REU Site: Investigating the structure and origin of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa, using complementary geochemical and geophysical studies

REU 站点：利用互补的地球化学和地球物理研究来调查南非布什维尔德杂岩的结构和起源

• 批准号: 1461180
• 负责人: Maureen Feineman
• 金额: $ 45.08万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-04-15 至 2019-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1461180&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Investigating; structure; origin

The over-arching goal of this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site is to promote participation of undergraduate students, particularly under-represented minorities, in an international, multi-disciplinary, geosciences research project. A cohort of 6-8 undergraduates will travel to South Africa each summer to participate in a field study of the Bushveld Igneous Complex. Under the supervision of faculty from the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Witwatersrand, students will collect geophysical data and rock samples during the three-week field campaign. The raw data and samples will be brought back to Penn State for processing and analysis. Principles of Earth Science Literacy will be reinforced throughout the orientation, field work, analysis, and synthesis stages of the 10-week REU Site program. The impact of the program on the students' attitudes toward pursuing a career in the geosciences or another STEM field will be assessed through a series of surveys administered before, during, and after participating in the summer program.The Bushveld Complex (~2.06 Ga) is one of the largest intrusive mafic igneous bodies found in the continental crust, yet its origin and structure at depth are poorly understood. The scientific goal of this project is to determine the total volumetric and areal extent of the Bushveld Complex (BC). The BC is believed to be at least 500,000 cubic kilometers in size, and may be as large as 1,000,000 cubic kilometers, putting it on par with the largest igneous complexes in the world. The study of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPS) provides important insight into how the Earth's crust was formed, how continental landmasses are stabilized and broken apart, and perhaps into the cause of certain mass extinction events in geologic history. Over the three years of the REU Site, data will be collected and interpreted by participating students in order to better delineate the continuity (or lack thereof) between the central part of the BC and a number of outlying igneous intrusions. The data to be collected will include seismic and gravity measurements, as well as major element, trace element, and isotope ratio data for mineral separates and whole rocks. This award was supported with co-funding from the Office of International and Integrative Activities.

这个本科生研究体验(REU)网站的总体目标是促进本科生，特别是代表不足的少数族裔，参与一个国际性的、多学科的地球科学研究项目。每年夏天，一组6-8名本科生将前往南非，参加对布什维尔德火成岩杂岩的实地研究。在宾夕法尼亚州立大学和威特沃特斯兰德大学教职员工的监督下，学生们将在为期三周的实地考察活动中收集地球物理数据和岩石样本。原始数据和样本将被带回宾夕法尼亚州立大学进行处理和分析。地球科学素养的原则将在为期10周的REU现场计划的定向、实地工作、分析和综合阶段得到加强。该项目对学生在地球科学或其他STEM领域从事职业生涯的态度的影响将通过参加夏季项目之前、期间和之后的一系列调查来评估。布什维尔德杂岩(~2.06 Ga)是大陆地壳中发现的最大的侵入型镁铁质火成体之一，但人们对其成因和深部结构知之甚少。该项目的科学目标是确定布什维尔德建筑群(BC)的总体积和面积范围。据信，公元前火山的大小至少为50万立方公里，可能高达100万立方公里，可与世界上最大的火成岩建筑群相媲美。对大型火成岩省(LIP)的研究为了解地壳是如何形成的，大陆陆块是如何稳定和分裂的，以及可能是地质史上某些大规模灭绝事件的原因提供了重要的见解。在REU网站的三年时间里，参与的学生将收集和解释数据，以便更好地描绘公元前中部和一些偏远的火成岩侵入之间的连续性(或缺乏连续性)。将收集的数据将包括地震和重力测量，以及矿物分离和整个岩石的常量元素、微量元素和同位素比率数据。该奖项得到了国际和综合活动办公室的共同资助。