Acquisition of A High-Sensitivity Gravity Meter for Studies in Continental Lithosphere Structure/Tectonics

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0549651RoyThis grant supports acquisition of a relative gravimeter (Scintrex CG-5) to expand the geophysical data acquisition capabilities for both teaching and research in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of New Mexico (UNM). The gravimeter will support studies in lithospheric geodynamics including: 1) investigations of the kinematics of rifting in the Rio Grande rift valley that would employ complementary GPS and gravity measurements to elucidate the controls on regional crustal extension (e.g., lower crustal dike propagation); 2) investigations of the exhumation and surface uplift history of the Colorado Plateau; 3) numerical modeling of the structure of the upper mantle beneath the Rio Grande Rift and eastern Colorado plateau; and 4) research on the physical controls of laccolith emplacement. The gravimeter will support enhancement of the research and teaching programs of the PIs (Roy, Geissman, and Wawryzniec), involving several graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, the instrument will be available to other users in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and will support collaborative research with faculty at nearby institutions in the Rio Grande rift and Southern Rocky Mountains region (e.g., the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the University of Texas at El Paso, etc.).***