What’s tearing the western U.S. apart?
Different forces are tearing the western U.S. apart. Which ones are most important?
Cracking ice: seismic signals identify most rapid rupture recorded on Antarctic ice shelf
In Western Antarctica, the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf cracks and calves. One of these rifting events was observed via seismic sensors, demonstrating that while the tear was slower than expected, it’s still the fastest through-cutting fracture in a floating ice shelf ever recorded.
Sensing potentially tsunamigenic Alaskan landslides resulting from retreating glaciers
As the world warms, glaciers retreat, leaving behind over-steepened slopes that are prone to landslides. In places like coastal Alaska, landslides that slip into the ocean can spell disaster.
Seismometers listen in on ocean waves in a warming world
Wind-driven ocean waves beat on Earth’s seafloor, creating a continuous signal for which seismic stations around the world listen—a signal that is increasing.
Fast and Slow: Chile’s subduction zone moves in distinct ways
Though Chile is known for several major earthquakes, the Atacama seismic gap features slow movement that scientists seek to unravel.
Thorium spikes in Colorado streams could be caused by bedrock fractures
Changes in trace amounts of the element thorium in two Colorado catchments appear to be explained by subsurface fracturing. The cause of fracturing might be attributable to distant earthquakes.
Two High Magnitude Earthquakes “Wake up” Fault System in Southwestern Türkiye, Triggering Over 200 Aftershocks
On February 6th, 2023, Türkiye and Syria experienced the devastating effects of two large (magnitude 7.8 and 7.5) earthquakes, which triggered more than 200 aftershocks. A recent study led by first author, Gesa Maria Petersen, maps two fault zones using data produced from these earthquakes, uncovering never before mapped fault sections and ground motion along these faults.