Geological Society of America

An M7.1 earthquake occurred today near Xizang, China, as the result of normal faulting at shallow depth north of the boundary between the Eurasian and Indian plates. Focal mechanism solutions of this earthquake indicate this event was associated with a normal fault oriented roughly perpendicular to the plate boundary north of the Himalayan Mountains within the Eurasian plate. While commonly plotted as points on maps, earthquakes of this size are more appropriately described as slip over a larger fault area. Normal faulting events the size of today’s earthquake are typically about 45 km by 20 km (length x width). Continental collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates drives uplift of the Himalayan Mountains and the region near the Indian and Eurasian plate boundary has a history of large earthquakes. In the past century, there have been 10 earthquakes of magnitude 6 and greater within 250 km of today’s earthquake. This includes the 2015 M7.3 Nepal earthquake, located about 160 km to the southwest and the 1934 M8.0 earthquake, located about 160 km to the south-southwest. #Earthquake #Seismology #Geology #Geoscience

In “Geology and genesis of the world-class wollastonite deposit at Shizhushan in South China and implications for exploration,” Yanshen Yang and colleagues investigate the geology and genesis of the world’s largest deposit of wollastonite, an important calc-silicate mineral widely used in industrial manufacturing. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gJbtnv66. #Geochronology #EconomicGeology #GSABulletin #GSAPubs Zhiming Yang Image: Figure 11 from the paper.

The January 2025 issue of #Geology is now online. Topics include the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, submarine canyon flushing events, and marsh topography. https://lnkd.in/g-QwZHFK #Geoscience #GSAPubs Cover: Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) high-resolution (1 m) bathymetry image from Kaikōura Canyon (1 km off the Kaikōura Peninsula, South Island, Aotearoa [New Zealand]). Image collected using the Kongsberg Maritime's HUGIN AUV, owned by University of Gothenburg. Data processed by NIWA and AUT staff.

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Birmingham recently announced the discovery of a “dinosaur highway” that includes nearly 200 tracks dating back 166 million years. Four of the sets of tracks were made by gigantic, long-necked, herbivores called sauropods, thought to be Cetiosaurus, a dinosaur that grew to nearly 60 feet (18 meters) in length. A fifth set belonged to the Megalosaurus, a ferocious 9-meter predator that left a distinctive triple-claw print and was the first dinosaur to be scientifically named two centuries ago. Learn more here: geosociety.co/OD #Dinosaurs #Megalosaurus #Paleontology #GeologyRocks Richard Butler Oxford University Museum Of Natural History Kirsty Edgar

Are you interested in science policy or applying to the GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellowship? Register for our upcoming webinar with former Congressional Science Fellows and learn more about what life on Capitol Hill is like, what skills are needed for success and how to engage with science policy! Join us on Monday, 6 January from Noon-1 pm ET. Panelists will include:   Dr. David Applegate, Director of the United States Geological Survey Dr. Charles Gertler, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Emily Orzechowski, University Cooperation for Atmospheric Research You can register for the webinar here: geosociety.co/CSJ #SciPol #GeosciencePolicy #GeologyRocks U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) UCAR - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

The basaltic submarine eruption offshore the island of Mayotte between July 2018 and January 2021 is one of the largest documented underwater eruptions. One of the most striking differences between this eruption and most documented eruptions is the exceptional depth of the associated seismicity, which is limited almost exclusively to the lithospheric mantle. A team of geoscientists recently analyzed precise earthquake locations and focal mechanisms associated with this event. Learn more here: geosociety.co/MV #MarineGeology #SubmarineEruption #Volcano #GeologyRocks Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris Christophe Berthod CNRS Université Clermont Auvergne BRGM

The January issue of #GSAToday is now available online! Learn about ‘Life on an Active Margin: Swimming Pools and Movie Stars’ from the GSA Connects 2024 Presidential Address, then explore the ‘Channeled Scablands, Northwest U.S., and Runnable Mental Models’ in The Geological Mind. You can also read ‘The Colorado Rocky Mountains Awaken: Understanding Topographic Rejuvenation in Postorogenic Mountain Belts’ by Eyal Marder et al. and much more! Explore the January issue of GSA Today here: geosociety.co/JN   #Geology #Geoscience #EarthScience #GeologyRocks

The New Year is the perfect time to present your latest work! If you have research that you’re ready to share with the geoscience community, we invite you to submit an abstract to one of GSA’s 2025 Section Meetings! The abstract submission deadline for the Cordilleran and Rocky Mountain Section Meetings is 28 January, so don’t wait, submit your abstract today! Learn more and submit your abstract here: geosociety.co/SM -Cordilleran | 1–4 April 2025 | Sacramento, California -Rocky Mountain | 18–20 May 2025 | Provo, Utah #GSASectionMeetings #Geology #Geoscience #EarthScience #GeologyRocks

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 of the Geological Society of America is seeking proposals for technical sessions, field trips, and workshops for the upcoming annual GSA meeting in San Antonio, Texas. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 31𝐬𝐭! If you are interested in Hydrogeology Division sponsorship for your session, please contact Kathy Knierim, Joint Technical Program Committee Chair (JTPC), at 𝐤𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦@𝐮𝐬𝐠𝐬.𝐠𝐨𝐯. https://lnkd.in/gAyHV8rZ #Hydrogeology #HydrogeologyDivision #GSAHydrogeologyDivision

The January/February issue of GSA Bulletin is here! Browse and read online at https://lnkd.in/gEN3HRzc. #GSABulletin #GSAPubs #Geology #Geoscience #EarthScience Cover photo by Ian Cawood.