Research Coordination Network: In situ Studies of Rock Deformation (ISRD)

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Earthquakes, volcanoes, and impact craters demonstrate the dynamic processes active within the Earth and other bodies in the solar system. Observations of these events alone are not enough to the underlying physics at play. Laboratory experiments on Earth materials are essential to better understand geological, geophysical, and geochemical observations. This Research Coordination Network (RCN) provides the means for the researchers with a broad range of backgrounds in Earth science and engineering to explore new technologies that are available through high-energy X-ray facilities. This RCN will foster international collaborations from different scientific communities and engage the next generation of scientists. The broader impacts of the project include the participation of women and under-represented groups in STEM fields. It will also lay the foundation for new experimental infrastructure in rock deformation. These efforts have wide-reaching applications in basic and applied research, from topics like hazard mitigation to energy resources and space exploration.This RCN will facilitate the integration of beamline technologies with deformation experiments and create new directions for experimental rock deformation research. Predictions and inferences of geodynamic processes require extrapolation of lab-calibrated rheological models to geological time and spatial scales that are many orders of magnitude larger than in the laboratory. The complexity of rock deformation processes together with the uncertainties inherent in using existing techniques make extrapolating laboratory-derived rheological models to larger-scale deformation challenging. Through the network, U.S. researchers will 1) identify knowledge gaps in rock deformation that hinder our understanding of geological and geophysical processes; 2) provide training and education opportunities for a diverse group of experimentalists to gain necessary knowledge about beamline technologies, and for beamline scientists to recognize the needs and constraints associated with deformation research on geomaterials; 3) promote the discussion of expanding the infrastructure for experimental research; and 4) foster collaborations across disciplines to develop new experimental methodologies for studying dynamic processes at various time scales. The RCN will also lay the foundation for new experimental infrastructure development for rock deformation within national radiation research centers. New data streams from these efforts will have wide-reaching applications in basic and applied research, on topics ranging from hazard mitigation, to energy resources, to space exploration, and beyond. This project is supported by the Geophysics, Tectonics, GeoPRISMS and Instrumentation and Facilities programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.