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Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research
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Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Geological Oceanography".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2025) | Viewed by 7886

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhonghai Wu

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Guest Editor
Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: neotectonics and active tectonics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Dun Wang

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Guest Editor
School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
Interests: real-time seismology; induced seismicity; active faults
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The dynamic nature of the Earth's lithosphere, particularly the oceanic plates, plays a crucial role in our understanding of the geophysical and geological processes of the Earth. This Special Issue, titled “Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research”, aims to showcase recent breakthroughs and cutting-edge research in the field of ocean plate tectonics and seismology. This collection includes studies on the mechanisms driving plate motions, the interaction between tectonic plates and underlying mantle processes, and the resulting seismic activities. By integrating observational data, advanced modeling techniques, and innovative analytical approaches, the contributions in this Issue provide new insights into the complex behavior of oceanic plates. Key topics include the assessment of ocean plate boundaries; subduction zone dynamics, mid-ocean ridge processes, and volcanoes; intraplate earthquakes; and tsunamis associated with subduction zones. This Special Issue highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approaches in advancing our understanding of ocean plate motions and their implications for global seismic hazards. In it, researchers, geophysicists, and Earth scientists will find valuable information and novel perspectives that can inform future studies and contribute to the broader field of Earth sciences.

Prof. Dr. Zhonghai Wu
Prof. Dr. Dun Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ocean plate boundaries
  • subduction zone dynamics
  • mid-ocean ridge processes
  • intraplate seismicity
  • great earthquake disaster related with subduction zones
  • volcanic activity associated with subduction zones

