In this week’s blog post, Daniel Douglas teaches us everything about poroelasticity, water in subduction zones and… sponges under the sea! Are you ready kids? Aye, aye, Captain! Why study subduction zones? “Subduction” is a process that occurs when two tectonic plates collide with each other. As long as one of the plates is an …[Read More]
The dynamics of subduction zones are strongly influenced by the subduction interface. Understanding its rheology enables geodynamic modellers to better simulate these systems and unravel the fundamental processes that govern them. In today’s blog post, we explore subduction interface rheology and discuss effective approaches for modelling it. What is a subduction interface? I first met …[Read More]
Seismic waves tell us that something unusual is happening in the lowermost few hundred kilometers of Earth’s mantle. Beneath Africa and the Pacific lie two enormous thermochemical structures known as Large Low-Shear-Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs). These “large blobs” are slower to transmit shear waves, but beyond that, their physical nature remains one of the biggest open questions …[Read More]
The huge amount of data produced in Geosciences is increasing exponentially, and numerical modelling has become a key tool for understanding tectonic evolution over time, which also increases the volume of data produced. Here, I, João Bueno (PhD student at University of São Paulo, Brazil) will present how a machine learning technique known as Self-Organising …[Read More]
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 …[Read More]
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, …[Read More]
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 …[Read More]
Geophysicists have long been intrigued by the enigmatic “blobs” residing deep within Earth’s lower mantle — the Large Low-Velocity Provinces (LLVPs). Ever wondered what keeps these gigantic thermochemical structures surviving for billions of years despite the mantle’s vigorous convection? In this week’s News & Views, Prachi Kar, a PhD candidate from Arizona State University, delves …[Read More]
When reading a scientific paper or a text explaining the physical workings of the Earth, one of the most striking aspects is the methodological approach—sometimes involving numerical models, other times fieldwork and/or rock geochemistry. This diversity of approaches can initially cause some discomfort, a feeling that things are like square pegs in round holes. How …[Read More]
Understanding how rocks melt, deform, and evolve within Earth’s interior is a central challenge in geoscience. These processes span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and are governed by complex interactions between temperature, pressure, composition, and phase stability. Capturing this complexity in numerical models requires integrating mineral thermodynamics directly into geodynamic modeling frameworks. MAGEMin …[Read More]
