Mega-floods, tectonic plates and the formation of the terrain

For many million years, the Earth’s surface has been moulded by erosion and the movement of tectonic plates. While geology tends to view these two phenomena as being slow and gradual, historical experience tells us that when it comes to changes in the landscape they are often catastrophic, taking the form of floods and earthquakes, not very common but with enormous power and intensity. Nowadays we know that some of these events have been even more intense in the geological past, and that the frequency with which they occur determines the terrain we inhabit. From the formation of the Mediterranean Sea to the greatest post-glacial floods on record, in this lecture the speaker will be examining a range of regions where the planet’s surface has been sculpted in fits and starts, and not in a gradual manner.

Cycle: SCIENCE ON MONDAY: Earth sciences in our everyday lives

Organized by: Residència d’Investigadors, CSIC-Delegación en Cataluña, Institut de Ciències de la Terra - Jaume Almera