Geodynamics of the Americas

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Western North and South America are regions with mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes that result from plate tectonic processes occurring immediately offshore. Here, oceanic plates descend into the Earth below the continent, a process known as subduction. My research aims to understand the relationship between subduction, the dynamics of the Earth's interior and the geology that is observed at the Earth's surface. The proposed research focuses on two aspects of the geology of western North and South America:(1) Mountain-building - my students and I would like to understand the development of the Laramide Orogeny (over 50 million years ago) in the western United States and the modern Central Andes of South America. We will build computer models to study links between crustal deformation and subduction forces. We are interested in testing whether an unusual subduction environment was needed to produce Laramide deformation and if small-scale processes in a mountain belt (such as surface erosion) affect its large-scale evolution.(2) Subduction dynamics - subduction and flow of the mantle (the region below the Earth's crust) directly affect the temperature structure of the Earth, which then controls deformation and volcanism. Using state-of-the-art computer programs, my research group will develop 3D models to understand mantle flow and continental temperatures at subduction zones, focusing 3D effects associated with complex plate geometries and the presence of a hole in the oceanic plate.The computer models yield insight into the factors that have shaped the geological evolution of western North and South America. They also provide information about temperatures and stresses within the Earth, which are important for the assessment of seismic hazard, volcanism, hydrocarbon potential and geothermal energy.