Geodynamics 101

The truth about The Odyssey: Geodynamics, lies, cries and the hunt for Ithaca

Manel Ramos and illustrated by Lea Pennacchioni July 15, 2026

Odysseus (drama queen) and Strabo trying to understand where is Itaka. Illustration made by Lea Pennacchioni

If you have ever tried to draw a geological cross-section under a fantasy map, Homer is surprisingly cooperative (and if you remember my Middle-earth geology post, you already know I live for this). The Odyssey is full of real places and real people—Troy, Mycenae, Sparta—stitched together with storms, monsters and divine interventions that would make any structural geologist reach for a stress ten ...[Read More]

Modeling the full spectrum of observed seismicity: Insights from friction laws, fault instability, and fault-zone mechanics

Navid Kheirdast and edited by Alexis Gauthier June 17, 2026

Introduction Despite advances in our understanding of rock mechanics, the frictional behavior of rocks, and the physics of instability in geological materials, the coexistence of slow and fast earthquakes, as well as various types of fault-zone seismic radiation such as tremor, remains enigmatic. Can fault mechanics and friction laws reproduce the full spectrum of observed seismicity? In this week ...[Read More]

Fluid injection-induced seismicity: the case of hydrofracking

Dimitrios Papadomarkakis May 6, 2026

$Fluid injection-induced seismicity: the case of hydrofracking$

Seismicity is undoubtedly an integral part of Geodynamics, since seismic data, from large-scale geophysical monitoring, can provide many valuable insights regarding the state of the Earth’s crust; seismicity, however, is not always natural, it can also be induced. In this week’s blog, we explored the subject of fluid injection-induced seismicity mainly through the lens of hydraulic fracturing (HF; ...[Read More]

At the Mountains of Madness: Lovecraft Applied for Geology (and Failed)

Manel Ramos April 15, 2026

“I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the antarctic—with its vast fossil-hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice-cap —and I am the more reluctant because my warning may be in vain.” The opening lines from At the Moun ...[Read More]