9 Figure 1 The locations of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the four other large intraplate earthquakes (Nobi, Tango, Tottori, and Fukui) in Japan since 1890. The mechanisms for the Tango, Tottori and Fukui earthquakes are also shown. The base map showing the Quaternary faults in the region is taken from Huzita (1980) and modified. M.T. is the Median Tectonic Line. Daishinsai (A major earthquake d...

S U M M A R Y One of the many problems in the study of plate-mantle coupling is the disparity between the theory of mantle dynamics-which involves continuum physics-and the theory of plate tectonics-which employs discontinuous plates. This discordance causes a variety of difficulties in geodynamic models, e.g. infinite tractions between the plates and mantle. As motions of the Earth’s surface d...

Global analysis of NASA Magellan image data indicates that a major concentration of volcanic centers covering approximately 40 percent of the surface of Venus occurs between the Beta, Atla, and Themis regiones. Associated with this enhanced concentration are geological characteristics commonly interpreted as rifting and mantle upwelling. Interconnected low plains in an annulus around this conce...

Chile is one of the countries with highest seismicity in world and affected by three types seismogenic sources; interplate, intraplate superficial or cortical intraplate. In this context, eastern sector city Santiago, capital Chile, Falla San Ramón (FSR) located. It a source, which threatens its habitants various economic activities that are located sector, geological hazards such as earthquake...

Analysis of broadband teleseismic data shows that the 18 June 2000 Wharton Basin earthquake, a moment magnitude 7.8 intraplate event in the region of diffuse deformation separating the Indian and Australian plates, consisted of two subevents that simultaneously ruptured two near-conjugate planes. This mode of rupture accommodates shortening by a mechanism different from that previously known el...

Back-arc extension has been well documented in subduction plate tectonic regimes. However, the reasons why back-arc extensions are associated with some systems but not others have remained elusive. Here, spatio-temporal variations composition of Cenozoic basalts northeast Asian continental margin used to constrain mechanism for episodic extensions. Using geochemical data sensitive affinity, we ...

[1] Several large strike slip earthquakes have occurred in various tectonic settings in the past 5 years, adding well documented data to the global collection of moment and length estimates for such earthquakes. Based on this augmented dataset, we reexamine the controversial issue of scaling of seismic moment with length of rupture. We find that the global dataset of large strike-slip earthquak...

Introduction. The once popular idea that changes in planetary volume play an important role in terrestrial orogeny and tectonics [ I ,2] was generally discarded with the acceptance of plate tectonics. It is nonetheless likely that the Earth has been steadily cooling over the last 3-4 billion years [e.g., 3,4], and the global contraction that accompanied such cooling would have led to a secular ...