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Although I am traditionally regarded as a structural and metamorphic geologist, over the past ~5 years I have become increasingly interested in geodynamic modeling, and have done a great deal of work in both industry and academic focused on finite element modeling of salt basin evolution and wellbore geomechanics. Over the last ~3 years, my focus has shifted back to studies of mountain belt geodynamics, with a particular emphasis on understanding the thermal and mechanical evolution of these systems. My research group is now developing numerous major research studies that examine how erosion and the greater landscape response will influence (and be influenced by) the structural and thermal evolution of these systems, and how those effects may impact the system mechanical evolution. At UK, I am currently assembling a lab that includes computational clusters and mineral separation facilities to pursue a number of integrative and multidisciplinary structural, tectonic, and surface process studies that will include roughly equal parts numerical modeling and field/lab studies. Because I am an early career faculty member that is relatively new to this subdiscipline, this meeting would represent an ideal forum to meet members of the community and hopefully plant the seeds for new long-term collaborations. +
As a current PhD candidate, I am using the continental margin sediment record in Southeastern Alaska to investigate climate and tectonic interactions in the St. Elias Mountains and how these interactions impact where concentrated glacial erosion occurs. As the St. Elias is a young and tectonically active mountain range, the location where large amounts of mass are removed and then redeposited may have an impact on the overall tectonic structure of the range. Sediment provenance is used to investigate if climate or tectonic forces exert a greater control over the locus of glacial erosion. If climate has the greatest control, provenance varies between glacial and interglacial periods as glaciers advance onto the continental shelf and then retreat, if tectonic forces have the greatest influence, erosion should be consistently concentrated in regions of mechanically weakened rock (i.e. fault zones).
My interest in attending the CTSP meeting is two-fold. Firstly, I’d like to be able to share my research on climate-tectonic interactions in a glacial setting with the community by presenting a poster at the meeting. The paper on this project is in prep and will most likely not be published by the time of the meeting, making this information otherwise unavailable. As the goal of this meeting is to produce a white paper, having the most up to date research is critical. In addition, it will also present me with an opportunity to solicit feedback on my work before publishing. Secondly, I am nearing graduation and am beginning to look for postdoc positions. By attending this meeting I will be able to network with other scientists who share similar research interests, with whom I may be able to work with during a post-doc. Attendance will also help me better understand the direction that future climate-tectonic interaction research is headed, which will assist me in directing my future research. +
As an early career scientist focused on the interactions between geomorphology, tectonics and climate, I am interested in joining this workshop for the following reasons:
(a) I hope that this workshop will present opportunities to learn and share thoughts about recent progress in the field of modeling coupled interactions between geomorphologic and tectonic processes.
(b) The discussions about algorithm development for coupling between geomorphologic and tectonic processes, seems like a way to broaden my perspective on this coupling, as well as a mean to share thoughts about potential directions for such future developments.
(c) I am interested in developing topographic metrics and relations that capture the essence of landscape properties and facilitate comparisons between simulated and natural landscapes, thus promoting evaluation of model performance. I hope that this workshop will produce opportunities to discuss and develop this line of thinking in the context of coupled models.
(d) The workshop will likely present opportunities to develop collaborations. I am particularly interested in collaborations that bridge between local observations of geomorphologic processes and tectonic indicators to large scale topographic and tectonic patterns.
(e) I am developing a graduate class that combines landscape analysis and modeling of tecto-geomorphic processes and think that discussions within this workshop can help in shaping my thoughts regarding the best way to introduce students to the coupling of these processes. +
At present, I am working on the problem of the evolution of elevated passive continental margin like Western Ghats, India and understanding the process of metamorphism and evolution of metamorphic rocks etc., which are the areas of large scientific interest. The Western Ghats at the western margin of Peninsular India is made up of several regional provinces like Deccan Plateau (DP), Dharwar Craton (DC) and Southern Granulite Terrain (SGT) and also covers the southern province of peninsular India. These provinces are traversed by several shear zones separating the different crustal blocks and in the need of delineating the nature underneath the deep-seated structures. Therefore, detail integrated study need to be carried out for a better understanding of the settings of such zones that are important for tracing the tectonic history and their characteristics.
