Characterizing surface-mantle interactions in deepwater turbiditic successions, northern and central Apennines, Italy

在地球内部深处，与地幔对流有关的动力学过程可以使地球表面上升或下沉数百米。这些偏差影响沉积和侵蚀模式，排水系统的演变，以及地质时标上海洋系统的水深。地球表面地形的变化反过来又影响大气环流和生物生境。解开这些不同的驱动因素取决于对每一个驱动因素的透彻理解。研究人员将通过结合意大利亚平宁山脉侵蚀和沉积模式的地表地质观测与地球深部的数值模拟来确定动态过程的影响，以详细了解动态过程如何保存在岩石记录中。这项研究的更广泛的影响包括：妇女充分参与STEM;改善STEM教育和教育工作者的发展;发展多元化，有竞争力的STEM劳动力;与科学教育学生和在职学校教师合作。在后退板块和分离板块之上发展的沉积盆地将具有可区分的构造特征，这一观点意味着量化这些差异可以解释古代造山带中的板块边界设置。在大多数以前的研究中，板片剥离是由地球物理观测，不提供有关的时间，持续时间或这些事件的速率的信息。板块回滚研究往往完全集中在地质记录上，很少或根本没有关于影响该地区演变的地球动力学参数的定量信息。该项目将特别关注表征意大利亚平宁山脉北方和中部从板片回滚到板片拆离的热、侵蚀和沉积响应。这些关键的地质观测隆起和沉降将被用来校准地球动力学模型，定量表征地壳构造和地幔动力学之间的相互作用在板卷回滚和剥离。该项目的结果将提高我们在地质记录中发现这种事件的能力，并使我们更好地全面了解长期会聚边缘的演变。此外，这项研究将提供更好的约束地质记录中的盆地转换的时间和持续时间。调查人员将让来自爱荷华州的教学硕士研究生和在职科学教师参与大学和小学或中学的课程开发。此外，该项目将通过与几所国际大学的新合作，为PI提供职业发展机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In the deep interior of the Earth, dynamic processes related to convection of Earth’s mantle can uplift or subside Earth’s surface by hundreds of meters. These deflections affect sedimentation and erosion patterns, evolution of drainage systems, and water depth in marine systems on geologic timescales. Changes in the Earth’s surface topography in turn influence atmospheric circulation and biological habitats. Disentangling these diverse drivers depends upon a thorough understanding of each one. The investigators will identify the influence of dynamic processes by combining surface geological observations of erosion and sedimentation patterns in the Apennine Mountains in Italy with numerical modeling of the deeper Earth to develop a detailed understanding of how dynamic processes are preserved in the rock record. The broader impacts of this research include: full participation of women in STEM; improved STEM education and educator development; development of a diverse, competitive STEM workforce; and collaboration with science education students and in-service school teachers. The idea that sedimentary basins that develop above retreating versus detaching slabs will have distinguishable tectonic signatures means that quantifying these differences allows for interpretation of plate boundary settings in ancient orogens. In most previous studies, slab detachment is well documented by geophysical observations that do not provide information about the timing, duration, or rate of these events. Slab rollback studies are often focused entirely on the geologic record with little to no quantitative information about the geodynamic parameters that influenced the evolution of the region. This project will focus specifically on characterizing the thermal, erosional, and sedimentary response to the transition from slab rollback to slab detachment in the northern and central Apennine Mountains in Italy. These critical geologic observations of uplift and subsidence will be used to calibrate geodynamic models that quantitatively characterize the interaction between crustal tectonics and mantle dynamics during slab rollback and detachment. The results of this project will improve our ability to detect such episodes in the geologic record and result in a better overall understanding of the evolution of long-lived convergent margins. Additionally, this study will provide better constraints on the timing and duration of basin transitions in the geologic record. The investigators will involve Masters of Arts in Teaching graduate students and in-service science teachers from around Iowa in curriculum development at the college and elementary or secondary levels. In addition, this project will provide career development opportunities for the PI through new collaborations with several international universities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.