ROW: Constraints on the Tectonic History of the Northern Rio Grande Rift from Fission-Track Analysis

格兰德河裂谷是位于科罗拉多州和新墨西哥州的伸展构造特征。广泛的研究表明，裂谷受到了两个阶段的变形影响，每个阶段都以地形发育为特征，并伴随着火山作用。构造模型的开发使用了热流、重力、地震和地形信息作为约束条件。然而，变形早期阶段的模型是松散的，因为与该事件相关的地形参数并不是很清楚。该ROW项目将采用裂变径迹分析，以便更好地约束格兰德裂谷的地形起伏和近地表冷却历史。

The Rio Grande rift is an extensional tectonic feature located in Colorado and New Mexico. Extensive research has established that the rift has been affected by two phases of deformation, each characterized by development of topography and accompanied by volcanism. Tectonic models have been developed using heat-flow, gravity, seismic and topographic information as constraints. However, models for the earlier phase of deformation are loosely constrained because the topographic parameters associated with the event are not well known. This ROW project will employ fission-track analysis in order to provide better constraints on topographic relief and the near-surface cooling history of the Rio Grande Rift.