Hence, CTSP: Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes workshop is a golden opportunity to learn the tectonic and surface processes that affects the deformation as well as subsurface structures upto a great depth. It also provides me a foremost opportunity to start a long lasting personal relation with CSDMS community. I am happy to be a part of it.
Thank you. +
Being a researcher in geomorphology, I am particularly interested in the Tectonic geomorphology and Quaternary geomorphology. In last 5 years, I am working in North-east India on a Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt that possesses Ridge and valley topography. The soft sedimentary deformation structure and thrust faults are prominent in this region that is the major interest of my research. +
Being an early career scientist as a Research Associate and upcoming position as a Postdoc, this workshop will provide an opportunity to network and potential develop future research collaborations in this field. The topics covered in this workshop are very well in line with my research interests. Some of the key driving research questions that I am particularly interested include the feedback mechanisms between active tectonics, erosion, climate, and landscape evolution which affect mountain building processes. +
CSDMS is the leader in community-based model integration to explore longstanding questions about the dynamics of our Earth. I am interested in sharing my own contributions at this unprecedented event: linking deformational processes deep within the listhosphere, brittle failure and erosion of bedrock by diverse surface processes, and dynamic responses of climate to constantly evolving topographic patterns, all of which are distributed heterogeneously in space and time. Additionally I am interested in sharing some new innovations with topographic pattern recognition: using machine learning techniques to diagnose historic or presently active tectonic/surface processes based on landscape topology. I am excited at the prospect of rejoining some of my old colleagues and building new friendships through a diversity of collaborations that will emerge at this meeting. I look forward to contributing to these longstanding, interdisciplinary relationships for years to come. Thank you for your consideration! +
Currently a second-year MS student at the University of Kentucky (advisor Ryan Thigpen), I'm researching the fundamental geodynamic mechanisms responsible for shortening accommodation and mass redistribution in large continental collisional systems. I use numerical modeling (Elfen FE) coupled with field and laboratory (metamorphic petrology) data collected from the Himalaya. I will start a Ph.D. next year (advisor Kip Hodges) and my dissertation will be focused on combining that background in modeling thermal-rheological evolution of the subsurface lithosphere with climate-modulated erosion processes and landscape dynamics using a combination of numerical modeling, field mapping, and chronologic datasets derived from samples collected in the field. This workshop will help me explore existing and developing computational infrastructure that will assist with that research. It will also allow me to network with others working on similar and/or complementary problems. +
Dear members of the organizing committee,
I'm currently working in Jean Braun's Earth Surface Processes Modelling group at GFZ Potsdam, and in this application I would like to express my great interest in attending the CTSP Meeting that will be held on April 2018 in Boulder.
One of the main objectives in our research group is to develop a state-of-the-art model of landscape evolution with very efficient numerical methods to simulate it over long time-scales and to allow exhaustive exploration of model behavior.
Our motivation is to better understand how landscape evolution responds to external forcing such as tectonic activity or variations in climate. One big, open challenge is indeed how can we efficiently and accurately couple tectonic and surface processes in models, which requires dealing with multiple length and time scales. The CTSP Meeting represents a great opportunity for us to share our thoughts with experts in the field on how best we can tackle this issue.
More specifically, as a research software engineer I'm working on different projects including a modular library of efficient algorithms for landscape evolution modeling as well as a generic framework that allows fast building and exploration of custom models. These projects might help particularly given the topic of this meeting.
