GD
Geodynamics

Geodynamics

Growing geological Christmas trees: salt ‘Christmas-tree’ structures explained

and December 3, 2025
Regional profile through salt structures in the eastern part of the Dutch graben, southern North Sea
Figure 1: Regional profile through salt structures in the eastern part of the Dutch graben, southern North Sea (adapted from Butler, 2022).

As geoscientists, we tend to see geology everywhere. Around Christmas, many people stare at decorated fir trees and twinkling lights; salt tectonicists stare at seismic lines and outcrops and see… trees as well. Tall stems, branching limbs, stacked “tiers” of material; a whole forest of geological Christmas trees hiding in the subsurface. In salt provinces around the world, from the Flinders Range ...[Read More]

Destruction of the North China Craton and its global impact

and November 12, 2025
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]

GeoMOD 2025 – Lisbon edition

and November 5, 2025
GeoMOD 2025 – Lisbon edition

The GeoMOD meeting is a bi-annual conference that gathers Earth Science researchers from all over the world working on analogue and numerical modelling in Geosciences. Showcasing the most recent advances in this field, GeoMOD brings together the pursuit of new knowledge while allowing for great get-togethers between researchers. This year’s meeting was successfully held in Lisbon but not without i ...[Read More]

Dislocation Creep and the Development of Deformation Fabrics

October 29, 2025
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]