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 5590 KB  
Article
Rupture Velocity Acceleration and Slip Partitioning Along an Oceanic Transform Fault: The 2025 Mw 7.6 Cayman Trough Earthquake
by Hong Zhang, Dun Wang, Yuyang Peng, Zhifeng Wang, Zhenhang Zhang, Songlin Tan, Keyue Gong and Yongpeng Yang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(5), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14050479 - 2 Mar 2026
Viewed by 405
Abstract
On 8 February 2025, an Mw 7.6 strike-slip earthquake ruptured the Swan Islands Transform Fault in the northern Caribbean near its junction with the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center, providing an important offshore case for investigating rupture dynamics along oceanic transform faults. In this study, [...] Read more.
On 8 February 2025, an Mw 7.6 strike-slip earthquake ruptured the Swan Islands Transform Fault in the northern Caribbean near its junction with the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center, providing an important offshore case for investigating rupture dynamics along oceanic transform faults. In this study, we jointly apply teleseismic high-frequency back-projection and low-frequency finite-fault full-waveform inversion to image the multi-scale spatiotemporal evolution of the rupture process. Back-projection results reveal a two-stage rupture characterized by an initial sub-shear propagation lasting approximately 20 s, followed by rapid acceleration to supershear velocities of ~5–6 km/s and westward propagation over ~80–100 km. Finite-fault inversion shows that coseismic slip is primarily concentrated within ~20 km west of the epicenter, with a peak slip of ~5.6 m and an overall rupture duration of ~40 s. Comparison between high-frequency radiation and low-frequency slip indicates that the most seismic moment was released during the early slow rupture stage, whereas the later fast-propagating segment produced enhanced high-frequency energy but relatively small slip. These observations reveal a pronounced along-strike complementary relationship between slip amplitude and rupture speed, suggesting a transition in rupture dynamics controlled by variations in fault strength, fracture energy, and/or geometric complexity. By combining high-frequency back-projection with low-frequency finite-fault inversion, we obtain a more complete view of the rupture process of offshore earthquakes, which helps clarify rupture propagation characteristics, including supershear behavior, along oceanic transform faults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research)
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19 pages, 20423 KB  
Article
Spherical Gravity Inversion Reveals Crustal Structure and Microplate Tectonics in the Caribbean Sea
by Feiyu Zhao, Chunrong Zhan, Junling Pei, Yumin Chen, Mengxue Dai, Bin Hu, Lifu Hou, Zixi Ning and Rongrong Xu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14010109 - 5 Jan 2026
Viewed by 738
Abstract
As a convergent zone of multiple plates, the Caribbean Sea and its adjacent areas have experienced a complex tectonic evolution process and are characterized by prominent microplate development. This region provides a natural laboratory for studying the formation mechanism of continental margins, the [...] Read more.
As a convergent zone of multiple plates, the Caribbean Sea and its adjacent areas have experienced a complex tectonic evolution process and are characterized by prominent microplate development. This region provides a natural laboratory for studying the formation mechanism of continental margins, the evolution process of ocean basins, and the tectonics of microplates. However, the crustal structure and microplate tectonics in this region remain unclear due to limitations of conventional planar gravity inversion methods, which neglect the Earth’s curvature in large-scale areas, as well as the uneven coverage of regional seismic networks. To precisely delineate the crustal structure and microplate boundaries in the Caribbean Sea region, this study employs a nonlinear gravity inversion method based on a spherical coordinate system. By utilizing GOCO06s satellite gravity data, ETOPO1 topographic data, and the CRUST1.0 crustal model, we performed inversion calculations for the Moho depth in the Caribbean Sea and its adjacent regions and systematically analyzed the crustal structure and microplate tectonic characteristics of the region. The results indicate that the gravity inversion method in the spherical coordinate system has good applicability in complex tectonic regions. The inversion results show that the Moho depth in the study area generally presents a spatial distribution pattern of “shallow in the central part and deep in the surrounding areas”. Among them, the Moho depth is the largest (>39 km) at the junction of the Northern Andes and the South American Plate, while it is relatively shallow (<6 km) in regions such as the Cayman Trough, the Colombian Basin, and the Venezuelan Basin. Based on the Moho undulation, gravity anomalies, and topographic features, this study divides the Caribbean Sea and its adjacent areas into 22 microplates and identifies three types of microplates, including oceanic, continental, and accretionary. Among them, there are 10 microplates with oceanic crust, 6 with continental crust, and 5 with accretionary crust, while the Northern Andes Microplate exhibits a mixed type. The crustal structure characteristics revealed in this study support the Pacific origin model of the Caribbean Plate, indicating that most of the plate is a component of the ancient Pacific Plate with standard oceanic crust properties. Locally, the Caribbean Large Igneous Province developed due to hotspot activity, and the subsequent eastward drift and tectonic wedging processes collectively shaped the complex modern microplate tectonic framework of this region. This study not only reveals the variation pattern of crustal thickness in the Caribbean Sea region but also provides new geophysical evidence for understanding the lithospheric structure and microplate evolution mechanism in the area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research)
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16 pages, 6567 KB  
Article
Influence of the Hainan Plume on the Deep Thermal Structure and Shallow Geothermal Field of Southeastern Coastal China
by Huihui Zhang, Lijuan He and Yaqi Wang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14010019 - 22 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 666
Abstract
Thermal anomalies within the lithosphere are an important manifestation of mantle plume–lithosphere interaction. Early studies primarily concentrated on the presence of the Hainan plume and its surface responses, with comparatively little research devoted to its hotspot track and lithospheric-scale thermal responses. Based on [...] Read more.
Thermal anomalies within the lithosphere are an important manifestation of mantle plume–lithosphere interaction. Early studies primarily concentrated on the presence of the Hainan plume and its surface responses, with comparatively little research devoted to its hotspot track and lithospheric-scale thermal responses. Based on high-resolution seismic data, we reveal that, although a low-velocity anomaly caused by the plume exists in the asthenospheric mantle beneath Hainan Island (>70 km), no such anomaly is observed in the lithospheric mantle (40~70 km). In comparison, within the same depth slice, a low-velocity body in the lithospheric mantle (40~70 km) is observed beneath the Jiangxi–Fujian boundary, accompanied by high-surface heat flow, and its location is shifted approximately 1300 km to the northeast relative to the low-velocity anomaly in the asthenosphere located under Hainan Island. To explain the spatial offset of the low-velocity anomalies, we constructed a three-dimensional geodynamic model aimed at investigating the lithospheric thermal evolution during interaction between the stationary Hainan plume and the moving South China Plate. The findings indicate that the lithospheric low-velocity zone beneath the Jiangxi-Fujian region may be a consequence of the migration of the lithospheric thermal anomaly caused by the Hainan plume with the South China Plate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research)
