Latest news

Published on July 15, 2025

A recent study combines two seismic networks, a widespread permanent network and a dense temporary one, to improve earthquake localization and internal imaging of the Krafla volcano.
Local earthquake tomography enabled the construction of high-resolution P- and S-wave velocity models, revealing that velocity variations are mainly linked to permeability, fluid saturation, and fluid phase, rather than solely to lithology.
Two distinct upflow zones of boiling fluids, with varying (…)

Read more

Published on June 27, 2025

Recent research reveals that undersea mountains (seamounts) dragged deep beneath the Earth’s surface along tectonic plate boundaries significantly influence how faults slip and produce earthquakes.
This study focuses on the Copiapo Ridge subduction zone off the coast of northern Chile, where two buried seamounts ; referred to as A1 (shallow) and A2 (deeper), shape fault behavior by interacting with fluids trapped within the Earth’s crust and mantle. These fluids reduce the normal stress (…)

Read more

Published on June 24, 2025

Volcanic landscape of the Chaîne des Puys in the Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne © jef 77 / Adobe Stock
A recent study conducted by scientists from Institut des Sciences de la Terre (ISTERRE-OSUG, CNRS / IRD / UGA / Univ. Savoie Mont-Blanc/ Univ. Gustave Effeil) and published in Geophysical Research Letters, reveals unusual seismic signals beneath the volcanoes of the Massif Central. These signals, linked to the active presence of magma at depth, suggest that the magma reservoirs beneath the (…)

Read more

Published on June 20, 2025

New research from the southern Bolivian Altiplano reveals how pre-Hispanic communities adapted to harsh climatic conditions in the 14th and 15th centuries CE. Sediment cores taken from the Saitoco wetland (3,650 m above sea level) show clear evidence of landscape transformation through irrigation and mining, despite a period of regional drought.
The findings highlight the construction of a network of channels that directed water from surrounding mountains into the wetland. This artificial (…)

Read more

Published on May 26, 2025

Cross section of the recharged nano magnetite battery showing the discharge/oxidized layer in yellow, the recharging ion in green and the recharged magnetite in red (Figure 1a), and the single rhenium atom sitting on Fe atom raws (Figure 1b) have been analyzed using in situ techniques, combined to innovative analytical developments at the ISTerre geochemical and mineralogical analytical platform (GMP) .
Scientists from Université Grenoble Alpes, using a unique geo-spectro-chemical (…)

Read more

Published on May 23, 2025

By studying laboratory microearthquakes generated in sheared granular stacks, researchers have shown that earthquake physics is universally described if total fault deformation replaces time as the system’s evolution parameter. pexels.com
Researchers have studied micro-earthquakes in laboratory settings using sheared granular materials, simulating small-scale seismic faults. They demonstrated that the statistical properties of these events closely mirror those of (…)

Read more

Published on April 25, 2025

Thanks to a unique geochemical analysis platform at the Institute of Earth Sciences in Grenoble (UGA/CNRS/USMB/IRD/Université Gustave Eiffel), scientists from Université Grenoble Alpes have revealed, contrary to prevailing theories, dynamic plate tectonic activity on our planet 4 billion years ago. This discovery, based on geochemical analyses of magmatic inclusions and complemented by numerical modeling conducted at the German Research Center for Geosciences, will be published in the (…)

Read more

Published on March 30, 2025

As part of the European Archaeology Days, watch the video showcasing the work of three ISTerre researchers, presented in a series of short talks. Nathanaël Schaeffer on Earth’s magnetic field reversals (ANR project revEarth2) and their links to ancient pottery
Julia de Sigoyer On plate tectonics in Turkey and the history of the Iznik basilica (ANR project BASILIZNIK SECRETS3) Alejandro Fernandez-Martinez, researching Roman cements and their chemical composition.

Read more

Published on March 20, 2025

Following a final round marked by high-quality presentations that won over the audience, Charline Coudun, a PhD student at Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), enrolled in the Doctoral School of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and conducting her research at the Institute of Earth Sciences ISTerre - CNRS/IRD/UGA/UGE/USMB),was awarded the jury’s first prize.
Margaux Jomain, a PhD student at USMB, and Ange Abalé, a PhD student at UGA, completed the podium.
Charline Coudun, whose (…)

Read more

Published on March 17, 2025

As part of the ANR "Rev-Earth" project led by Nathanaël Schaeffer (ISTerre), David Louapre offers a video on his blog "Science Étonnante" to learn everything about the Earth’s magnetic field.
https://scienceetonnante.com/2025/03/14/champ-magnetique-terrestre/

Read more