In 2019, GSA published 9,500 pages in its journals and books. With that much content coming out, you might have missed a paper or two. To help you identify some of the best, we asked our science editors to highlight their favorite papers from 2019.
Underthrusting and duplexing beneath the northern Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen
Andrew V. Zuza, Wu Chen, Zengzhen Wang, Drew Levy, Li Bing, Xiaosong Xiong, and Xuanhua Chen
“A fascinating study of an active fold-thrust belt and an excellent overview of Tibetan tectonics.”
– Damian Nance, Lithosphere editor
A review of the Earth history record in the Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogene pelagic carbonates of the Umbria-Marche Apennines (Italy): Twenty-five years of the Geological Observatory of Coldigioco
Walter Alvarez
“This monumental paper (almost 60 printed pages) from one of the giants in our field is a mind-boggling summary and review of not only the geology of the famous Umbria-Marche sequence, but also a history of discovery related to geological events that concern the whole world, and interspersed with fascinating multidisciplinary facets and stories.”
– Christian Koeberl, GSA books editor
Interactions between propagating rifts and linear weaknesses in the lower crust
Nicolas E. Molnar, Alexander R. Cruden, and Peter G. Betts
“Molnar et al.’s study on the influence of inherited crustal structures on propagating rifts is notable for its well-designed 3D analogue experiments and the excellent illustrations of the results.“
Andrea Hampel, Geosphere editor
Environmental Availability of Potentially Toxic Elements in an Agricultural Mediterranean Site
Dimitrios Alexakis, Dimitra Gamvroula, Eleni Theofili
“This paper describes a sequential extraction procedure for the geochemical partitioning of potentially toxic elements (cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, and nickel) in agricultural soils that could pose potential ecological risks. The authors also discuss the sources of contamination for these analyzed elements.”
– Brian Katz, Environmental and Engineering Geoscience editor
A sudden end-Permian mass extinction in South China
Shu-Zhong Shen, Jahandar Ramezani, Jun Chen, Chang-Qun Cao, Douglas H. Erwin, Hua Zhang, Lei Xiang, Shane D. Schoepfer, Charles M. Henderson, Quan-Feng Zheng, Samuel A. Bowring, Yue Wang, Xian-Hua Li, Xiang-Dong Wang, Dong-Xun Yuan, Yi-Chun Zhang, Lin Mu, Jun Wang, and Ya-Sheng Wu
“I thought this was a great multidisciplinary study that emphasised the value of modern, extremely precise geochronological techniques in helping to resolve some major environmental and palaentological issues.”
– Rob Strachan, GSA Bulletin editor
The Gigantic Markagunt and Sevier Gravity Slides Resulting from Mid-Cenozoic Catastrophic Mega-Scale Failure of the Marysville Volcanic Field, Utah, USA
Robert F. Biek, Peter D. Rowley, and David B. Hacker
“This field trip guide is my favorite because it highlights the notion of a somewhat rapid landslide occurrence at a gigantic terrestrial scale.”
– Joan Florsheim, GSA books editor
Biomediation of sediment gravity flow dynamics
Melissa J. Craig, Jaco H. Baas, Kathryn J. Amos, Lorna J. Strachan, Andrew J. Manning, David M. Paterson, Julie A. Hope, Scott D. Nodder, Megan L. Baker
“Craig and co-authors employ an experimental approach examining the role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in controlling the dynamics of deep-water submarine sediment gravity-flows. Their findings have implications for improved understanding of submarine slope and fan depositional processes and facies.”
– Jim Schmitt, Geology editor
Debris flows in southeast Australia linked to drought, wildfire, and the El Niño Southern Oscillation
Petter Nyman, Ian D. Rutherfurd, Patrick N.J. Lane, Gary J. Sheridan
“Nyman and co-authors unravel the complex interplay between extreme rainfall episodes, wildfire events, and ENSO-controlled wet-dry conditions on the spatial distribution and differing initiation mechanisms (landslide vs. runoff) of debris flows between 2003 and 2013 in southeast Australia. These results have extreme importance in light of the 2019–2020 wildfires burning across Australia and implications for the short-term landscape response regarding future debris flow generation and location.”
– Jim Schmitt, Geology editor
Most Read Journal Papers in 2019
Geology: Thermal shock fragmentation of Mg silicates within scoriaceous micrometeorites reveal hydrated aster
Geosphere: Anticipating future Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) 7 eruptions and their chilling impacts
GSA Bulletin: The continental record and the generation of continental crust
Lithosphere: Durmid ladder structure and its implications for the nucleation sites of the next M >7.5 earthquake
GSA Today: Zealandia: Earth’s Hidden Continent
Environmental & Engineering Geoscience: Overview of the Effects of Mass Wasting on the Natural Environment
Most Read Books in 2019
Special Papers: Tectonics Sedimentary Basins and Provenance: A Celebration of the Career of William R. Dickinson
Memoirs: From Rodinia to Pangea: The Lithotectonic Record of the Appalachian Region
Field Guides: Ancient Oceans Orogenic Uplifts and Glacial Ice: Geologic Crossroads in America’s Heartland
Reviews in Engineering Geology: Military Geosciences in the Twenty-First Century
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Speaking of Geoscience 