GD
Geodynamics

lithosphere dynamics

Equilibrium Crustal Thickness and Dynamics of Earth’s Lithosphere: The Answer is 42.

and March 13, 2024
Equilibrium Crustal Thickness and Dynamics of Earth’s Lithosphere: The Answer is 42.
There really is an answer, and now there is a question too - just deep below us rather than above. But then again, aren't up and down just conventions? Figure courtesy: Emily Hinshaw.

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” had the answer; we think we have the right question. This week, Ajay Kumar from IISER Pune, India, will take us on a journey to the depths of the Earth’s lithosphere – a world as mysterious as the farthest reaches of the Universe. We will see what the thickness of the Earth’s crust can tell us about the balance between the ...[Read More]

The enigmatic tectonics of the Caribbean Large Igneous Plateau

, and December 20, 2023
The enigmatic tectonics of the Caribbean Large Igneous Plateau
Illustration by Emily Hinshaw and Constanza Rodriguez Piceda (based on Gómez García et al., 2021)

As we approach the Christmas break and the end of the year, what resonates with the concept of ‘holidays’ more than the Caribbean? In this week post, Angela Gomez-Garcia, postdoc at the Geoscience Institute of Barcelona, and Eline Le Breton, professor at Freie Universität Berlin, take us on a geodynamic journey through the Caribbean Large Igneous Plateau and its enigmatic connection with the Galáp ...[Read More]

Earthquakes within the plates

and June 23, 2021
Earthquakes within the plates
Distribution of earthquakes (circles) having magnitudes greater than 2.5 and that occurred between 18th May to 18th June, 2021 along with tectonic plate boundaries (red). The size of the circles correspond to the earthquake magnitude. Data from the USGS earthquake catalog at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/.

As fascinating as the plate tectonics and its accompanying dynamics are, continental interiors are no quiescent zones. The tectonics within these interiors are apparent in the occurrence of numerous intraplate earthquakes, and this week, EGU blog editor Arushi Saxena briefly discusses them and their mechanisms. Earthquakes are a fairly common occurrence here on Earth’s crust. Although most are ess ...[Read More]