Attending to the CTSP Meeting would be a great opportunity for me to share this ongoing work with the very active and growing CSDMS community as well as other international research communities. It would be very interesting to see how can we collaborate together to improve and integrate our respective tools.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Benoit Bovy +
Deltas of big rivers are one of the most important fluvial landforms on earth. They were the cradle for ancient civilizations and are the rice basket of the world. Some of these large fertile deltas support extremely high population density and are in parts of the world with rapidly developing economies (e.g., the Ganges-Bramhaputra-Meghna Delta (GBMD)), which makes them more vulnerable to natural hazards. The most robust way to evaluate different factors that affect the dynamics of a delta is a realistic high-resolution physically-based numerical model, based upon an increased understanding of the processes at work. Currently the state of art is not at a point where morphological evolution of a delta and its complex physical-processes can be modeled in detail across morphological time-scales. Thus, my long-term research goal is to create a high-resolution modeling framework for deltas, that considers different processes like subsidence, ground-water flow, vegetation growth etc. One of the processes I am interested in for the model of the GBMD system is tectonic processes, which is underlined by the presence of the locked megathrust fault beneath the Indo-Burman mountain ranges, and the catastrophic large earthquake it may cause. Such a huge earthquake has the potential to avulse the rivers forming the GBMD, thus it is imperative for future hazard mitigation to understand how GBMD will react to river avulsions and resulting change in sediment-flux. In the past, analysis has been done to evaluate the effect of 1950 Assam earthquake on the morphological response of the river system, but the analysis was limited to change in sediment load in the system.
My background is in developing high-fidelity CFD models for complex environmental flows, and numerical models for predicting morphological evolution of fluvial-systems. Through this workshop, I hope to learn about the state of the art models for tectonic evolution, which will help me to include them in the models I develop in the future. This workshop will also introduce me to the community of scientists creating models for the evolution of the earth surface.
During the recent years, I have been working with Peter Molnar, Bob Anderson, Eric Kirby, Mike Oskin to understand the Cenozoic evolution of NE Tibetan Plateau. I used basin analysis, low-T themochronology, cosmogenic nuclides to study tectonics, structural geology and geomorphology, mainly focusing on the coupling of tectonic deformation and surface processes. I hope my attendance can help me broaden my research and bridge some potential collaboration between US and China. +
From this workshop, I expect to learn more about cutting-edge research and innovative ideas on coupling large scale landscape evolution modeling and geodynamic modeling. Currently, I am doing research on the surface manifests, particularly sedimentation, of isostasy or mantle flow in North America. There still remains many debates over the mechanisms of surface features such as the formation of the Western Interior Seaway, the uplift history of western US in general and the evolution of eastern US including the uplift of Appalachian Mountains. Hence, I aim to use coupled landscape evolution modeling to place additional constraints on lithospheric and deep mantle evolution underneath North America based on observations on surface processes. For future research, I also plan to utilize geodynamic modeling, either forward or inverse, to explore new possible mechanisms that led to the observed landscape evolution features. Of course, such method can also be applied onto other places. I believe this is a very special opportunity to expose myself to others conducting similar research and share ideas and experiences among attendees. In this workshop, I hope to learn from my peers in similar research areas and even find collaborators to push the frontier of the research on coupling landscape evolution and geodynamic modeling. Therefore, I really want to join this workshop, which is beneficial to me. +
How continental-scale rivers respond to tectonics, climate, and sea level is not well represented in morphodynamic models. Lowland rivers respond to influences more complicated than mountain rivers, and their large spatial scales present modelling challenges. Tectonic deformation and resistant deposits/bedrock especially affects low gradient rivers and their slope, sinuosity, along-stream patterns of sediment transport capacity, channel patterns, floodplain construction, and valley development. During glacial-marine transgressions vast volumes of sediment are deposited due to the infilling of lowland fluvial systems and shallow shelves, material that is removed during ensuing regressions.
Modelling key multi-directional processes controlling these rivers would illuminate system-scale morphodynamics, fluxes, and complexity in response to base level change, yet such problems are computationally formidable. Large environmental systems are characterized by strong process interdependency across domains, yet traditional supercomputers have slow nodal communications that stymies interconnectivity.
