Geology: Rainwater’s Seismic Potential Runs Deep (Financial Times Magazine)
Scientists have discovered that rainwater seeps deeper into the earth than previously realized
Rainwater can penetrate many kilometers deep into the earth – further than geologists had realized. Researchers from
Southampton University, working with colleagues in New Zealand, have found evidence of fluids derived originally from rainfall below the “ductile crust”, where high temperatures and pressures cause rocks to flex and flow rather than fracture in response to tectonic movements.
The discovery, published in
Earth and Planetary Science Letters, has implications for understanding earthquakes, which may be triggered by fluids in the crust. It may also provide clues to the formation of mineral deposits.
Read More.......
