CAREER: Slab structure and dynamics of arcuate shaped subduction zones

板块构造的一个有趣特征是，许多活动的和古老的俯冲带都具有明显的弧形形态，其地形表现长达数百至数千公里。 一般来说，研究俯冲作用对于理解行星的演化至关重要。 更充分地了解岩石圈的结构和动力学，相对刚性的地球外壳，俯冲沿着高度弧形的板块边界将有助于限制地质记录的构造事件，全球板块运动，板块边界变形，以及俯冲的海洋岩石圈在地幔对流中的作用。 该CAREER奖的总体研究目标是通过研究四个活跃弧（马里亚纳，安的列斯，Betic-Rif和Banda弧），使用一系列工具，包括地震成像和地球动力学建模，提高对弧形收敛边缘的结构和形态演变的理解。 预期的研究结果将为板块构造的基础研究、更好地了解构造板块边界的结构和演变以及这些地区地震活动的性质作出重要贡献。 教育目标是培养和准备本科研究生作为下一代的地球科学家谁能够理解和有效地利用地球物理和地质数据从俯冲带。这个职业奖将调查，详细的起源和演化的四个目标弧的地球深部结构。 这些弧的改进成像和建模将提供一种方法来测试地球动力学假设，例如，弯曲的俯冲带已经演变成目前的配置，由于冷，致密的海洋岩石圈与正浮力的功能，如海洋高原或大陆岩石圈的相互作用，导致弯曲的形态作为沟回滚和板片破碎的结果。 四个弧系中的每一个弧系都有不同的长度尺度和地形表现、独特的构造历史和板块结构，但它们都表现出高度弧形的会聚边界结构，并在其尖点处被浮力地壳和岩石圈体所包围。 该项目建议检查这些相似性和差异，以更好地了解地球动力学演化和地幔结构在紧弯曲会聚边界的回滚，地幔流，和浮力的影响“钉扎”功能在弧的两端。 该奖项还将资助一个综合教育和研究计划的发展，该计划基于对地震活动，火山活动，地幔对流，板块构造和地质过程的理解，从实地和课堂学习。新的构造物理学课程的实地部分将包括沿几个安的列斯群岛和摩洛哥北方沿着部署和收集宽带地震数据，以及沿活动弧沿着部分进行区域地质测绘和取样。 本科生和研究生都将参加通过该奖项开发的课程和其他教学模块，并将成为南加州大学无护照问题项目的一部分，该项目将联合收割机探究式学习练习与国外研究相结合。

One of the intriguing features of plate tectonics is that many active and ancient subduction zones have a pronounced arc-shaped morphology, with their topographic expressions stretching over hundreds to thousands of kilometers in length. Studying subduction, in general, is essential to understanding the evolution of the planet. More fully understanding the structure and dynamics of lithosphere, the relatively rigid outer shell of the Earth, subducting along highly arcuate plate boundaries will aid in constraining geologically recorded tectonic events, global plate motions, plate boundary deformation, and the role of subducted oceanic lithosphere in mantle convection. The overarching research goal of this CAREER award is development of an improved understanding of the structural and morphological evolution of arcuate shaped convergent margins through the study of four active arcs: the Mariana, Antilles, Betic-Rif, and Banda arcs, using a range of tools, including seismological imaging and geodynamic modeling. The expected findings will provide an important contribution to basic research on plate tectonics, an improved understanding of the structure and evolution of the tectonic plate boundaries, and the nature of seismicity in these regions. The educational goal is to train and prepare undergraduate graduate students as the next generation of geoscientists who are able to understand and effectively utilize both geophysical and geological data from subduction zones.This CAREER award will investigate, in detail, the origin and evolution of the deep Earth structure of four target arcs. Improved imaging and modeling of these arcs will provide a way to test geodynamic hypotheses, for example, that curved subduction zones have evolved into their current configuration due to interactions of cold, dense oceanic lithosphere with positively buoyant features, such as oceanic plateaus or continental lithosphere, resulting in curved morphology as a result of trench rollback and slab fragmentation. Each of the four arc systems, have different length scales and topographic expressions, unique individual tectonic histories and plate configurations, yet they all exhibit highly arcuate convergent boundary structures and are bounded by buoyant crustal and lithospheric bodies at their cusps. This project proposes to examine these similarities and differences in order to better understand the geodynamic evolution and mantle structure at tightly curved convergent boundaries in terms of rollback, mantle flow, and the influence of buoyant "pinning" features at the ends of the arcs. This award will also fund development of an integrated education and research program based on understanding of seismicity, volcanism, mantle convection, plate tectonics, and geologic processes from both field and classroom based learning. The field component of the new Tectonophysics course will include deployment and collection of broadband seismic data along the several of the Antilles Islands and in northern Morocco, plus regional geologic mapping and sampling along portions of the active arcs. Both undergraduates and graduate students will participate in the course and other teaching modules developed through this award and will be part of USC's Problems Without Passports program that combine inquiry-based learning exercises with research in a foreign country.