Very low frequency events in the gap zone of Cascadia illustrate how stress evolves on megathrusts, advancing our understanding of rupture dynamics.
subduction
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radiometric Dating Sheds Light on Tectonic Debate
The emplacement of the Samail Ophiolite in Oman has been a source of disagreement among geologists. New state-of-the-art research offers a fresh perspective on its timing and geometry.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Unearthing the Cause of Slow Seismic Waves in Subduction Zones
Researchers look to the fossil rock record to unearth the driving forces for variable seismic speed through subduction zones.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Subduction Zone Earthquakes: Fast and Slow, Weak and Strong
What causes slow earthquakes in subduction zones? New insights from numerical models suggest that a mixture of strong and weak rocks might be the cause.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Highs and the Lows of Megathrust Earthquakes
Why does low-frequency energy come from the shallow part of ruptures, and the high frequencies from deep?
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Previous Intra-oceanic Subduction Found Beneath South America?
Newly mapped fast velocity slabs in the lower mantle may be remnants of westward dipping intra-oceanic subduction, before flipping to the present eastward subduction beneath South America at 85 Ma.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Subduction Initiation May Depend on a Tectonic Plate’s History
New seismic imaging study of the Puysegur Trench aims to solve one of the last major questions in plate tectonics.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Was the AD 365 Mediterranean Earthquake Normal?
The great AD 365 earthquake at Crete has implied a locked Hellenic subduction zone that can produce more earthquakes to threaten Mediterranean coastlines. But what if wasn’t a subduction zone event?
Posted inScience Updates
Earth’s Volatile Balancing Act
How do greenhouse gases and water circulate from minerals deep below Earth’s surface into the atmosphere and oceans—and then back again? Our understanding continues to evolve.