Tectonics and Structural Geology

Minds over Methods: What controls the shape of oceanic ridges?

Aurore Sibrant November 27, 2018

Bathymetry of an oceanic ridge. Credit: Ryan et al., 2009

In this edition of Minds over Methods, Aurore Sibrant, postdoc at Bretagne Occidentale University (France) explains how she studies the shape of oceanic ridges, and which parameters are thought to control this shape. By using laboratory experiments combined with observations from nature, she gives new insights into how spreading rates and lithosphere thickness influence the development of oceanic ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Linking microfossils to tectonics

Sarah Kachovich July 3, 2018

Sarah at a chert outcrop in the field. Credit: Sarah Kachovich

This edition of Minds over Methods article is written by Sarah Kachovich and discusses how tiny fossils can be used to address large scale tectonic questions. During her PhD at the University of Brisbane, Australia, she used radiolarian biostratigraphy to provide temporal constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Himalayan region – onshore and offshore on board IODP Expedition 362. Sarah ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Experimental seismotectonics

Michael Rudolf March 26, 2018

Figure 1 - The analogue modelling laboratory at the GFZ-Potsdam (HelTec). Credit: Michael Rudolf

For our next Minds over Methods, we go back into the laboratory, this time for modelling seismotectonics! Michael Rudolf, PhD student at GFZ in Potsdam (Germany), tells us about the different types of analogue models they perform, and how these models contribute to a better understanding of earthquakes along plate boundaries. Experimental seismotectonics – Seismic cycles and tectonic ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Reconstructing oceans lost to subduction

Derya Gürer March 12, 2018

Enjoying the views of the Aladağ range during fieldwork. Credit: Derya Gürer.

Our next Minds over Methods article is written by Derya Gürer, who just finished a PhD at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. During her PhD, she used a combination of many methods to reconstruct the evolution of the Anadolu plate, which got almost entirely lost during closure of the Neotethys in Anatolia. Here, she explains how the use of these multiple methods helped her to obtain a 3D understa ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Making ultramylonites

Andrew Cross September 8, 2017

The Large Volume Torsion apparatus - Credits: Andrew Cross

“Summer break is over, which means we will continue with our Minds over Methods blogs! For this edition we invited Andrew Cross to write about his experiments with a new rock deformation device – the Large Volume Torsion (LVT) apparatus. Andrew is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, USA. ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Block modeling of Anatolia

Mehmet Köküm July 12, 2017

Main tectonic features of Turkey (Anatolian Plate). Original source: Wikipedia

How can we use GPS velocities to learn more about present-day plate motions and regional deformation? In this edition of Minds over Methods, one of our own blogmasters Mehmet Köküm shares his former work with you! For his master thesis at Indiana University, he used block modeling to better understand the plate motion and slip rates of Anatolia and surrounding plates. Using block modeling t ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Reconstruction of salt tectonic features

Michael Warsitzka April 12, 2017

credit: Michael Warsitzka

What is the influence of salt tectonics on the evolution of sedimentary basins and how can we reconstruct such salt features? Michael Warsitzka, PhD student at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, explains which complementary methods he uses to better understand salt structures and their relation to sedimentary basins. Enjoy! Reconstruction of salt tectonic features from analogue mode ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Sensing Earth’s gravity from space

Anita Saraswati February 8, 2017

GOCE in space orbit. (Source: ESA)

How can we learn more about the Earth’s interior by going into space? This edition of Minds over Methods discusses using satellite data to study the Earth’s lithospere. Anita Thea Saraswati, PhD student at the University of Montpellier, explains how information on the gravity of the Earth is obtained by satellites and how she uses this information to get to know more about the lithospe ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: studying dike propagation in the lab

Stefano Urbani December 7, 2016

Fig 1. Fissure eruption at Bardabunga in 2014. Photo by Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson.

Have you ever thought of using gelatin in the lab to simulate the brittle-elastic properties of the Earth’s crust? Stefano Urbani, PhD student at the university Roma Tre (Italy), uses it for his analogue experiments, in which he studies the controlling factors on dike propagation in the Earth’s crust. Although we share this topic with our sister division ‘Geochemistry, Mineralogy ...[Read More]

Minds over Methods: Experimental earthquakes

Giacomo Pozzi November 2, 2016

Microscopic cross section of a slip zone

After our first edition of Minds over Methods, which was about Numerical Modelling, we now move to Rock Experiments! How can rock experiments be used to study processes within the Earth? We invited Giacomo Pozzi, PhD student at Durham University, to explain us how he uses rock experiments to study fault behaviour during earthquakes. Experimental earthquakes to understand the weak behaviour ...[Read More]