GD
Geodynamics

Subduction

FrenSZ workshop: a French interdisciplinary initiative around subduction zones.

and February 25, 2026
FrenSZ workshop: a French interdisciplinary initiative around subduction zones.
Participants of the 2025 FrenSZ workshop enjoying the field excursion at Monviso (Italy, Alps).

Since 2022, the annual FrenSZ workshop has been bringing together a vibrant and interdisciplinary community around subduction zones in France. In this week’s blog post, we dive into how FrenSZ is organized, highlight its scientific outcomes and how it is opening new connections on the international stage. A large French community. In France, a fairly large community of Earth Scientists devote thei ...[Read More]

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

and June 18, 2025
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]

A New Look at the Rheology of Deep Subduction Zones

and November 27, 2024
A New Look at the Rheology of Deep Subduction Zones
Field photos of shear zones from Syros Island, Greece. Photo credit: Ana Lorena Abila

Subduction zones are dynamic regions where intense geological processes like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the recycling of oceanic crust are constantly at play. A key factor that influences the behavior of these zones is *interface rheology*—the strength and viscosity of the boundary (the interface) between the subducting and overriding plates. Understanding this interface is crucial for i ...[Read More]