TS
Tectonics and Structural Geology

Must-read

TS Must-Read – Platt (1986): Dynamics of orogenic wedges and the uplift of high-pressure metamorphic rocks

May 12, 2021
TS Must-Read – Platt (1986): Dynamics of orogenic wedges and the uplift of high-pressure metamorphic rocks

Orogens are the locus of intense deformation and metamorphism, mainly caused by convergent tectonics and burial. Yet, deeply buried rocks – metamorphosed at high pressure (HP) – are customarily met at the surface, even in “recent” systems such as the Alps. The long-standing question is naturally “how are these rocks brought back to the surface?” At the time John Platt wrote his manuscr ...[Read More]

TS Must-Read – Boyer & Elliot (1982) Thrust systems

February 1, 2021
TS Must-Read – Boyer & Elliot (1982) Thrust systems

The now-classic paper of Boyer & Elliott (1982) presented a novel and general geometric framework to study thrust systems. The framework describes thrust surfaces by lines of contact between thrusts, or branch lines, and lines of thrust termination, or tip lines, and examines how they join into imbricate fans or duplexes. The framework allows accurate and succinct descriptions of the geometry ...[Read More]

TS Must-Read – Sibson (1977) Fault Rocks and Fault Mechanism

December 28, 2020
TS Must-Read – Sibson (1977) Fault Rocks and Fault Mechanism

The paper “Fault Rocks and Fault Mechanisms” by R. H. Sibson (1977), was one of the first studies that established major connections between the rocks that form in faults, and their conditions and mechanics during formation at crustal scale. Concretely, Sibson (1977) established: 1.) links among the textures and lithologies that develop along fault zones (fault rocks), 2.) the rheological and crus ...[Read More]

TS Must-Read – Dietz (1961) Continent and ocean basin evolution by spreading of the sea floor

September 2, 2020
TS Must-Read – Dietz (1961) Continent and ocean basin evolution by spreading of the sea floor

Dietz 1961 “Continent and Ocean Basin Evolution by Spreading of the Sea Floor” paper was ground-breaking for plate tectonics. Almost literally, as it discussed the sea-floor spreading theory. Certainly away from the consensus at the time, this article is a classic in divergent tectonic settings and it may be an interesting piece of work for ECS working in tectonics and, more particularly, in conti ...[Read More]

TS Must-Read – Hubbert and Rubey (1959)

August 13, 2020
TS Must-Read – Hubbert and Rubey (1959)

“The Role of Fluid Pressure in Mechanics of Overthrust Faulting” by Hubbert and Rubey is a “groundbreaking” article from the end of the 1950s. It’s a remarkable piece of research, written in an old-fashioned way, for modern standards. Many ECS that may not have read the original paper yet are certainly familiar with its textbook content. Let’s go quickly through it!   The article, as a key po ...[Read More]

Must-read papers in tectonics and structural geology – Introduction

and June 9, 2020
Must-read papers in tectonics and structural geology – Introduction

The “TS Must-read papers” activity can be described as a virtual paper-discussion forum. A total of 103 voters within the TS community nominated 381 “Must read” papers researching topics within tectonics and structural geology, and we, early-career scientists with diverse backgrounds, a.k.a. the TS Must-read papers team (see below), promote in different media the contributions that were the most v ...[Read More]

Call for must-read papers!

and May 14, 2020
Call for must-read papers!

    Have you ever read a paper and thought “Why didn’t I find this 3 years ago?!” ? Did you stumble upon TS early-career scientists or colleagues who are unaware of seminal or fundamental (old and new) articles? Or are you simply willing to give some good reading advice about tectonics and structural geology?   IF YOU ANSWERED YES AT LEAST ONCE, THEN THIS IS FOR YOU!   What’s t ...[Read More]