phyllosilicates are generally regarded to have a reinforcing effect on chemical compaction by dissolution-precipitation creep (DPC) and thereby influence the evolution of hydraulic rock properties relevant to groundwater resources, geological repositories as well as fossil fuel reservoirs. We conducted oedometric compaction experiments on layered NaCl-biotite samples to test this assumption

The use of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) presents unique advantages for earthquake monitoring compared with standard seismic networks: spatially dense measurements adapted for harsh environments and designed for remote operation. However, the ability to determine earthquake source parameters using DAS is yet to be fully established. In particular, resolving the magnitude and stress drop is a fundamental

The region around the town Albstadt, SW Germany, was struck by four damaging earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5 during the last century. These earthquakes occurred along the Albstadt Shear Zone (ASZ), which is characterized by more or less continuous microseismicity. As there are no visible surface ruptures that may be connected to the fault zone, we study its characteristics by its seismicity

The world experienced the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic by the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020. Governments implemented strategies to contain it, most based on lockdowns. Mexico was no exception. The lockdown was initiated in March 2020, and with it, a reduction in the seismic noise level was witnessed by the seismic stations of the national and Valley of Mexico networks. Stations located

Back-arc extension superimposed on mountain belts leads to distributed normal faults and shear zones interacting with magma emplacement within the crust. The composition of granitic magmas emplaced at this stage often involves a large component of crustal melting. The Miocene Aegean granitoids were emplaced in metamorphic core complexes (MCCs) below crustal-scale low-angle normal faults and ductile

Abstract. We present high-resolution tomographic images of the upper mantle beneath the E. Alps and the adjacent Bohemian Massif (BM) in the North based on data from the AlpArray-EASI and AlpArray Seismic Networks. The tomography locates the Alpine high-velocity perturbations between the Periadriatic Lineament and the Northern Alpine Front. The northward-dipping lithosphere keel is imaged down to ~200–250 km

Abstract. One of the main tasks in 3D geological modelling is the boundary parametrization of the subsurface from geological observations and geophysical inversions. Several approaches have been developed for geometric inversion and joint inversion of geophysical datasets. However, the robust, quantitative integration of models and datasets with different spatial coverage, resolution, and levels of

Retrograde metamorphic rocks provide key insights into the pressure–temperature (P–T) evolution of exhumed material, and resultant P–T constraints have direct implications for the mechanical and thermal conditions of subduction interfaces. However, constraining P–T conditions of retrograde metamorphic rocks has historically been challenging and has resulted in debate about the conditions experienced

Neogene indentation of the Adriatic plate into Europe led to major modifications of the Alpine orogenic structures and style of deformation in the Eastern and Southern Alps. The Giudicarie Belt is a prime example of this, as it offsets the entire Alpine orogenic edifice; its activity has been kinematically linked to strike-slip faulting and lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps. Remaining questions

Abstract. Geodynamical simulations over the past decades have widely been built on quadrilateral and hexahedral finite elements. For the discretisation of the key Stokes equation describing slow, viscous flow, most codes use either the unstable Q1 × P0 element, a stabilised version of the equal-order Q1 × Q1 element, or more recently the stable Taylor-Hood element with continuous (Q2 × Q1) or discontinuous

It has been assumed that the orientation of the maximum horizontal compressive stress (SHmax) in the upper crust is governed on a regional scale by the same forces that drive plate motion. However, several regions are identified where stress orientation deviates from the expected orientation due to plate boundary forces (first-order stress sources), or the plate wide pattern. In some of these regions

Abstract. We studied in detail the Gioia Sannitica active normal fault (GF) along the Southern Matese Fault system in the southern Apennines of Italy. The current activity of the fault system and its potential to produce strong earthquakes have been underestimated so far, and are now defined. Precise mapping of the GF fault trace on a 1 : 20,000 geological map and several point data on geometry, kinematics

Abstract. With the aim of unveiling evidence of Late Quaternary faulting, a series of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) profiles were acquired across the Campotenese continental basin (Mt. Pollino region) in the southern Apennines active extensional belt (Italy). A set of forty-nine 300 MHz and 500 MHz GPR profiles, traced nearly perpendicular to a buried normal fault, were acquired and carefully processed

Abstract. A noticeable decrease in seismic noise was registered worldwide during the lockdown measurements of 2020 to prevent the Covid-19. In Central America, strong lockdown measures started during March of 2020. We have used seismic stations from Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to study the effects of these measures on seismic records by characterizing temporal variations in the

