Solid Earth Processes

Geophysics, Deformation Processes, Geochemistry, Petrology, Regional Tectonics, Structural Geology

Research

Research in structural geology and regional tectonics includes the examination of the mechanical and chemical evolution of fault zones; the structural and tectonic development of extensional structures in the Great Basin; the development of fold-and-thrust structures in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah; and the characterization of fluid-flow properties in fractured crystalline and deformed sedimentary rocks.

Research in geophysics/geodynamics includes GPS geodetic measurement and modeling of rifting, orogeny, slow fault slip events, earthquakes and postseismic deformation; geophysical inversion and imaging of subsurface properties using combinations of seismic, gravity, elevation and heat flow data; and regional- to continental-scale mapping of lithospheric strength and rheological properties.

Research in igneous petrology and geochemistry focuses on the origin and evolution of magmatic systems, oceanic lithosphere, collisional orogens, and convergent margin systems. These efforts use field relations, phase chemistry, and whole rock geochemistry to decipher these systems, and their relationship to the tectonic and geochemical evolution of the Earth.

Geosciences Faculty

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