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Images of the numerical solution at the moment when a supercontinent (left, in purplish grey) begins to break up. In the image on the left, the modelled fictional planet looks much like the Earth: its surface and mantle move spontaneously, at speeds close to those observed on Earth. The distribution of the plates (some of which are large, while many are small) is also similar, as is the topography: red hues represent shallow regions of the ocean (ridges), while blue indicates the deep seafloor. The deepest blue areas correspond to subduction trenches (where a plate is sinking into the mantle). The continents are shown in translucent white (and therefore appear purplish grey).The image on the right shows warm currents (plumes) rising from the bottom of the mantle. Credit: Nicolas Coltice

What makes the Earth’s surface move?

Geology Page - November 2, 2019

A detail of the southern wall of the Las Cañadas caldera de . It is the best exposed sector of this volcanic structure. (Imagen: Joan Martí)

Study provides new insight into the origin of Las Cañadas caldera (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

Fig. 1 Map of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and surrounding area. (A) Transpressional tectonic setting of the northeastern South Island of New Zealand. (B) Map of surface ruptures from the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake, shown in bold black lines with the Papatea fault in red (8, 28). Dots represent scaled relative energy release from back-projection results (15) and are colored by time since rupture onset. Mapped active faults that did not rupture during the Kaikōura event are indicated by thin black lines (28). Credit: Science Advances 02 Oct 2019: Vol. 5, no. 10, eaax5703, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5703

Unusual fault rupture during Kaikōura quake

Photographs of alkaline magmatic intrusions in Greenland. The region was volcanically and tectonically active around 1.2 billion years ago. Although no longer active, it is of major interest to geologists because the subsequent uplift and glacial erosion have cut deep into the rift and exposed the magma chambers that once lay well below the surface. Greenland’s magmas were sourced from a mantle that was enriched and contaminated by ancient crustal materials. Credit: University of St Andrews

Ancient volcanoes reveal Earth’s recycled crust

Continents breaking up and getting back together. Image credit: Naeblys / Getty Images

Researchers uncover 2.5 billion years of Earth’s continents breaking up and getting back together

India , Asia

When India Slammed Into Asia

Geology Page - April 28, 2019

Explosive volcanic crater (maar) with small lake at the bottom close to Dilo

New light into the recent evolution of the African rift valley

Geology Page - March 22, 2019

The central Andes Mountains and surrounding landscape, as seen in this true-color image from NASA’s Terra spacecraft, formed over the past 170 million years as the Nazca Plate lying under the Pacific Ocean has forced its way under the South American Plate. Credit: NASA

Earth’s continental nurseries discovered beneath mountains

Geology Page - February 2, 2019

Earth

Scientists propose solution to ‘Gaia puzzle’

Geology Page - July 3, 2018

Nuvvuagittuq, Canada

Earth could have supported continental crust, life earlier than thought

Geology Page - June 7, 2018

Cifelliodon wahkarmoosuch

Utah fossil reveals global exodus of mammals’ near relatives to major...

Geology Page - May 27, 2018

continents

Formation of supercontinents and strength of ocean tides

Geology Page - April 11, 2018

Cratonic lithosphere with a high-density root undergoes delamination when perturbed by mantle plumes from beneath. The removed cratonic root then thermally grows back, with its rock fabrics preserving recent mantle deformation.

Continental interiors may not be as tectonically stable as geologists think

Geology Page - February 20, 2018

The East African Rift System

When continents break it gets warm on Earth

Geology Page - November 14, 2017

Ancient Earth’s hot interior created ‘graveyard’ of continental slabs

Geology Page - August 22, 2017

continents

How continents were recycled

Geology Page - August 22, 2017

Scientists set sail to unlock secrets of ‘lost continent’ Zealandia

Geology Page - July 29, 2017

Link identified between continental breakup, volcanic carbon emissions and evolution

Geology Page - July 21, 2017

Geology and biology agree on Pangaea supercontinent breakup dates

Geology Page - June 7, 2017

As continents continue moving, study suggests effects on biodiversity

Geology Page - May 18, 2017

Continental crust thanks to the right mixture

Geology Page - May 11, 2017

A new interpretation of petrogenesis of Earth’s early continental crust

Geology Page - May 1, 2017

“Lost continent” found under Mauritius

Geology Page - January 31, 2017

Geologists publish new details about evolution of East African Rift Valley

Geology Page - December 21, 2016

Why are there volcanoes on an island that isn’t near any...

Geology Page - November 29, 2016

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