Abstract. Raman spectroscopy is commonly used to estimate peak temperatures in rocks containing organic carbon. In geological settings such as fold-thrust belts, temperature constraints are particularly important as complex burial and exhumation histories cannot easily be modelled. Many authors have developed equations to determine peak tempertaures from Raman spectral parameters, most recently to

Significant uncertainties occur through varying methodologies when interpreting faults using seismic data. These uncertainties are carried through to the interpretation of how faults may act as baffles or barriers, or increase fluid flow. How fault segments are picked when interpreting structures, i.e. which seismic line orientation, bin spacing and line spacing are specified, as well as what surface

Abstract. The integration of field geology and high-resolution seismological data allowed us to reconstruct the 3D Fault Model of the sources which gave rise to the 2010–2014 Pollino seismic sequence. The model is constrained at the surface by structural geological data which provide the true attitude of the single faults and their cross-cut relationships. At depth, the fault geometry was obtained

Abstract. Double differences (DD) seismic data are widely used to define elasticity distribution in the Earth's interior, and its variation in time. DD data are often pre-processed from earthquakes recordings through expert-opinion, where couples of earthquakes are selected based on some user-defined criteria, and DD data are computed from the selected couples. We develop a novel methodology for preparing

Abstract. After more than a century of research, the chronology of the deformation of the external part of the Alpine belt is still controversial for the Miocene epoch. In particular, the poor dating of the foreland basin sedimentary succession hampers a comprehensive understanding of the kinematics of the deformation. Here we focus on the Miocene Molasse deposits of the northern subalpine massifs

The Alpine mountains in central Europe are characterized by a heterogeneous crust accumulating different tectonic units and blocks in close proximity to sedimentary foreland basins. Centroid moment tensor inversion provides insight into the faulting mechanisms of earthquakes and related tectonic processes but is significantly aggravated in such an environment. Thanks to the dense AlpArray seismic network

Transform margins represent ∼ 30 % of non-convergent margins worldwide. Their formation and evolution have traditionally been addressed through kinematic models that do not account for the mechanical behaviour of the lithosphere. In this study, we use high-resolution 3D numerical thermo-mechanical modelling to simulate and investigate the evolution of intra-continental strain localization under oblique

Abstract. Reconstructing Oligocene-Miocene paleoelevation contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of the European Alps and sheds light on geodynamic and Earth’s surface processes involved in the development of Alpine topography. Despite being one of the most intensively explored mountain ranges worldwide, constraints on the elevation history of the European Alps, however, remain

Coseismic surface faulting is a significant source of hazard for critical plants and distributive infrastructure; it may occur either on the principal fault or as distributed rupture on nearby faults. Hazard assessment for distributed faulting is based on empirical relations which, in the case of normal faults, were derived almost 15 years ago using a dataset of US earthquakes. We collected additional

Abstract. The objective of this work is to analyse the density structure of the continental forearc in the northern segment of the 1960 Mw 9.6 Valdivia earthquake. Regional 2D and local 3D density models have been obtained from available gravity data in the area, complemented with new gravimetric stations. Models are constrained by independent geophysical/geological information and new TEM and MT soundings

In this work we present the application of the global-phase seismic interferometry (GloPSI) technique to a dataset recorded across the Eastern Alps with the EASI (Eastern Alpine Seismic Investigation) temporary seismic network. GloPSI aims at rendering an image of the lithosphere from the waves that travel across the core before reaching the seismic stations (i.e. PKP, PKiKP, PKIKP). The technique

Abstract. The Svalbard Archipelago is composed of three basement terranes that record a complex Neoproterozoic–Phanerozoic tectonic history, including four contractional events (Grenvillian, Caledonian, Ellesmerian, and Eurekan) and two episodes of collapse- to rift-related extension (Devonian–Carboniferous and late Cenozoic). These three terranes are thought to have accreted during the early–mid Paleozoic

Abstract. After the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2019, Romania followed the example of many other countries and imposed a series of restrictive measures, including restricting people's mobility and closing social, cultural and industrial activities to prevent the spread of the disease. In this study, we analyze continuous vertical component recordings from the stations

A nonconformity refers to a hiatal surface located between metamorphic or igneous rocks and overlying sedimentary or volcanic rocks. These surfaces are key features with respect to understanding the relations among climate, lithosphere and tectonic movements during ancient times. In this study, the petrological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of Variscan basement rock as well as its

Abstract. Managing uncertainty is fundamental to geoscience practice, yet geoscience education generally does not incorporate explicit instruction on uncertainty. To the extent that students are exposed to scientific uncertainty, it is through in-person field experiences. Virtual field experiences – which rely on pictures, maps, and previously collected measurements – should therefore explicitly address

