The European Geosciences Union has awarded the 2023 Augustus Love Medal to Thorsten Becker, a professor at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, for outstanding research contributions in the field of geodynamics and for leadership and selfless service to the scientific community. The Love Medal is Europe’s highest honor in geodynamics… Continue Reading European Distinguished Geoscientist Medal Goes to UT’s Thorsten Becker
Scientists Detect Molten Rock Layer Hidden Under Earth’s Tectonic Plates
Scientists have discovered a new layer of partly molten rock under the Earth’s crust that might help settle a long-standing debate about how tectonic plates move. Researchers had previously identified patches of melt at a similar depth. But a new study led by The University of Texas at Austin revealed for the first time the… Continue Reading Scientists Detect Molten Rock Layer Hidden Under Earth’s Tectonic Plates
In Search of the Next Big One
Subduction zones are the source of the world’s most dangerous earthquakes and tsunamis. UTIG’s researchers are on a mission to understand them By Constantino Panagopulos On Jan. 26, 1700, a barrage of tsunamis ripped across the Pacific Ocean at the speed of a jet liner. The 100-foot waves slammed into the northwest coast of America… Continue Reading In Search of the Next Big One
Scientists Plan Major Research Program to Understand Earth’s Most Dangerous Hazards
The University of Texas at Austin has joined leading scientists on a bold new effort to understand Earth’s largest earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The plans were detailed in a new report published Nov. 7 with the backing of 55 universities. Demian Saffer, the director of the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and one… Continue Reading Scientists Plan Major Research Program to Understand Earth’s Most Dangerous Hazards
Fate of Sinking Tectonic Plates is Revealed
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