Geology

Researchers have found that the magma reservoir beneath Japan's Kikai caldera, site of the Holocene's largest eruption 7,300 years ago, is refilling with newly injected magma. Using underwater seismic imaging, a team led by Kobe University's Nobukazu Seama mapped the reservoir and linked it to the ancient event. The discovery offers insights into how such systems rebuild after massive eruptions.

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Harvard geoscientists have found the oldest direct evidence of plate tectonics on Earth, dating back 3.5 billion years. Analysis of ancient rocks from western Australia reveals early crustal drift and rotation. The discovery, published in Science, challenges notions of a rigid early planetary surface.

A recent analysis of clay pebbles from Mars' Jezero crater suggests the planet experienced a warm and wet climate during the Noachian epoch billions of years ago. This finding challenges the prevailing view of a cold and icy environment at that time. The evidence comes from NASA's Perseverance rover and points to conditions potentially suitable for life.

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Simulations indicate that two massive hot rock blobs near Earth's core have played a role in generating and shaping its magnetic field, making it irregular over millions of years. Researchers analyzed ancient volcanic rocks and ran models to reach this conclusion. The findings suggest these blobs created uneven heat flow that affected the field's symmetry.

Modelling of Earth's ancient carbon cycle reveals that volcanic arcs only became a dominant source of greenhouse gas emissions towards the end of the dinosaur era. This shift occurred around 100 million years ago, driven by the emergence of certain ocean plankton 150 million years prior. Previously, most carbon was released through rifting processes rather than volcanic activity.

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Scientists have used swarms of minuscule earthquakes to map a hidden and intricate tectonic structure beneath northern California. This region, at the intersection of the San Andreas fault and the Cascadia subduction zone, involves five moving pieces rather than the expected three. The findings help explain past seismic events and improve hazard predictions.