RUI: Major Ignimbrites and Volcanic Centers of the Copper Canyon Area, Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico

斯旺森9909417这项研究试图了解墨西哥西部偏远的马德雷山脉大片地区的地质情况。尽管位于边界以南，但之前的调查表明，塞拉利昂的火山岩与引发美国西部火山活动的板块构造力是相同的。然而，与北部同等的火山田相比，塞拉利昂的火山记录要多得多，也更完整。尽管只有约5%的马德雷山脉西部火山田被绘制出来，但最近建成的一条通往墨西哥著名的铜峡谷的道路，为地质勘探打开了这个世界上最大的流纹岩火山省的心脏。首席调查员和几名本科生研究人员将绘制3500平方公里的铜峡谷地区的火山中心和火山单位的地图。其结果将是马德雷西部山脉中部最大的地图区域。与其他“发现阶段”测绘项目一样，这项研究预计将为后续数十项具有更广泛科学和经济影响的调查奠定基础。在这个过程中，一群本科生将学习他们所需的实用技能，以推动他们在美国-墨西哥边境地区接受研究生教育和从事富有成效的职业生涯。

Swanson9909417This study seeks to understand the geology of a large region in the remote Sierra Madre mountains of western Mexico. Although south of the border, previous investigations have shown that volcanic rocks of the sierra are a manifestation of the same plate tectonic forces as those that triggered volcanism across the western United States. The volcanic record in the sierra, however, is much more voluminous and complete than in equivalent volcanic fields to the north. Although only about 5% of the Sierra Madre Occidental volcanic field has been mapped, a recently completed road to Mexico's famous Copper Canyon has opened the heart of the world's largest rhyolitic volcanic province to geologic exploration. The principal investigator and several undergraduate student researchers will map the volcanic centers and volcanic units of the 3,500 km2, Copper Canyon area. The result will be the largest mapped region in the central Sierra Madre Occidental. As with other "discovery phase" mapping projects, this research is expected to lay the groundwork for dozens of subsequent investigations of broader scientific and economic impact. In the process, a group of undergraduates, minority students underrepresented in the earth science field among them, will learn the practical skills they need to propel them toward a graduate education and productive careers in the United States - Mexico Border Region.