The newly developed Landscape-Linked Environmental Model (LLEM) utilizes massively parallel architectures (GPUs with >5000 cores and ~100x the interconnect bandwidth of CPU blades) to simulate multiple-direction flow, sediment transport, deposition, and incision for exceptionally large (30-80 million nodes per GPU) lowland dispersal systems covering large spatial and temporal scales. LLEM represents key fluvial processes such as bed and bar deposition, lateral and vertical erosion/incision, levee and floodplain construction, floodplain hydrology channel hydraulic geometry, dissection of weak sedimentary deposits during falling sea level, tectonic and glacial-isostatic flexure. LLEM also uses novel, ultra-fast Optane storage to reference a detailed 3D record of all stratigraphy (and associated biogeochemistry) that is created and destroyed. +
I acquire seismological data to image Earth's interior and its active deformation, while working closely with geodesists to measure surface deformation accompanying dynamic processes. My focus is on seismic and aseismic deformation in the creation of tectonic and orographic landscapes, and in understanding the surface processes modulating the dynamic and isostatic processes. My students work on seismological data constraining the kinematics of fault rupture leading to topography creation, and numerical models of the faulting and magmatic system responses. Our primary goal in attending the meeting is to consider dynamic and magmatic processes in the creation and modification of rift flank and orographic relief. +
I am Oluwaseun Idowu Fadugba, a third-year Ph.D. student at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI), University of Memphis. I am working on the effects of pre-existing structures on the seismicity of the Charlevoix Seismic Zone, southeastern Quebec, Canada. I wish to apply for the workshop on Coupling of Tectonic and Surface Processes (CTSP).
The Charlevoix seismic zone (CSZ) occurs along the ancient St. Lawrence rift zone in southeastern Quebec at the location of a major Devonian impact crater. The crater superimposed three major basement faults trending N35E and dipping at 70 degrees to the southeast. Many earthquakes are recorded each year in the CSZ and are concentrated within and beneath the impact crater. Some large-magnitude earthquakes associated with the rift faults occurred outside the crater. Using PyLith, an open-source finite-element code for simulations of crustal deformation, we set up a model for a 150 x 150 x 40 km crustal block. The model includes the three rift faults with friction coefficient in the ranges of 0.1 and 0.6 and cohesion between several MPa to 10s of MPa. We constrain the fault geometry using recent hypocenter relocation studies. In this study, we present a new set of numerical models that include more realistic relative spacings of the rift faults on stress distributions and correlate the observed stress distributions with the recent hypocenter relocations to better explain the seismicity. Our work provides an explanation to the change in the SHmax orientation inverted from earthquake focal mechanism compared to SHmax orientation determined from borehole breakout measurements. We also consider and discuss the effects of the high-velocity bodies imaged at mid-crustal depths in recent tomography study on the region's stress distribution.
I hope to be accepted for this workshop because it will give me the opportunity to contribute to the geodynamic community in the development of efficient numerical algorithms by asking questions relating to numerical models from experiences in my Ph.D. research workflow. I will also present the preliminary results of my research work. The wealth of knowledge of scientists and the helpful questions during and after the presentation will go a long way in my Ph.D. research. This will also help in shaping my research ideas and enhance collaborations with researchers and fellow students with a view to enhancing the impact of CIG and CSDMS communities.
I am PI/organizer of the Coupling Surface and Tectonic Processes workshop (25-27 April 2018, Boulder) +
I am a PhD student at the Geoscience-Environment lab in Toulouse. My work consists of modeling the interaction between erosion, silicate weathering and climate at the global scale and at the geological timescale. The aim is to explain climatic variations throughout the Earth History by changes in the erosion/weathering system (such as orogenies or mountain ranges decline). Such a modeling work requires a spatial discretization of continents, as well as upscaling of smaller-scale processes due to the coarse resolution (hundred of kilometers). In the future, I would like to explore further how weathering is affected by the horizontal advection of sediments, tectonic forcings and landscape evolution. The complexity of small-scale processes and computational costs are the main limitations of this investigation. Therefore, I wish to discuss the possibilities and barriers of upscaling from the catchment scale to the continental scale: what is the appropriate scale for each process, (tectonic forcings, evolution of topography, weathering, climate…). For instance, one key issue is how well hydrographic network should be represented (for sediment routing or calculation of drainage area), and how to upscale it. Another issue is how well constrained are the existing models and to what extent a combined model at these spatial and time scales would be relevant. This meeting is a very good opportunity to have a scientific discussion about those topics. +
I am a Research Fellow at the Department of Geology, Utah State University, specializing in numerical techniques for modeling lithospheric and upper mantle dynamics (https://ravi-vs-kanda.github.io). My research focuses on the use of laboratory based viscous creep and plastic rheologies to understand how a realistic lithosphere and crust modulate deformation over the region encompassing the uppermost mantle to the surface. Present-day surface topography, mantle tomography, along with long-term surface sedimentary and paleo-altitude records are key constraints on near-surface rheology, was well as in quantifying the relative importance of surface vs. mantle processes for surface topography.