Two high-resolution seismic reflection profiles acquired north and south of Chibougamau, located in the northeast of the Abitibi subprovince of Canada, help understand historic volcanically hosted massive sulfide (VMS) deposits and hydrothermal Cu–Au mineralization found there. Major faults crossed by the profiles include the Barlow fault in the north and the Doda fault and the Guercheville fault in

In this study, we analyzed a large seismological dataset from temporary and permanent networks in the southern and eastern Alps to establish high-precision hypocenters and 1-D VP and VP/VS models. The waveform data of a subset of local earthquakes with magnitudes in the range of 1–4.2 ML were recorded by the dense, temporary SWATH-D network and selected stations of the AlpArray network between September

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) technique provides an effective way to measure fabrics and, in the process, interpret the kinematics of actively deforming orogens. We collected rock fabric data of alluvial fan sediments surrounding the Sierra Nevada massif, Spain, and a broader range of Cenozoic sediments and rocks across the Northern Apennine foreland, Italy, to explore the deformation

Structural studies in active caldera systems are widely used in geothermal exploration to reconstruct volcanological conceptual models. Active calderas are difficult settings to perform such studies mostly because of the highly dynamic environment, dominated by fast accumulation of primary and secondary volcanic deposits, the variable and transient rheology of the shallow volcanic pile, and the continuous

Abstract. We investigate the influence of stress conditions during fracture formation on the geometry and roughness of fracture surfaces. Rough fracture surfaces have been generated in numerical simulations of triaxial deformation experiments using the Discrete Element Method and in laboratory experiments on limestone and sandstone samples. Digital surface models of the rock samples fractured in the

Abstract. Recognition of new angular unconformity and synthesizing of new detrital zircon U-Pb and (U-Th)/He provenance records, including zircon (U-Th)/(He-Pb) double dating, from the NW Zagros elucidate the basin dynamics of the foreland wedge-top and intermontane units, as well as the tectonic processes in the source terranes in response to different geodynamic phases. In this contribution, we present

On 3 March 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Chile. Since then, the Ministry of Health has imposed mobility restrictions, a global policy implemented to mitigate the propagation of the virus. The national seismic network operating throughout Chile provides an opportunity to monitor the ambient seismic noise (ASN) and determine the effectiveness of public policies imposed to reduce urban

Abstract. We resolve a previously unrecognized shallow subducting seamount from a re-processed multichannel seismic depth image crossing the 1994 M7.8 Java tsunami earthquake slip area. Seamount subduction is related to the uplift of the overriding plate by lateral shortening and vertical thickening, causing pronounced back-thrusting at the landward slope of the forearc high and the formation of splay

Abstract. Based on recent results of AlpArray, we propose a new model of Alpine collision that involves subduction and detachment of thick (180–200 km) European tectosphere. Our approach combines teleseismic P-wave tomography and existing Local Earthquake Tomography (LET) allowing us to image the Alpine slabs and their connections with the overlying orogenic crust at an unprecedented resolution. The

Abstract. Understanding diagenetic reactions in accreted sediments is critical for establishing the balance of fluid sources and sinks in accretionary prisms, which is in turn important for assessing the fluid pressure field and the ability for faults to host seismic slip. For this reason, we studied diagenetic reactions in deformation bands (shear zones and veins) within deep mud sediments from the

The recent development of ambient noise tomography, in combination with the increasing number of permanent seismic stations and dense networks of temporary stations operated during passive seismic experiments, provides a unique opportunity to build the first high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity (vS) model of the entire crust of the Bohemian Massif (BM). This paper provides a regional-scale model

The present study of field, petrological, exploration well, and seismic data describes backward-dipping duplexes comprised of phyllitic coal and bedding-parallel décollements and thrusts localized along lithological transitions in tectonically thickened Lower Devonian to lowermost Upper Devonian; uppermost Devonian–Mississippian; and uppermost Pennsylvanian–lowermost Permian sedimentary strata of the

Abstract. Analysis and prediction of deformations in salt tectonics and salt engineering require information about the mechanical properties of rocksalt at time scales far longer than possible in the laboratory. It is known that at laboratory time scales, rocksalt samples with different composition and microstructure show a variance in steady-state creep rates, but it is not known how this variance

Abstract. The Liguro-Provençal basin was formed as a back-arc basin of the retreating Calabrian-Apennines subduction zone during the Oligocene and Miocene. The resulting rotation of the Corsica-Sardinia block is associated with rifting, shaping the Ligurian Sea. It is still debated whether oceanic or atypical oceanic crust was formed or if the crust is continental and experienced extreme thinning during

