Pure and applied problems in metamorphic geology

变质岩石学研究的是岩石的矿物学和结构因地壳的埋藏和加热而发生的变化。阅读变质岩的记录提供了独特而重要的信息，使地球科学家能够揭开地壳从45亿多年前开始的演化，并拼凑出地球板块随时间相互作用的复杂历史。*我研究计划的长期目标是在变质岩石学理论和技术方面取得前沿进展，并将这些进展与相关技术相结合，以解决地球科学中更广泛的问题，特别是与地球造山(山)带演化有关的问题。这一五年研究计划的目标有两个：*1.设计创新的新技术，解决控制变质矿物组合发展的平衡(热力学)和动力学(机制和反应速度)之间的相互作用；以及*2.应用这一新知识，通过研究发生在山带深处的过程，填补我们对山带形成过程的空白，重点是世界著名的加拿大科迪勒拉。*关于第一个目标，分目标包括：(1-1)调和热力学预测的矿物组合与其在受良好约束的自然环境中的产状之间的不完全匹配，这是变质岩石学的首要目标之一；以及(1-2)识别和量化反应动力学障碍对变质矿物组合和结构发展的影响程度。后者是变质岩石学中最具活力的新研究领域之一，因为它挑战了长期认为变质作用发生在接近平衡的观点。关于第二个目标，次目标包括：(2-1)揭开不列颠哥伦比亚省东南部Omineca带埋藏、加热和折返的复杂历史，这是加拿大科迪勒拉核心的一个深受侵蚀的领域，是对数百万年前大洋火山地体与北美古代边缘碰撞的响应；以及(2-2)解决加拿大东南部科迪勒拉演化中突出的构造难题之一，即山脉带两个主要区域(珀塞尔背斜和库特奈弧)之间的埋藏和热历史的显著对比。*上述项目将为新一代地球科学家的教育提供极好的机会，为他们提供学术界、政府和工业界高度重视的观测、分析、计算、解释和交流技能。

Metamorphic petrology is concerned with changes in the mineralogy and textures of rocks in response to burial and heating in the Earth's crust. Reading the record of metamorphic rocks provides unique and essential information that allows geoscientists to unravel the evolution of Earth's crust from its inception 4.5-odd billion years ago, and to piece together the complex history of Earth's plate interactions through time.******The long-range objectives of my research program are to make cutting-edge advances in the theory and techniques of metamorphic petrology, and to apply these in concert with allied techniques to solve broader problems in Earth Science, especially those related to the evolution of Earth's orogenic (mountain) belts. The objectives of this five year research program are two-fold:***1. to devise innovative new techniques to address the interplay between equilibrium (thermodynamics) and kinetics (mechanisms and rates of reaction) in controlling metamorphic mineral assemblage development; and***2. to apply this new knowledge to fill gaps in our understanding of how mountain belts form by examining processes that occur in the deep “roots” of mountain belts, focusing on the world-famous Canadian Cordillera. ******Concerning the first objective, sub-objectives include: (1-1) reconciling the imperfect match between thermodynamically predicted mineral assemblages and their occurrence in well-constrained natural settings, one of the first-order goals of metamorphic petrology; and (1-2) recognizing and quantifying the extent to which kinetic impediments to reaction influence the development of metamorphic mineral assemblages and textures. The latter is one of the most vibrant new research areas in metamorphic petrology because it challenges the long-held view that metamorphic processes happen close to equilibrium.******Concerning the second objective, sub-objectives include: (2-1) unravelling the complex history of burial, heating and exhumation of the southeastern Omineca belt of southeastern British Columbia, a deeply eroded domain in the core of the Canadian Cordillera that developed in response to the collision of oceanic volcanic terrains with the ancient margin of North America millions of years ago; and (2-2) solving one of the outstanding tectonic puzzles in the evolution of southeastern Canadian Cordillera, namely the marked contrast in burial and thermal history between two major domains of the mountain belt (Purcell Anticlinorium and Kootenay Arc).******The above projects will provide excellent opportunities for the education of the new generation of geoscientists, providing them with observational, analytical, computational, interpretational and communication skills that are highly valued in academia, government and industry.