The bridge between a convecting mantle and tectonic crust: Geodynamics of the mantle lithosphere

我的研究将探讨地幔岩石圈的动力学，作为构造能量地壳和下面的流体对流地幔之间的重要桥梁区。地幔岩石圈是地球岩石圈的亚地壳部分，是大陆构造板块中最大的组成部分。与上覆地壳和下伏流体地幔相比，它的演化研究较少，了解也不多。我的研究计划将通过回答三个目标环境中大陆地幔岩石圈构造活动的关键突出问题，在我们对地球地下地平线的理解中取得切实的进展：（1）预先存在的“疤痕”控制岩石圈的构造响应吗？(2)在某些地区，地幔岩石圈是如何和为什么被完全/部分地移走的？在地表有什么后果？(3)当深部地幔岩石圈在板块边界碰撞形成山脉时会发生什么？该研究将探讨这些问题的构造战略领域，包括高原的安纳托利亚，尤里卡造山运动在加拿大的高北极，在伊朗的扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带，和新西兰南岛的高山板块边界区。 这项研究将由一个由本科生和研究生组成的多元化团队以及一名博士后和研究助理进行。我们使用计算地球动力学进行调查，研究小组正在开发先进的新四维工具，我们考虑模型在时间和三维空间中的演变。此外，我们将使用物理比例模拟模型，从实验室工作台上为我们提供独特而详细的构造视图（研究行星尺度地球动力学的重大挑战！）。作为地球科学中的一个新的和新颖的应用，我们将试验人工智能（AI）的方法，即机器学习和神经网络技术，以确定地球参数和分类地球的各种观测模式的构造行为。人工智能在地球科学中的应用并不是一种既定的做法，但它是真正的基于发现的研究，具有潜在的深远影响。 地幔岩石圈是地幔热引擎和构造移动的地壳之间的桥梁，这项研究将有助于揭示是什么驱动了全球板块构造-我们充满活力的星球的主要谜团之一。此外，作为含金刚石的火山金伯利岩管的成因的网站，大陆地幔岩石圈的演化的研究有直接的影响，了解加拿大的矿产工业内的重要资源的发展。 在更广泛的领域，这项研究将有助于破译金星、火星、木卫一和木卫二等地球天体的地质演化，这些天体与地球相比显示出非常不同的表面构造活动。

My proposed research will explore the dynamics of the mantle lithosphere as the important bridge zone between the tectonically energetic crust and fluid convecting mantle below. The mantle lithosphere is the sub-crustal portion of the Earth's lithosphere and makes up the largest component member of the continental tectonic plates. Compared to the overlying crust and fluid mantle below, its evolution is little studied and poorly understood. My research program will make tangible advancements in our understanding of this subsurface horizon of the Earth by answering key outstanding questions in three targeted environments where continental mantle lithosphere is/was tectonically active: (1) Do pre-existing “scars” control the tectonic response of the lithosphere?; (2) How and why does mantle lithosphere get completely/partially removed in some regions and what are the consequences at the surface?; (3) What happens when the deep mantle lithosphere collides to form mountains at a tectonic plate boundary zone? The research will explore these questions in tectonically strategic field areas including the plateaus of Anatolia, the Eurekan Orogeny in Canada's high arctic, the Zagros fold-thrust belt in Iran, and the alpine plate boundary zone of the South Island of New Zealand. The research will be carried out by a diverse team made up of undergraduate and graduate students, and a post-doctoral fellow and research associate. We use computational geodynamics for our investigations and the research group is developing advanced new 4-dimensional tools where we consider evolution of the models through time and in three spatial dimensions. In addition, we will be using physical scaled analogue modelling that give us a unique and detailed view of the tectonics from a laboratory benchtop (a significant challenge in studying planetary-scale geodynamics!). As a new and novel application in geosciences we will experiment with approaches in artificial intelligence (AI)namely, machine learning and neural network techniques to identify governing Earth parameters and classify the Earth's various observed modes of tectonic behaviour. This application of AI to the geosciences is not an established practice, but it is genuine discovery-based research with potential far-reaching impact. The mantle lithosphere is the bridge between the mantle thermal engine and tectonically mobile crust and this research will help reveal what drives global plate tectonicsone of the primary enigmas of our energetic planet. Also, as the site for the genesis of diamond bearing volcanic kimberlite pipes, the study of the evolution of the continental mantle lithosphere has direct implications for understanding the development of important resources within Canada's mineral industry. Across a broader frontier, the research will help decipher the geologic evolution of terrestrial bodies such as Venus, Mars, Io, and Europa that display much different surface tectonic activity compared to Earth.