U.S.-Pacific Islands Planning Visit: Tectonic Study of Cretaceous Rocks in the New Caledonia Area

0629261 Nicholson该奖项支持一次计划访问，使纽约州伊萨卡市印第安纳州芒西的鲍尔州立大学的Kirsten Nicholson博士能够与新喀里多尼亚努梅亚的法国地质调查局的Pierre Maurizot博士和新西兰奥克兰大学的Philippa Black博士会面。这次访问将有助于制定新喀里多尼亚地区白垩纪岩石构造研究的合作计划。这项研究将涉及骆驼山地体和努美亚盆地。这两个单元都是晚白垩世海相沉积和火山岩的原地(原地)包，范围从玄武岩到流纹岩。初步的地球化学分析已经确定了熔岩中的大陆弧特征，沉积岩石学表明这两个单元中都有大陆碎屑矿物组合。这些结果表明，新西兰和新喀里多尼亚都有一个发育良好的晚白垩世大陆弧系，可能延伸到澳大利亚进入南极半岛，这对冈瓦瓦兰岛解体期间的构造模拟具有重要意义。研究人员将把陆上火成岩组合和沉积序列的岩石学、地球化学和年代学分析与该地区的变质和构造历史结合起来。初始阶段是对新喀里多尼亚的实地地区进行初步认可，会见所有合作者，评估实验室设施，并正式确定研究工作时间表。这些发现将对新西兰和新喀里多尼亚的地质史产生重大影响。预计该项目将为美国博士后和学生提供独特的培训和教育机会，以获得全球研究经验。预计各国科学家和学生之间的这些合作将导致长期的合作，这将使所有机构受益。

0629261NicholsonThis award supports a planning visit to enable Dr. Kirsten Nicholson of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana in Ithaca, New York to meet with Dr. Pierre Maurizot of the French Geological Survey in Noumea, New Caledonia and Dr. Philippa Black of the University of Auckland in New Zealand. The visit will help develop a collaborative plan for a tectonic study of cretaceous rocks in the New Caledonia Area. The study will involve the Mt Camel terrane and the Noumea Basin. Both units are in-situ (autochthonous) packages of late Cretaceous marine sediments and volcanic rocks ranging from basaltic to rhyolitic. Preliminary geochemical analyses have identified continental arc signatures in the lavas, as supported by sedimentary petrography indicating continental detrital mineral assemblages in both units. These results suggest that there was a well-developed late Cretaceous continental arc system active in both New Zealand and New Caledonia, possibly extending through Australia into the Antarctic Peninsula, with major implications for tectonic modeling during the break-up of Gondwanaland. The researchers will combine petrographic, geochemical and chronological analyses of on-land igneous associations and sedimentary sequences with the metamorphic and tectonic history of the region. The initial phase is to undertake preliminary recognizance of the field area in New Caledonia, meet all the collaborators, assess laboratory facilities and formalize a working schedule for the research. The findings will have a significant impact on the geological history of New Zealand and New Caledonia. It is also anticipated that this project will provide unique training and educational opportunities for U.S. postdocs and students to obtain a global research experience. It is anticipated that these collaborations between the scientists and students from each country will lead to long-term collaborations that will benefit all the institutions.