Observing the Earth’s changing surface is the only thing solid Earth scientists can do; we simply cannot drill deep enough into the Earth and look at the processes that occur at very high temperatures and pressures. We must combine surface measurements from various disciplines to infer that specific surface imprints are caused by specific processes …[Read More]
News & Views
Magma-Assisted Flexure in Hawaiian Lithosphere?
This week Daniel Douglas, who is now a PhD student at New Mexico Tech, discusses his master thesis research while at the university of Hawaii. He investigated the role of magma in the flexure of the Hawaiian lithosphere. When a topographic load is applied to the lithosphere, the lithosphere accommodates the load by flexing. The …[Read More]
To boldly go… deep sea exploring to study Earth’s interior
As geodynamicists, we are sometimes oblivious on how we get the geophysical constraints in our numerical models. This week Molly Anderson, a PhD student at the University of Florida, takes us on a exciting dive to study the geochemical signatures of the East Pacific Ocean seafloor! People are often surprised to hear that the seafloor …[Read More]
The Deccan Chronicle: Plume or no-Plume? Perspective from a Deccan dyke swarm
Deccan volcanism is one of the landmark events in India’s geodynamical history. Yet, its origin is still under debate regarding its association with the Réunion plume. In this week’s news and views, Ayanangshu Das, a PhD student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal, explains their recent study to understand the …[Read More]
Thermodynamics and Geodynamics: The perfect couple? Part II
In January of this year, Bob Myhill wrote about the coupling of geodynamics and thermodynamics, and why this coupling is so valuable. This blog post, Juliane Dannberg follows up on this topic, looking at it from the geodynamics perspective. In other words, discussing the question: Where does it make a difference in geodynamic models if …[Read More]
Repurposing a research tectonic modeling code as a community service: The case of DES3D
This week, Dr. Eunseo Choi, a professor at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information, the University of Memphis, talks about tectonic modelling using DES3D. *Spoiler alert* read till the end for an exciting opportunity to work on it The advent of the open-source movement and the free public software repositories such as GitHub have …[Read More]
Curious case of convex upwards topography in accretionary wedges
Accretionary prisms are wedge-shaped bodies of crustal rocks that are commonly known to have formed by accommodating the component of convergence along subduction margins. These prisms, primarily wedge shaped with lateral variations in topographic height from hinterland to foreland are commonly characterised by a gentle and uniform slope towards the frontal margin (for instance, the …[Read More]
When not Digging Through Code, Dig Rocks
Most of us have been directly or indirectly involved in outreach activities, often relying on shiny rocks to capture people’s fascination. This week, Aaron Van Alstine, a member of the Memphis Archaeological and Geological Society, a passionate rockhounder, and moderator of the sub-reddit on radioactive rocks, shares his views on why all earth scientists need …[Read More]
Modelling the Thermal Evolution of Subduction Zones
Subduction zones are as complex as they are ubiquitous. To understand subduction zone dynamics and processes we first have to understand the thermal structure of subduction zones and how this evolves in time. This week Adam Holt, Assistant Professor in the Department of Marine Geosciences (MGS) at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine …[Read More]
Earth Science Outreach in a Virtual World
Outreach is a fundamental part of science, aiming to inspire and attract the next generation of scientists. Amy Edgington from the Department of Earth Sciences at University College London gives us a glimpse behind the curtain of the GeoBus programme, a free mobile outreach programme that brings interactive Earth Science workshops into the classroom. This …[Read More]