GD
Geodynamics

Remarkable Regions

From Mountains to Oceans: How the memory of ancient orogens guides the rupture of continents

Picture showing an orogen that transform in a rift

In this new blog, Dr. Kai Li (GFZ Potsdam) talk about his PhD work, where he used accordion numerical models to explore the tectonic history of the South China Sea. His PhD research focuses on the impact of orogenic inheritance on rifts and rifted margins, employing advanced geodynamic modeling techniques. Have you ever tried to fit the west coast of Africa and the east coast of South America toge ...[Read More]

Kamchatka Megathrust Earthquake: What lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire

Kamchatka Megathrust Earthquake: What lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire

From the very early years on this Planet, earthquakes have always captivated people’s attention. The feeling of admiration and fear always lies within us, especially drawing on the most recent megathrust earthquake that hit the south coast of Kamchatka’s Peninsula, in Russia, twice this year. Therefore, in this week’s blog, we aim to explore how this phenomenon evolved and why this specific region ...[Read More]

Unraveling volcanic patterns between adjacent rift zones

Unraveling volcanic patterns between adjacent rift zones

Continental rifts are a prime example of how the forces at work beneath our feet are constantly shaping our world, and often host volcanic activity. The patterns and distribution of volcanism in rift settings, however, is far from intuitive. The picture gets even more complicated if we look between the segments that often make up a rift. This week, Valentina Armeni from the University of Potsdam, ...[Read More]

What drives the extensional deformation in the central Apennines (Italy)?

What drives the extensional deformation in the central Apennines (Italy)?

The central Mediterranean is a geodynamically complex region shaped by the interaction of multiple active subduction zones. In Italy, the central Apennines display a distinctive pattern of surface deformation that is proposed to be linked to a slab break-off beneath the area. In this week’s blog post, Maaike, a PhD student at ISTerre in Grenoble, France, explores the key processes driving surface ...[Read More]