PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Computer models solve geologic riddle millions of years in the making

New study provides explanation for long-debated origin of bow-shaped mountain belts that form along the edges of colliding tectonic plates

2014-03-24
(Press-News.org) An international team of scientists that included USC's Meghan Miller used computer modeling to reveal, for the first time, how giant swirls form during the collision of tectonic plates – with subduction zones stuttering and recovering after continental fragments slam into them.

The team's 3D models suggest a likely answer to a question that has long plagued geologists: why do long, curving mountain chains form along some subduction zones – where two tectonic plates collide, pushing one down into the mantle?

Based on the models, the researchers found that parts of the slab that is being subducted sweep around behind the collision, pushing continental material into the mountain belt.

With predictions confirmed by field observations, the 3D models show a characteristic pattern of intense localized heating, volcanic activity and fresh sediments that remained enigmatic until now.

"The new model explains why we see curved mountains near colliding plates, where material that has been scraped off of one plate and accreted on another is dragged into a curved path on the continent," Miller said.

Miller collaborated with lead author Louis Moresi from Monash University and his colleagues Peter Betts (also from Monash) and R. A. Cayley from the Geological Survey of Victoria in Australia. Their research was published online by Nature on March 23.

Their research specifically looked at the ancient geologic record of Eastern Australia, but is also applicable to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the Mediterranean, and southeast Asia. Coastal mountain ranges from Northern California up to Alaska were formed by the scraping off of fragment of the ancient Farallon plate as it subducted beneath the North American continent. The geology of the Western Cordillera (wide mountain belts that extend along all of North America) fits the predictions of the computer model.

"The amazing thing about this research is that we can now interpret arcuate-shaped geological structures on the continents in a whole new way," Miller said. "We no longer need to envision complex motions and geometries to explain the origins of ancient or modern curved mountain belts."

The new results from this research will help geologists interpret the formation of ancient mountain belts and may prove most useful as a template to interpret regions where preservation of evidence for past collisions is incomplete - a common, and often frustrating, challenge for geologists working in fragmented ancient terrains.

INFORMATION: Moresi was funded by the Australian Research Council and Miller was funded by NSF CAREER award.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Motor learning: Lining up our sights

2014-03-24
Neurologists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have studied the role of the vestibular system, which controls balance, in optimizing how we direct our gaze. The results could lead to more effective rehabilitation of patients with vestibular or cerebellar dysfunction. When we shift the direction of our gaze, head and eye movements are normally highly coordinated with each other. Indeed, from the many possible combinations of speed and duration for such movements, the brain chooses the one that minimizes the error in reaching the intended line of sight. ...

Glatt Kosher for Passover Seders At Talia's Steakhouse & Bar, A Manhattan Kosher Restaurant - Chol Hamoed and Yom Tov Meals Are Also Available at Talia's During This Popular Jewish Holiday

Glatt Kosher for Passover Seders At Talias Steakhouse & Bar, A Manhattan Kosher Restaurant - Chol Hamoed and Yom Tov Meals Are Also Available at Talias During This Popular Jewish Holiday
2014-03-24
If you are looking for a relaxing and stress-free way to celebrate Passover with your loved ones without spending the whole day in the kitchen, consider what has become a tradition for Passover at the popular New York City Glatt Kosher restaurant, Talia's Steakhouse & Bar, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, NYC. For over eleven years, Talia's Steakhouse & Bar has been serving the kosher community of the NY Metro area. As the premier Glatt kosher establishment in Manhattan, Talia's is proud to announce that, once again, it will conduct four prepaid ...

Leukemia caused by chromosome catastrophe

2014-03-24
Researchers have found that people born with a rare abnormality of their chromosomes have a 2,700-fold increased risk of a rare childhood leukaemia. In this abnormality, two specific chromosomes are fused together but become prone to catastrophic shattering. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, or ALL, is the most common childhood cancer. Scientists previously found that a small subset of ALL patients have repeated sections of chromosome 21 in the genomes of their leukaemia cells. This form of ALL – iAMP21 ALL – requires more intensive treatment than many other types of ALL. ...

