Plate Boundary Structure and Deformation Workshop

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

This project will support a two-day workshop at the University of Hawaii at Manoa related to plate boundary structure and deformation at rifts and subduction zones. The primary goal of the workshop is to present and synthesize research results that have been funded by the NSF-GeoPRISMS (Geodynamic Processes at Rifting and Subducting Margins) Program related to understanding the tectonic processes that underpin movement at convergent and divergent plate boundaries. Approximately 50 scientists will participate in the workshop onsite at UH Manoa, of which at least 23 will be early-career scientists (student, postdoc, of pre-tenure faculty within 10 years of PhD). The program will consist of keynotes, posters, and lighting talks to communicate the breadth of active science conducted by participants, as well as discussion sessions and opportunities for early career development. There will also be a half-day pre-workshop meeting for early-career scientists. The aim is to have participation from an interdisciplinary group of scientists representing all five GeoPRISMS focus sites to encourage novel collaborations. To facilitate synthesizing research results and address data legacy targets, all participants will be required to make their GeoPRISMS datasets open-access and provide a doi indicating their location; these will be cataloged and shared. The workshop organizers will employ specialized video services from Montana State University to create ~ 1 minute outreach videos that capture scientific discoveries of the GeoPRISMS program; these and the keynote talks will be made available on YouTube. Advancing understanding of plate tectonic theory hinges on investigations of tectonic processes acting at both convergent and divergent plate boundaries. Together, these plate boundaries primarily balance Earth’s rock cycle and shape our planet. The workshop aims to bring a group of scientists together to highlight discoveries determined through NSF GeoPRISMS funded projects encompassing both the Rift Initiation and Evolution (RIE) and Subduction Cycles and Deformation (SCD) initiatives. The workshop will primarily tackle three outstanding questions associated with plate boundary structure and deformation processes: (1) What are the relationships between fault zone rheology and deformation and how are they constrained across a range of temporal and spatial scales in the field and lab? (2) How does the rheology of the crust and mantle influence and/or record deformation at plate boundaries? (3) What feedbacks exist between larger scale lithospheric processes, fault zone rheology, and surface processes? The workshop will facilitate interdisciplinary interactions that cross-cut research expertise (e.g. geochemistry, geology, geodynamics, seismology, geodesy, EM, etc.) and study locations (i.e. encompassing all GeoPRISMS focus sites) to address questions pertaining to fundamental tectonic processes and motivate future research collaborations by encouraging active participation from all participants. 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.