Geodynamic origins and tectonic accretion of late Archean terranes

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The funding will be used to investigate the plate tectonic processes that were responsible for the formation of continents, in Late Archean time, ca. 2700 million years ago. The focus will be on the southern Superior tectonic province, in Ontario and Quebec. That region preserves a very large and complete rock record of Archean tectonics. It is also one of the most important reservoirs of mineral resources in Canada. The study will include extensive geological field work and map-making. The field work will be complemented by cutting age mineral-dating techniques and by calculations of the pressures (depths) and temperatures at which the rocks formed. Experimental studies of tectonic processes and tectonic structures will also complement the field-based studies. The experiments will be of two types, numerical and analog (scaled models composed of physical materials). The research grant will support three concurrent PhD students.