In Nature Geoscience, a sister journal of Nature, researchers who have made significant achievements in the field of Earth sciences are invited to contribute essays on recent research in their area of expertise. Associate Professor Tomohiro Ouchi of GRC, who was invited to write for the journal, has been conducting research to elucidate the mechanisms of deep-focus earthquakes through rock fracture experiments that combine multi-anvil apparatus and synchrotron in-situ observation techniques.
Olivine, a major constituent mineral of subducting plates, undergoes structural transformations under high-pressure conditions at depths of 400–700 km. In this essay, Dr. Ouchi explains how these structural changes can trigger deep-focus earthquakes, based on both past and recent research findings.
Title：Olivine’s trembling transformations
Nature Geoscience