Large-scale expressions of lunar tectonics—contractional wrinkle ridges and extensional rilles or graben—are directly related to stresses induced by mare basalt-filled basins1,2. Basin-related extensional tectonic activity ceased about 3.6 Gyr ago, whereas contractional tectonics continued until about 1.2 Gyr ago2. In the lunar highlands, relatively young contractional lobate scarps, less than ...

Landslides often cause economic losses, property damage, and loss of lives. Monitoring landslides using high spatial and temporal resolution imagery and the ability to quickly identify landslide regions are the basis for emergency disaster management. This study presents a comprehensive system that uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Semi-Global dense Matching (SGM) techniques to identify ...

Cosmic ray exposure dates (based on in situ–produced 10Be), in combination with measured heights of fault scarps that cut three abandoned fans, imply a slip rate of less than ~2 mm/yr on the bounding thrust fault along a segment of the southern flank of the Tien Shan of central Asia. This rate, somewhat lower than those for the segment farther west and for the northern margin of the belt, impli...

Spectacular black smokers along the mid-ocean-ridge crest represent a small fraction of total hydrothermal heat loss from ocean lithosphere. Previous models of measured heat flow suggest that 40%–50% of oceanic hydrothermal heat and fluid flux is from young seafloor (0.1–5 Ma) on mid-ocean-ridge flanks. Despite evidence that ridge-flank hydrothermal flux affects crustal properties, ocean chemis...

The flexural-slip fault (FSF), a type of secondary fault generated by bed-parallel slip, occurs commonly and plays an important role in accommodating fold growth. Although the kinematics and mechanics of FSFs are well studied, relatively few field observations or geometric models explore its geomorphic expression. In the Pamir-Tian Shan convergent zone, NW China, suites of well-preserved FSF sc...

One of the fundamental problems in continental rift segmentation and propagation is how strain accommodated along large rift-bounding faults (border faults) since propagating border control expression zones, syn-rift depo-centers, long-term basin evolution. In Southern Malawi Rift, where previous studies on early-stage rifting only assessed fault structure from surficial topographic expression,...

Introduction: Chasma Boreale, a large reentrant in the martian North Pole, is distinct from other polar troughs by its large size and counterclockwise orientation [5]. The ~ 1300 m deep chasma extends for ~ 500 km from its proposed origin at 85° N, 2o E and is on average ~ 60 km wide. The head of the feature is marked by two major steep, arcuate scarps. Extending from the mouth of Chasma Boreal...

Observations from 145 submersible dives are used to create a database of mid-ocean ridge scarp topography and lithology. Seafloor lithologies are classified into extrusives, basaltic talus, dykes, gabbros and serpentinites, and the dive locations are broadly classified according to whether they are close to transform valleys and as a function of ridge spreading rate. The database is used to det...

Introduction: Recent detections of phyllosilicate (clay) minerals in ancient terrains [1-3] have revolutionized our understanding of early hydrothermal activity on Mars. The spectral signatures of phyllosili-cates are seen exclusively in Noachian-aged outcrops and not in Hesperian or Amazonian materials [1-3]. Phyllosilicates are inferred to have been widely em-placed during a period of time (t...