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13 pages, 12792 KB  
Article
Focal Mechanism of 2020–2025 Mw > 5.0 Earthquake Sequence in Bárðarbunga Volcanic Zone, Iceland, and Its Implications for Magma Inflow Activity
by Benhao Hou, Han Li, Xu Chang, Jinlai Hao, Suxiang Zhang and Qing Ye
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(11), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13112172 - 17 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1498
Abstract
Iceland is an emergent segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the Bárðarbunga volcano lies in central Iceland beneath the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. Geodetic and seismic observations indicate persistent post-eruptive inflation since the 2014–2015 intense volcanic eruption at Bárðarbunga, revealing [...] Read more.
Iceland is an emergent segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the Bárðarbunga volcano lies in central Iceland beneath the Vatnajökull glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. Geodetic and seismic observations indicate persistent post-eruptive inflation since the 2014–2015 intense volcanic eruption at Bárðarbunga, revealing ongoing subsurface magmatic activity. To investigate details of the magma inflow process and monitor possible volcanic eruption, we studied focal mechanisms of seven earthquakes (with moment magnitude Mw > 5.0) that occurred from 2020 to 2025 in the Bárðarbunga volcanic zone, using the generalized Cut and Paste (gCAP) moment tensor inversion method. All inversions were checked and examined using the bootstrap uncertainty analysis. According to the results, all seven events exhibit significant positive non-double-couple components (35–58%), with centroid depths ranging from 3 to 9 km, within the typical brittle–ductile transition zone in Iceland. Our results correspond with the GNSS deformation data and the focal mechanism study of previous earthquakes at Bárðarbunga. We also find that focal mechanisms in the Bárðarbunga volcano region may vary with depth: shallow (≤7 km) events result from magma chamber pressurization or tensile fracturing due to magma intrusion, and deep (~9 km) activity reflects magma emplacement or overpressure accumulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research)
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13 pages, 12156 KB  
Article
The Mantle Structure of North China Craton and Its Tectonic Implications: Insights from Teleseismic P-Wave Tomography
by Weiqian Yu, Wei Wei, James O. S. Hammond, Cunrui Han, He Tan and Haoyu Hao
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(4), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13040786 - 15 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1613
Abstract
To study the mantle structure of the North China Craton (NCC) and its tectonic implications, in particular, the evolution of the rift systems in the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO), we used teleseismic data recorded by 250 portable seismic stations to invert for the [...] Read more.
To study the mantle structure of the North China Craton (NCC) and its tectonic implications, in particular, the evolution of the rift systems in the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO), we used teleseismic data recorded by 250 portable seismic stations to invert for the P-wave velocity (Vp) structures of the mantle beneath the NCC. Our results show a large-scale low-Vp anomaly in the shallow mantle and high-Vp anomalies in the deeper upper mantle beneath the eastern NCC, with fine-scale high-Vp anomalies at the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary, indicating multi-stage lithospheric delamination during the Cenozoic. In the Yan Mountains (YanM), an east–west striking high-Vp anomaly between 60 to 200 km depths and low heat flow suggest the preservation of a thick mantle root. In the TNCO, high-Vp bodies in the upper mantle and the upper part of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) are imaged. The shallower high-Vp anomaly located beneath the Shanxi–Shaanxi Rift (SSR), along with an overlying local-scale low-Vp anomaly, indicates local hot material upwelling due to lithospheric root removal. The India–Eurasia collision’s far-field effects are proposed to cause lithospheric thickening, subsequent root delamination, and the formation and evolution of the SSR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research)
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23 pages, 14443 KB  
Article
The Formation and Modification of the Arcuate Tectonic Belt in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Insight from Three-Dimensional Finite Element Numerical Simulation
by Yilin Zhao, Wei Shi, Yujun Sun and Guiting Hou
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(1), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13010170 - 18 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1884
Abstract
The arcuate tectonic belt in the northeast Tibetan Plateau has been a contentious topic regarding its formation and evolution, owing to its distinctive geological structure as the lateral growth boundary of the plateau. In this research, leveraging geological and geophysical data, a three-dimensional [...] Read more.
The arcuate tectonic belt in the northeast Tibetan Plateau has been a contentious topic regarding its formation and evolution, owing to its distinctive geological structure as the lateral growth boundary of the plateau. In this research, leveraging geological and geophysical data, a three-dimensional finite element numerical model is employed to explore the impact of lateral and vertical inhomogeneities in lithospheric strength on the northeast Tibetan Plateau’s growth and the arcuate tectonic belt’s formation and alteration. Additionally, the kinematic and deformation traits of the arcuate tectonic belt, such as regional motion velocity, stress, and crustal thickness during shortening and strike-slip deformation, are comparatively analyzed. The findings indicate that the arcuate tectonic belt takes shape when the weakly strengthened Tibetan Plateau is impelled into the Yinchuan Basin after being obstructed by the robust Alax and Ordos blocks during lateral expansion. Intense shear deformation occurs at the block boundaries during the arc tectonic belt’s formation. The weak middle-lower crust, serving as a detachment layer, facilitates the plateau’s lateral growth and crustal shortening and thickening without perturbing the overall deformation characteristics. It is verified that the arcuate tectonic belt was formed during the NE-SW compression phase from around 9.5 to 2.5 Ma, accompanied by significant crustal shortening and thickening. Since 2.5 Ma, within the ENE-WSW compression process, the internal faults of the arcuate tectonic belt are predominantly strike-slip, with no pronounced crustal shortening and thickening. Only local topographical modification is conspicuous. This study will enhance our comprehension of the Tibetan Plateau’s uplift and lateral growth process and furnish a foundation for investigating the formation of arcuate tectonic belts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Ocean Plate Motion and Seismic Research)
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