Institute for Geophysics

Understanding the Earth and other planets to solve key problems that affect us all. The world needs geophysicists!

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February 14, 2022

UT Graduate Student Research Solves Plate Tectonics Mystery

Painting of Earth's crust with two plates subducting into the Earth. Above each subduction zone are volcanoes and mountains.

The longstanding enigma of how tectonic plates can break Earth’s rock-hard shell may have been solved by a recent graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin who caught the Earth in the act of starting a new tectonic conveyor belt off the coast of New Zealand. The world’s tectonic conveyor belts – called… Continue Reading UT Graduate Student Research Solves Plate Tectonics Mystery

Filed Under: homepage-news, Media Releases, News Tagged With: Brandon Shuck, New Zealand, plate tectonics, SISIE, student research, subduction, subduction initiation, subduction zones

November 10, 2021

Fate of Sinking Tectonic Plates is Revealed

Layers of rock in a hillside

Our world’s surface is a jumble of jostling tectonic plates, with new ones emerging as others are pulled under. The ongoing cycle keeps our continents in motion and drives life on Earth. But what happens when a plate disappears into the planet’s interior? The question has long puzzled scientists because conventional wisdom said that sinking… Continue Reading Fate of Sinking Tectonic Plates is Revealed

Filed Under: homepage-news, Media Releases, News Tagged With: computational geoscience, earthquakes, Oden Institute, plate tectonics, slab segmentation, slabs, strong plates weak slabs, subduction, subduction zones, Thorsten Becker

November 11, 2019

Scientists Find Eternal Nile To Be More Ancient Than Previously Thought

The river Nile flows through modern Cairo

Ancient Egyptians considered the Nile river to be the source of all life. The steady northward path of the river has nourished the fertile valleys of northeast Africa for millions of years and in doing so, shaped the course of human civilization. The Nile’s unchanging path, however, has been a geologic mystery because long-lived rivers… Continue Reading Scientists Find Eternal Nile To Be More Ancient Than Previously Thought

Filed Under: homepage-news, Media Releases, News Tagged With: plate tectonics

April 1, 2019

The PLATES Symposium: 30 Years of PLATES

View the PLATES Symposium photo album (Facebook) The PLATES program has marked a key milestone in the study of plate tectonics by holding a symposium to celebrate 30 years of PLATES at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG). The symposium, held March 25-26, brought together colleagues from across the world to reflect on… Continue Reading The PLATES Symposium: 30 Years of PLATES

Filed Under: homepage-news, Media Releases, News Tagged With: plate tectonics, PLATES

November 16, 2018

New study reveals connection between climate, life and the movement of continents

A new study by The University of Texas at Austin has demonstrated a possible link between life on Earth and the movement of continents. The findings show that sediment, which is often comprised from pieces of dead organisms, could play a key role in determining the speed of continental drift. In addition to challenging existing… Continue Reading New study reveals connection between climate, life and the movement of continents

Filed Under: homepage-news, Media Releases, News Tagged With: plate tectonics

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