Abstract. We perform a teleseismic P-wave traveltime tomography to examine the geometry and structure of subducted lithosphere in the upper mantle beneath the Alpine orogen. The tomography is based on waveforms recorded at over 600 temporary and permanent broadband stations of the dense AlpArray Seismic Network deployed by 24 different European institutions in the greater Alpine region, reaching from

Abstract. Seismic arrays provide tools for the localization of events without clear phases or events outside of the network, where the station coverage prohibits classical localization techniques. Beamforming allows the determination of the direction (backazimuth) and the horizontal (apparent) velocity of an incoming wavefront. Here we combine multiple arrays to retrieve event epicenters from the area

Lens-shaped slivers of Permian (Zechstein) amid Triassic units appearing along the master fault of the Sontra Graben in central Germany on the southern margin of the Central European Basin System (CEBS) were studied by means of detailed map analysis, a semi-quantitative forward model, and two balanced cross sections. We show how partial reactivation of the graben's main normal fault and shortcut thrusting

Abstract. Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) deposits represent a major source of base, precious and other metals of economic and industrial importance. As in other mineral systems, progressive exhaustion of the shallowest and most easily accessible deposits is leading to increasingly complex exploration. In this context vectors to ore play a vital role. The Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) is an outstanding

We demonstrate the capability of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to record volcano-related dynamic strain at Etna (Italy). In summer 2019, we gathered DAS measurements from a 1.5 km long fibre in a shallow trench and seismic records from a conventional dense array comprised of 26 broadband sensors that was deployed in Piano delle Concazze close to the summit area. Etna activity during the acquisition

The small island of Groix in southern Brittany, France, is well known for exceptionally well-preserved outcrops of Variscan blueschists, eclogites, and garnetiferous mica schists that mark a Late Devonian suture between Gondwana and Armorica. The kinematics of polyphase deformation in these rocks is reconstructed based on 3D microstructural analysis of inclusion trails within garnet and pseudomorphed

Seismic faulting causes wall rock damage, which is driven by both mechanical and thermal stress. In the lower crust, co-seismic damage increases wall rock permeability, permits fluid infiltration and triggers metamorphic reactions that transform rock rheology. Wall rock microstructures reveal high-stress conditions near earthquake faults; however, there is limited documentation on the effects of a

Large parts of central Europe experienced exhumation in Late Cretaceous to Paleogene time. Previous studies mainly focused on thrusted basement uplifts to unravel the magnitude, processes and timing of exhumation. This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive thermochronological dataset from mostly Permo-Triassic strata exposed adjacent to and between the basement uplifts in central Germany

The versatility and cost efficiency of fibre-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technologies facilitate geophysical monitoring in environments that were previously inaccessible for instrumentation. Moreover, the spatio-temporal data density permitted by DAS naturally appeals to seismic array processing techniques, such as beamforming for source location. However, the measurement principle of

Abstract. We make a thorough review of geological and seismological data on the long-lived Schio-Vicenza Fault System (SVFS) in northern Italy and present for it a geodynamic and seismotectonic interpretation. The SVFS is a major and high angle structure transverse to the mean trend of the Eastern Southern Alps fold-and-thrust belt, and the knowledge of this structure is deeply rooted in the geological

Assessing the size of a former ocean of which only remnants are found in mountain belts is challenging but crucial to understanding subduction and exhumation processes. Here we present new constraints on the opening and width of the Piemont–Liguria (PL) Ocean, known as the Alpine Tethys together with the Valais Basin. We use a regional tectonic reconstruction of the Western Mediterranean–Alpine area

Abstract. A microphysics-based understanding of mechanical and hydraulic processes in clay shales is required for developing advanced constitutive models, which can be extrapolated to long-term deformation. Although many geomechanical laboratory tests have been performed to characterize the bulk mechanical, hydro-mechanical and failure behaviour of Opalinus Clay, important questions remain about microphysics:

Abstract. We investigate the spatial variation of 2D fracture networks digitized from the well-known Lilstock limestone pavements, Bristol Channel, UK. By treating fracture networks as spatial graphs, we utilize a novel approach combining graph similarity measures and hierarchical clustering to identify spatial clusters within fracture networks and quantify spatial variation. We use four graph similarity

Abstract. This paper presents a new mesoscopic full field approach for the modelling of microstructural evolutions and mechanical behavior of olivine aggregates. The mechanical framework is based on a reduced crystal plasticity (CP) formulation which is adapted to account for non-dislocation glide strain-accommodating mechanisms in olivine polycrystals. This mechanical description is coupled with a