Tag

Tectonic Plates

All articles tagged with #tectonic plates

science13 days ago•183 min saved

Early signs of a newborn continental rift forming in Africa

Scientists say Sub-Saharan Africa may be starting to split into a new tectonic boundary along the Kafue Rift. A Frontiers in Earth Science study reports mantle-derived helium-3 signals in hot springs and geothermal wells in Zambia, alongside other geophysical clues, suggesting active rifting in the area—though the evidence is preliminary (only six sites studied, with two others lacking the signal). If confirmed, this would provide a rare glimpse into how a plate boundary begins, a process that could take millions of years; in the near term Zambia could also gain from geothermal energy development and helium extraction.

via CNN|

#continental-rift #helium-3 #kafue-rift

science15 days ago•6 min saved

Mantle Clues Hint at a New African Rift Under Zambia

Geologists studying the Kafue Rift in Zambia found mantle-derived helium signatures in hot springs, suggesting an active fault boundary and early signs that sub-Saharan Africa may be splitting; while this raises the possibility of geothermal energy opportunities, the researchers caution that data from other segments are needed to confirm a new plate boundary.

via ScienceAlert|

#africa-rifting #helium-isotopes #kafue-rift

science26 days ago•5 min saved

Africa’s Rift Heads Toward a New Ocean, Millennia in the Making

Geologists find the Turkana Rift in East Africa is thinner than expected and has entered the necking phase, signaling that Africa will keep splitting and eventually form a new ocean over millions of years, a process linked to unusually rich fossil preservation in the region.

via ScienceAlert|

#continental-breakup #fossil-preservation #necking

science26 days ago•7 min saved

Cascadia Subduction Zone Begins to Tear Itself Apart, Scientists Say

Scientists using the CASIE21 seismic program off Vancouver Island captured the Juan de Fuca plate tearing into fragments as it sinks beneath North America—a gradual, piecewise breakup with major tears (including a ~5 km drop and a ~75 km fault) that helps explain ancient plate remnants and will refine Cascadia earthquake hazard models. Despite these changes, the region remains capable of large earthquakes and tsunamis, though models will improve by incorporating the new details.

via ScienceDaily|

#cascadia #earthquakes #science

world1 month ago•41 min saved

How Australia’s Twelve Apostles Were Carved by Time and Tectonics

University of Melbourne researchers show the Twelve Apostles formed when millions of years of tectonic uplift lifted limestone, followed by about 20,000 years of erosion; dating now places the rocks at 8.6–14 million years old, with tilted layers and fault lines revealing ancient earthquakes, and only seven stacks remaining after collapses in 2005 and 2009. The study uses photography, mapping, and microfossil analysis to trace 15 million years of Earth history and climate records.

via Good News Network|

#australia #climate-history #geology

science3 months 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

science4 months 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

science4 months 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

science4 months 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

science5 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

science5 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

science5 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

science5 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

science5 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

science5 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