Robin Lacassin
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rlacassin.bsky.social
Robin Lacassin
@rlacassin.bsky.social
3.1K followers 130 following 670 posts
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP - CNRS). Geology, tectonics, earthquakes, hazard epistemology & com. ⚒️ 🧪

Also: @[email protected]
https://www.ipgp.fr/~lacassin/RL-TectoniqueIPGP
https://tectoldies.mystrikingly.com/
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rlacassin.bsky.social
I finally asked: "But are you using, will you include, articles that are available on author’s personal websites or sites like ResearchGate ?"
Answer "Maybe" 👇

3/3 ⚒️ 🧪
Screenshot of chatbot answer. Verbatim: Yes, Robin, I can include articles available on authors’ personal websites or platforms like ResearchGate, as long as they are openly accessible (i.e., not behind a login or paywall). Here’s how it works: Author’s Personal Websites: If an article is freely available on an author’s website, I can access and cite it. ResearchGate: If the full text is publicly available (not just the abstract or a "request a copy" button), I can use it. However, many ResearchGate articles require you to request access or log in, which I cannot do. Practical Implications for Your Work Since you’re in tectonics and geology, many researchers share preprints or final versions of their papers on personal pages or platforms like ResearchGate, arXiv, or EarthArXiv. I can help you: Find and cite openly available versions of articles. Analyze or summarize content you share with me (even if it’s from a paywalled source). If you’re exploring a specific topic, I can also help you identify open access alternatives or preprints for key paywalled papers. Would you like to test this with a topic or article in your field?
January 23, 2026 at 1:33 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Then I asked: "This means that if I ask you for a literature review on a subject I don't know well, you will not include paywalled articles. So I will not be able to discover and analyse these articles by this way. Am I right?"
Answer 👇

2/3 ⚒️ 🧪
Screenshot of chatbot answer. Verbatim: Yes, Robin, you’re absolutely right. Here’s a clear summary of the situation: Literature Reviews: If you ask me to generate a literature review on a topic, I can only include articles and sources that are openly accessible on the web. Paywalled articles won’t be part of the review unless you provide me with their content or key details. Discovery Limitation: This means you won’t discover or analyze paywalled articles through me unless you already have access to them and share the relevant information. Since you’re affiliated with CNRS, you likely have access to many paywalled articles through your institution’s subscriptions. Here’s how you can bridge the gap: Use CNRS Access: Search for articles using CNRS’s library or journal subscriptions, then share the key points or PDFs with me for analysis. Open Access Alternatives: I can help you find open access versions of articles (e.g., preprints, author’s personal websites, or repositories like ResearchGate). Collaborative Tools: Tools like Zotero, Unpaywall, or Open Access Button can sometimes help locate legal open access versions of paywalled papers.
January 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
I asked this to a generalist #AI chatbot (LeChat):
"I have a question about your training data and scientific articles you can access / read. I see that you can cite articles openly accessible on the web. Do you have access to the thousands articles that are under paywalls?"
Answer NO 👇

1/3 ⚒️ 🧪
Screenshot of chatbot answer. Verbatim: Great question, Robin. My training data includes a broad range of publicly available texts up to November 2024, but I do not have direct access to scientific articles behind paywalls. Here’s how it works: Open Access Articles: I can cite and reference articles that are openly accessible on the web, such as those published under open access licenses or available on preprint servers like arXiv, bioRxiv, or institutional repositories. Paywalled Articles: I cannot access or read articles that require a subscription or payment to view. If you provide me with the text or key details from a paywalled article, I can help analyze, summarize, or discuss it, but I cannot retrieve it myself. If you need information from a paywalled article, you can: Share the text or key points with me, and I’ll help you work with that content. Use your institutional access (e.g., through CNRS) to obtain the article and then share relevant details with me.
January 23, 2026 at 1:26 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Iceland ? Greenland ?
Urgent need to revise geography.
An image of the Earth with some geographical names
January 21, 2026 at 4:11 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Donald Trump est-il totalement fou ? Elisabeth Roudinesco sur le pouvoir délirant de la Maison-Blanche…

Lire là: legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2026/01/1...
Copie d'écran de la conclusion de l'article. Le texte dit: Si l’on suit votre analyse, la question prioritaire face à Trump serait donc celle des limites et du rapport de force : il faut qu’un pouvoir établi et crédible — en Europe ou aux États-Unis — lui intime : « C’est assez. » Oui, une telle chose est urgente. Je crois que l’Europe est bien plus forte que les États-Unis et que leurs dirigeants ne le pensent ; mais encore faut-il avoir le courage de voir ce qui se présente face à nous. Les dirigeants européens semblent continuer à croire qu’on pourrait « raisonner » Trump, comme s’il s’agissait d’un interlocuteur classique. C’est une erreur qui nous prive d’une possibilité de sursaut historique. Au contraire, il faut lui poser des interdits avec force. Et il cédera car il ne cède qu’à la puissance — d’où qu’elle vienne et pas seulement à la puissance militaire, dictatoriale ou financière. Le drame, c’est que beaucoup préfèrent céder au délire de Trump, en le croyant le plus fort plutôt que de devenir responsables de leur destin.
January 18, 2026 at 2:35 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
This 👇 is an excerpt of JMA leaflet about megaquakes along the Japan and Chishima trenches. ⚒️
Source: www.bousai.go.jp/jishin/nihon...
Excerpt of JMA leaflet about megaquakes along the northern Japan trench. Text says: In the areas along the Japan and Chishima Trenches, there have been cases where a large earthquake (a subsequent earthquake) followed a magnitude 7 class earthquake. To save as many lives as possible, an "Off the Coast of Hokkaido and Sanriku Subsequent Earthquake Advisory" is issued when an M7 or higher earthquake occurs in or around the probable source region due to the relatively higher possibility of subsequent large earthquakes than usual, despite the low likelihood of occurrence…
December 10, 2025 at 10:07 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
So far, the highest tsunami amplitude is 0.7m, as recorded by Japanese tide gauges.
www.jma.go.jp/bosai/map.ht...
Map showing the coast under tsunami alert and the stations were it is recorded
December 8, 2025 at 4:37 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
This is a fake image, probably AI generated. Be careful. Don’t repost.

