EAR-PF: An experimental study of temperature-dependent frictional healing processes: Implications for plate boundary tectonics and post-seismic healing

丹尼尔金博士已被授予美国国家科学基金会地球科学博士后奖学金，在宾夕法尼亚州立大学发展研究和教育的综合方案。这个项目的目标是发展我们对摩擦愈合的微观物理机制和地质意义的理解。具体而言，本项目将涉及准静态合成断层泥的机械演化的热激活过程的作用的实验研究。力学数据和微观结构的观察将在摩擦滑动和晶内塑性变形的理论范围内进行分析。拟议中的研究将有助于更全面地了解地震活动性与从单个颗粒到板块边界的粘性流之间的关系。这项研究的结果有望增加我们对断裂带过程和地震力学的理解。橄榄石断层泥的实验结果，摩擦性能的数据很少存在的材料，是特别重要的发展机制的理解地震过程中的海洋地壳。拟议的研究还包括通过完成项目的离散部分作为高级研究项目，直接让本科生参与拟议的研究的计划。这些项目的设计，使学生能够获得一般的研究技能和具体的技术技能。 这一教育部分也将进一步的专业发展博士.金提供了一个机会，发展技能，在咨询和指导研究项目。

Dr. Daniel King has been awarded an NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship to develop an integrated program of research and education at Penn State University. The goal of this project is to develop our understanding of the micro-scale physical mechanisms and the geological implications of frictional healing. Specifically, this project will involve experimental investigation of the role of thermally-activated processes on the mechanical evolution of quasi-stationary synthetic fault gouge. Mechanical data and microstructural observations will be analyzed within the context of theory for both frictional sliding and intragranular plastic deformation. The proposed research will contribute to developing a more complete understanding of the relationship between seismicity and viscous flow at scales ranging from individual grains to plate boundaries. The results of this study are expected to increase our understanding of fault zone processes and the mechanics of earthquakes. Results from experiments on olivine fault gouge, a material for which little data on frictional properties exists, are especially important for developing a mechanistic understanding of earthquake processes in the oceanic crust. The proposed research also includes plans to directly involve undergraduate students in the proposed research by completing discrete portions of the project as senior research projects. These projects are designed so that students can gain general research skills and specific technical skills. This educational component will also further the professional development of Dr. King by providing an opportunity to develop skills in advising and directing research projects.