IRES: Research Opportunities in Continental Rift Initiation for U.S. Undergraduate Geoscience Students in Malawi

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Technical description This International Research Experience for Students (IRES): Research Opportunities in Continental Rift Initiation for U.S. Undergraduate Geoscience Students in Malawi will allow students from Oklahoma State University (OSU) to investigate the geodynamic processes involved in the initial rifting of the continental lithosphere. There is a knowledge gap for understanding the mechanisms involved at the earliest stages of continental rifting that is ascribed to the paucity of data from nascent rift environments. Our understanding is incomplete as to where and why continental rifts initiate and to the relative role of pre-existing structures in rift initiation and strain localization. The Malawi rift is one of the world?s best places to study the interplay between neo-tectonic rift structures and Precambrian basement structures during the initiation and propagation of continental rift. It is also a natural example of how major structures in the crust try to find the most efficient pathway through a complex array of inherited structures. Over the next three years, 12 undergraduates from OSU will work with mentors and peers from the University of Malawi and the Geological Survey Department to conduct field-based, multi-disciplinary research on the geodynamic processes at play during rift initiation. This research expects to answer the questions: what is the role of pre-existing structures in the localization of strain during the early stages of continental extension, how is strain partitioned and accommodated throughout the upper crust during the early stages of continental extension, and how are fault dip, slip, and displacement/length ratios modulated by pre-existing structures. The research sites in Malawi afford IRES students the opportunity to do original research. Student projects will focus on detailed investigations of the rift border faults, transfer zones, and the nature of the upper crust using broadband magnetotellurics, gravity, magnetic, structural, and remote sensing surveys and analyses. Broader description A major goal of this IRES is to attract underrepresented students to the geosciences and inspire them to develop the critical thinking skills needed to succeed in research careers as geoscientists. The geosciences are considered the least ethnically diverse of all scientific disciplines. As an international research experience, this project could have significant impact on the development of future international research collaborations. These could be seeded as a result of interactions with African peers, from the enriching cultural experience, and the acquisition of personal contacts that could contribute to building relationships upon which future international research collaborations could be initiated. Results of this research will reach a broad audience as student participants are required to present their individual research findings at regional, national, and international scientific meetings, and potentially publish results in peer-reviewed journals. Other broader impacts include the enrichment of the geophysical and structural databases for Africa, since IRES students will acquire geophysical and structural data that will have the potential to transform current geodynamic understanding of continental rifting. Lastly, since continental rifts are prolific hydrocarbon producers as are active tectonic sites, the results of the student projects could provide scientific input into sustainable resource management for natural resources and environmental hazard mitigation efforts in Malawi.