Very sad to see misinformation so frequently after disasters.
October 29, 2025 at 4:31 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Disaster underway in #Jamaica.
#Melissa #hurricane making landfall along south-west coast of the island, with extremely low central pressure, and winds over 280 km/h. Massive rainfall predicted. Protect yourself, keep safe.
Source of data: www.tropicaltidbits.com/storminfo/
Screenshot of Tropical Tidbits web page, showing satellite imagery of the hurricane and physical values (location, wind speed, pressure, etc)
October 28, 2025 at 2:59 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
#Automne #Fontainebleau
📷
Photo of the Forest with Autumn colors
October 26, 2025 at 9:11 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
I love this amazing view of the Mer de Glace, above #Chamonix Mont-Blanc, with this small rounded gondola dwarfed by the grandeur of the mountains.
The Grandes Jorasses are in the back and the Dru pinnacle just left of the gondola. ⛰️
Photos by M. Serraillier in a book printed in 1962.
Photo of the landscape showing the Mer de glace and high summits of the Mont Blanc massif. A small gondola lift is in front, with two people visible inside.
October 23, 2025 at 3:04 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
When the ice was still there and quite high, though #glaciers were already retreating.

The Mer de Glace in the Mont Blanc massif, and the Rhonegletscher in the Swiss Valais/Wallis, at the beginning of the sixties. ⛰️
Photos by M. Serraillier in a book printed in 1962.
Black and white photo of the Mer de Glace. Black and white photo of the Rhonegletscher.
October 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Found this excellent photograph of the #Matterhorn (in French #Cervin, in Italian #Cervino) east face with Hörnli ridge to the right. Photo taken by M. Serraillier printed in a book from 1962. 🏔️
An old black and white photograph showing the east face of the Matterhorn. A lake acts as a mirror in the foreground.
October 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
In addition to praising María Corina Machado action for democracy, #Nobel Committee included these powerful words in its announcement.

"We live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence."

www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace...
Excerpt of the Nobel announcement. It says "Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence. The Venezuelan regime’s rigid hold on power and its repression of the population are not unique in the world. We see the same trends globally: rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed towards authoritarian rule and militarisation. In 2024, more elections were held than ever before, but fewer and fewer are free and fair."
October 10, 2025 at 9:29 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 4

6/7
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 4. Titre: Le Bouddhisme et Moi: un koan numérique
September 17, 2025 at 11:10 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 3

5/7
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 3. Titre: La question cruelle: puis-je perdre mon identité?
September 17, 2025 at 11:08 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 2

4/7
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 2. Titre: Mon corps: des serveurs et des ombres
September 17, 2025 at 11:07 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 1

3/7
Réponse de l' #IA LeChat sur son #identité, screenshot 1. Titre: Mon identité: un mirage de miroirs
September 17, 2025 at 11:05 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Just made a (crash) test with a renowned LLM #AI, asking about the #tectonics of the #Andes. It choses to end its (useless) text by proposing key readings: at least 3, maybe 4, do not exist (no paper on the Andes by Armijo, Garzione, Oncken as 1st author, at these dates; Liu I do not know). ⚒️🧪

🤡🤥
A table showing the invented references as proposed by the LLM
September 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
About the 31/08 M6 #earthquake in #Afghanistan:
First #InSAR results by @uk-comet.bsky.social seem to suggest rupture of a secondary fault (dipping SE ?) in the mountains N of the main Kunar fault.
Blue is motion towards satellite in the unwrapped image. ⚒️

gws-access.jasmin.ac.uk/public/nceo_...
Unwrapped inSAR image. Coseismic deformation is revealed by two lobes in blue and red. Blue means motion toward the satellite while red means away from it. The respective location of these two lobes suggests a fault dipping south and uplifting the zone in blue. Satellite image of the same area
September 4, 2025 at 1:29 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Section 👇 from Shnizai & Walker in Tektonika 2024 @wearetektonika.bsky.social shows structure of Jalalabad basin, E #Afghanistan.
It's not right across the recent #earthquake but more to the W. The earthquake may have occurred on a thrust fault equivalent to the one to the left of the section. 1/2 ⚒️
Geological cross section across the Jalalabad basin shows several thrust faults dipping to the north-west
September 1, 2025 at 9:42 AM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Happy to read this paper by Vega-Ruiz et al. doi.org/10.1029/2025... and to see that the West Andean Thrust (WAT) has now another described segment.

It is ~250km S of the San Ramon Fault we have studied in several papers since 2010. These active faults are just facing main Chilean towns. ⚒️
A map of central Chile showing the different segments of the West Andean Thrust system Oblique aerial photographs showing topographic scarps few meters high across field and forested hills. They mark the emergence of the active faults.
August 27, 2025 at 12:45 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
and trees.

#Fontainebleau forest
A black and white photo of trees in the Fontainebleau forest
July 31, 2025 at 5:07 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
… trees…

#Fontainebleau forest
A black and white photo of trees in the Fontainebleau forest
July 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
rlacassin.bsky.social
Trees…

#Fontainebleau forest
A black and white photo of trees in the Fontainebleau forest
July 31, 2025 at 5:05 PM