Tag

Tectonic Plates

All articles tagged with #tectonic plates

science25 days ago•51 min saved

Earth’s Plate Dance Could Be a Major Climate Driver

A new study using computer models shows that Earth's plate tectonics—especially mid-ocean ridges and continental rifts—play a larger role in shaping global climate than previously thought by guiding the deep carbon cycle: carbon stored in seafloor sediments is buried and later released via subduction, driving greenhouse and icehouse periods over the last 540 million years and challenging the view that volcanic arcs are the primary CO2 source, with implications for future climate models.

via Space|

#carbon-cycle #climate-change #deep-carbon-cycle

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Shifting Plates Drive Climate Through Deep Carbon Recycling

New computer-model research shows Earth’s plate movements—especially mid-ocean ridges and continental rifts—have been a major driver of long-term carbon cycling. Carbon stored in seafloor rocks is released or sequestered as plates move and subduct, helping to trigger greenhouse or icehouse climates over the last 540 million years. Historically, volcanic arcs were thought to dominate carbon release, but the study finds that divergent plate boundaries played a larger role, with arc emissions rising mainly in the last ~120 million years due to the evolution of planktic calcifiers.

via ScienceAlert|

#carbon-cycle #climate-history #deep-ocean

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Hidden fault puzzle revealed by whisper-quiet quakes off Northern California

Scientists using a dense seismometer network tracked ultra-small, low-frequency earthquakes offshore to map a five-piece fault system where the San Andreas fault meets the Cascadia subduction zone, including a deep Pioneer fragment from the Farallon plate, which helps explain the unusually shallow 1992 quake and challenges prior boundary models; the work, published in Science, improves understanding of seismic hazards in this complex region.

via ScienceDaily|

#cascadia-subduction-zone #earthquakes #mendocino-triple-junction

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Tiny Quakes Reveal a Hidden Five-Piece Subduction Puzzle Under Northern California

Scientists using a dense array of seismometers tracked tiny, often imperceptible earthquakes to map five moving tectonic pieces beneath Northern California, including hidden fragments of the North American and Pioneer/Farallon blocks. The study refines the subduction-zone model around the Mendocino Triple Junction, explains a shallower-than-expected 1992 earthquake, and has implications for seismic hazard assessment along the Cascadia and San Andreas regions.

via SciTechDaily|

#cascadia-subduction-zone #low-frequency-earthquakes #mendocino-triple-junction

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Zealandia: Earth's Hidden 8th Continent Discovered Beneath the Pacific

Zealandia, Earth's long-lost eighth continent, has been officially recognized after decades of scientific debate, covering nearly 1.9 million square miles mostly submerged beneath the southwest Pacific Ocean, with significant implications for geology, resource claims, and our understanding of plate tectonics.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#continent #geology #science

science2 months ago•2 min saved

Africa's Division Could Form New Continents and Ocean

Africa is slowly splitting into two due to the East African Rift System, which could eventually lead to the formation of a new ocean and the separation of East Africa from the rest of the continent over the next 5 to 10 million years, highlighting Earth's ongoing geological evolution.

via IFLScience|

#africa #continental-split #east-african-rift-system

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Ancient Molten Blob Threatens New York After Tearing Continents Apart

Scientists have identified the Northern Appalachian Anomaly, a massive molten rock formation beneath New England, which originated from the Labrador Sea 80 million years ago and continues to drift slowly, influencing Earth's geological structure and supporting theories of mantle wave activity that shape continental features over millions of years.

via Indian Defence Review|

#continental-drift #geology #mantle-anomaly

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Massive Hot Blob Approaching NYC with Continental-Dividing Power

A study suggests a massive hot rock formation called the Northern Appalachian Anomaly is moving towards New York City from deep beneath the Earth's crust, potentially explaining aspects of Earth's geological history and continental movement, but it won't reach NYC for another 15 trillion years.

via AOL.com|

#continental-drift #earths-interior #geology

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Massive Subsurface Rock Formation Reveals Island's Ancient Roots

A recent study reveals a massive, lighter rock slab beneath Bermuda, nearly 13 miles thick, which lifts the island above the oceanic crust. This discovery challenges previous understanding of Bermuda's volcanic origins, suggesting the island sits on a buoyant, ancient intrusion rather than a recent volcanic hotspot, and highlights the island's unique geological history.

via Royal Gazette | Bermuda|

#bermuda #geology #science

science2 months ago•1 min saved

Scientists Uncover a Unique, Ancient Structure Beneath Bermuda

Scientists have discovered a massive, dense rock structure beneath Bermuda that explains its appearance of floating in the ocean. This unique layer, formed over millions of years after the island's volcanic activity ceased, acts like a raft within the tectonic plate, raising the ocean floor and preventing Bermuda from sinking. The discovery was made using seismic data from earthquake recordings, revealing a layer not seen elsewhere in the world.

via ABC News|

#bermuda #geology #oceanic-crust

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Mysterious Giant Structure Discovered Beneath Bermuda Challenging Earth’s Mantle Theories

Scientists have discovered an unusual, thick, less dense rock layer beneath Bermuda's oceanic crust, which may explain why the island has remained afloat despite volcanic inactivity for over 30 million years. This layer, possibly formed from stalled magma or mantle modifications, appears to be holding Bermuda up and is unique compared to similar layers worldwide, offering insights into Earth's geological processes.

via New York Post|

#bermuda #geophysical-research #oceanic-crust

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Turkey’s Crust Is Ripping Apart, Scientists Say

Scientists have discovered that Turkey's Tuz Gölü Fault is gradually widening at about one millimeter per year, revealing that it is an extensional fault where the land is moving apart, challenging previous assumptions and providing new insights into continental deformation and earthquake hazards.

via SciTechDaily|

#crust #earthquake-risk #lava-flows

science3 months ago•2 min saved

Indian Plate Tearing Beneath Himalayas Reveals Deep Cracks and Earthquake Risks

A new geological study reveals that the Indian Plate is tearing and warping beneath the Himalayas, providing insights into the region's earthquake patterns and mountain formation processes, with the plate's lower mantle peeling away and creating a dynamic, evolving landscape.

via India Today|

#earthquakes #geology #himalayas

science3 months ago•4 min saved

Unveiling Earth's Hidden Layers Behind the Himalayas' Resilience

New seismic research reveals that the Indian tectonic plate is splitting beneath Tibet through a process called delamination, providing new insights into the geological forces shaping the Himalayas and potentially improving earthquake prediction.,

via Indian Defence Review|

#earthquake-prediction #indian-plate #science

science3 months ago•2 min saved

Insights into Rift Dynamics and Tectonic Plate Strength

A study by Tulane University and international partners reveals that parts of Earth's crust in the East African Rift are stronger and more resistant to breaking apart than previously thought, due to dehydration from a heating event 80 million years ago, which removed water and CO2, making the plates more rigid and less prone to deformation.

via Phys.org|

#continental-breakup #dehydration #earthquake-hazards