Small number of counties leads the way in reducing smoking rates in the US

2014-03-24
SEATTLE — Nationally, smoking rates have decreased since 1996, but the declines have been driven by a relatively small share of counties across the US, according to new research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The study, "Cigarette smoking prevalence in US counties: 1996-2012," was published March 24 in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Population Health Metrics. Total cigarette smoking prevalence – the percentage of the population that smokes – has not decreased significantly in all counties but, because ...

Increased awareness about skin cancer needed for minorities

Increased awareness about skin cancer needed for minorities
2014-03-24
DETROIT – More awareness about skin cancer is needed for minorities because they believe they are at low risk of developing it, says Henry Ford Hospital dermatologist Diane Jackson-Richards, M.D. Research has shown that minorities are diagnosed at a more advanced stage of skin cancer and have lower chances of survival than Caucasians. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer among African Americans and Asian Indians, and the second most common skin cancer in Hispanics, East Asians and Caucasians, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. "We need to intensify ...

Researchers improve performance of III-V nanowire solar cells on graphene

Researchers improve performance of III-V nanowire solar cells on graphene
2014-03-24
Imagine a field of small wires—standing at attention like a tiny field of wheat—gathering the Sun's rays as the first step in solar energy conversion. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have achieved new levels of performance for seed-free and substrate-free arrays of nanowires from class of materials called III-V (three-five) directly on graphene. These compound semiconductors hold particular promise for applications involving light, such as solar cells or lasers. "Over the past two decades, research in the field of semiconductor nanowires ...

NASA sees Tropical Depression 04W's remnants affecting Palawan

NASA sees Tropical Depression 04Ws remnants affecting Palawan
2014-03-24
Tropical Depression 04W formed in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean on March 23 and marched across the southern Philippines. NASA's TRMM satellite spotted moderate rainfall occurring near Palawan the next day from the storm's remnants. Formerly known as System 94W, the tropical low organized into Tropical Depression 04W (TD04W) on Sunday, March 23. TD04W then crossed through the southern and central Philippines on March 22 and 23, moving from east to west through Mindanao and Visayas. At 04:32 UTC/12:32 a.m. EDT the depression had maximum sustained winds near 20 knots/23.0 ...

World's first light-activated antimicrobial surface that also works in the dark

Worlds first light-activated antimicrobial surface that also works in the dark
2014-03-24
Researchers at UCL have developed a new antibacterial material which has potential for cutting hospital acquired infections. The combination of two simple dyes with nanoscopic particles of gold is deadly to bacteria when activated by light - even under modest indoor lighting. And in a first for this type of substance, it also shows impressive antibacterial properties in total darkness. The research, from by Sacha Noimark and Ivan Parkin (both UCL Chemistry) and Elaine Allan (UCL Eastman Dental Institute), is published today in the journal Chemical Science. Hospital-acquired ...

NTU scientists discover material that can be solar cell by day, light panel by night

NTU scientists discover material that can be solar cell by day, light panel by night
2014-03-24
In future, when your mobile or tablet runs out of battery, you could just recharge it by putting it out in the sun. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) scientists have developed a next-generation solar cell material which can also emit light, in addition to converting light to electricity. This solar cell is developed from Perovskite, a promising material that could hold the key to creating high-efficiency, inexpensive solar cells. The new cells not only glow when electricity passes through them, but they can also be customised to emit different colours. Picture ...

'RoboClam' replicates a clam's ability to burrow while using little energy

2014-03-24
The Atlantic razor clam uses very little energy to burrow into undersea soil at high speed. Now a detailed insight into how the animal digs has led to the development of a robotic clam that can perform the same trick. The device, known as "RoboClam," could be used to dig itself into the ground to bury anchors or destroy underwater mines, according to its developer, Amos Winter, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Despite its rigid shell, the Atlantic razor clam (Ensis directus) can move through soil at a speed ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

[Press-News.org] Computer models solve geologic riddle millions of years in the making
New study provides explanation for long-debated origin of bow-shaped mountain belts that form along the edges of colliding tectonic plates