RIDGE2000 Postdoc: Dynamics of Coupled Tectonic/Hydrothermal Systems at Mid-Ocean Ridges; a Damage Rheology Approach

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ABSTRACT (Spiegleman - 0452457)This research will develop a fully coupled theory and mathematical basis to explain fluid flow, dike emplacement, and crustal deformation in deformable/permeable and reactive media using seismic strain data and hydrothermal observations. The approach adopted is based on the recently developed theory of evolving damaged materials generated by one of the investigators that has recently been validated at small scales against laboratory experiments. The research involves development of a set of numerical and conceptual models of increasing complexity that address coupled deformation and hydrothermal circulation in brittle/fractured/fracturing ocean crust at mid-ocean ridges. To constrain and verify these models, there will be collaborations between researchers at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in New York who have data and first-hand knowledge of the geography of fractured-seafloor hydrothermal systems at intensively studied RIDGE 2000 integrated study sites and the corresponding chemical, hydrological, and geophysical characteristics in these areas. These observational data will be used to parameterize the final models and simulations will be carried out and ground truthed using data from natural systems. Broader Impacts: This project provides cross-disciplinary training for a young scientist and fosters international and interdisciplinary collaboration in the marine geology and geophysics community. It also develops a more general framework for understanding the behavior of fluids in deformable brittle media, which is a fundamental problem in engineering with potential applications to earthquake dynamics, volcanic eruptions, landslides and other natural hazards.