Human civilization must survive on geological times: Why and How?
Retrospection on humanity’s place and role in a quiet galaxy
Destruction of the North China Craton and its global impact
Left: Location of the North China Craton (modified from Wikipedia image). Right: Schematic diagram of the North China Craton destruction (Figure taken from Paul et al., 2025).
Cratons are forever, until they are not. These long-lived portions of lithosphere are known for being remarkably stable. However, if the conditions are right, even cratons can be ripped apart by geological forces, with far-reaching impacts on Earth’s systems. This week, Jyotirmoy Paul from the University of Oslo, Norway will tell us the downfall of the North China Craton, using numerical sim ...[Read More]
Dislocation Creep and the Development of Deformation Fabrics
Assume you are under stress. What do you do? Take a walk in the park, order your favorite takeout, have a breakdown, or internally slip along preferred slip systems and develop a fabric? The response will mostly depend on what kind of material you are, how much stress you are under, and what environmental conditions you are subjected to. For instance, someone might listen to classical music after ...[Read More]
Bored by the Lower Mantle? Think Again!
Conceptual sketch illustrating the complexity of upwellings observed beneath hot spots. From Wamba et al 2023. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ade3723
Is the lower mantle boring? For a long time, the lower mantle was thought to be relatively featureless and uniform compared to the more dynamic upper mantle. But recent seismic observations are challenging that idea, especially when we look near the base of the mantle. Recent studies from Maureen Long’s group (Creasy et al. 2017, Wolf et al. 2019, Reiss et al. 2019, Wolf & Long, 2023) and othe ...[Read More]