Sponsoring Early Career Researchers for Penrose Conference: Deformation Localization in Rocks

该提案为来自美国的早期职业科学家参加2011年6 - 7月在西班牙Cap de Creus举行的“岩石变形定位：新进展”国际现场会议提供了支持。这次会议由美国地质学会主办，作为彭罗斯现场会议，以新的理论、分析、地理空间和可视化方法为特色，为剪切带的研究开发了新的方法，并在克雷斯角高超的三维暴露中存在的各种典型结构的自然世界背景下进行了检查。剪切带的研究很重要，因为这些特征适应了由构造板块相互作用引起的地球岩石圈的深层变形。如果不彻底了解这些具体特征的动力学，我们就无法开始预测构造板块相互作用期间地球岩石圈的动力学，而构造板块相互作用是导致断层和地震等主要地球现象的原因。本次会议为来自美国的早期职业研究人员提供了一个独特的机会，在一个小型的国际会议上展示他们自己的研究成果，与正在进行剪切带创新研究的国际和美国科学家进行互动，并参与关于未来研究方向的对话，这些方向是基于对Creus角自然环境中不同剪切带结构的观察。我们提议的目标是为8名年轻的研究者提供：接触最前沿的智力方法；实用技能和分析工具；专业的导师;以及一个专注于剪切带研究的国际同行网络。这一经验将提高研究人员在美国竞争科学资助和建立新的研究项目的能力。

This proposal provides support for early-career scientists from USA to participate in the international field conference "Deformation Localization in Rocks: new advances," to take place in Cap de Creus, Spain, in June-July 2011. The meeting, sponsored by the Geological Society of America as a Penrose Field Conference, features new theoretical, analytical, geospatial, and visualization methods developed for study of shear zones, examined with the natural world context of the diverse exemplary structures that exist in the superb three-dimensional exposures of Cap de Creus. The study of shear zones is important because these features accommodate deep deformation in the earth's lithosphere caused by tectonic plate interactions. Without a thorough understanding of the dynamics of these specific features, we cannot begin to predict the dynamics of the earth's lithosphere during tectonic plate interactions, which are responsible for major earth phenomena like faulting and earthquakes. This conference represents a singular opportunity for early-career investigators from the United States to present their own research results within a small international gathering, to interact with international and U.S. scientists who are conducting innovative research on shear zones, and to participate in conversations about future research directions that are grounded in the observation of diverse shear zone structures in the natural setting at Cap de Creus. The objective of our proposal is to provide eight young investigators with: exposure to cutting edge intellectual approaches; practical skills and analytical tools; professional mentors; and an international peer network focused on shear zones research. The experience will enhance the researchers' ability to be competitive for scientific grants and to establish new research programs in USA.