For numerical modeling, I have been using SULEC (Buiter & Ellis 2012) – an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian visco-plastic code capable of modeling a true free surface of the Earth. I recently modified the 2D version of SULEC to incorporate spatially heterogeneous, material dependent, (1D) parameterizations of surface erosion and sedimentation (e.g., based on regional topographic slope, curvature, and/or nearest topographic peak). I tested the modified code with simulations of first-order topography across central Colorado Plateau (2D section, since 50 Ma). While preliminary results are promising, the extensions of my current 1D algorithms to 2D surface processes are numerically expensive and inefficient for practical use, specifically owing to the very different spatio-temporal scales of surface and mantle driven processes.
We recently got funded for a numerical study of the distribution of deformation and seismicity in the Intermountain Seismic Belt, using realistic rheologies – surface processes could be important in redistributing regional crustal stresses from deeper mantle sources there. I would like to learn more from the CIG-ASPECT community regarding their plans for surface processes. I want to attend the CTSP meeting in order to not only learn from leading experts regarding the latest advances in integrating surface process simulations into LTT models, but also to explore potential collaborations within such a broad, diverse group of researchers. As an early career scientist, I will greatly benefit from the experience of writing a White Paper exploring avenues to fund such future collaborations.
I am a first year faculty member who has long been interested in problems related to the coupling of surface and tectonic processes. I have a diverse background which I believe gives me an important perspective on this topic. Specifically, as a graduate student, I focused on field based structural geology and the tectonics of mountain ranges. I then did a four year postdoc working on various problems using landscape evolution models and separate projects using cosmogenic isotopes and developing tools for topographic analysis. With practical experience in both tectonics and surface processes, I am now uniquely suited to contribute to the broader community effort focused on studying the coupling of surface and tectonic processes. This workshop would be an invaluable opportunity for me to (1) get a sense of what others are working on, (2) identify problems to which my skills might be best applied, and (3) build collaborative relationships with potential new colleagues. +
I am a first-year doctoral student in sedimentology. As a sedimentologist, my previous experience is either about analyzing the large-scale basin development (subsidence history in foreland basins) or the smaller scale sediment transport processes (meandering river migration and avulsion). I preferred to use the sedimentary records in the filed and numerical modeling to approach these questions. Such background gradually makes me realize that smaller scale sediment transport processes might possibly affect the larger scale basin evolution sometimes. However, the connection between the two different scale (both spatially but and temporally) earth processes is rarely noticed or mentioned by previous studies. Therefore I choose to continue a doctoral project about it.
As a first-year Ph.D. student, I am still developing my research topic. Although it is not decided yet, it will be related to how sediment transport processes reflect or influence the evolution of continental rift systems. My hope is to approach this problem with both traditional stratigraphic analysis and numerical modeling. This short course, which is about the long-term tectonic processes coupling with surface processes, is tightly related to my research interest. It is an amazing opportunity for me to communicate with people who are specialists in both tectonics and surface process. Besides, I also want to know more about the techniques in numerical modeling and researches from tectonic aspect. In general, I strongly believe that this short course will inspire me and help me figure out the specific topic I want to pursue for my Ph.D project or even future career. +
