How is oceanic lithosphere created and modified? Why is the oceanic asthenosphere weak? How is mantle flow recorded within the lithosphere and asthenosphere? What is the scale and vigor of convection beneath the plates?
How does rifting transition to seafloor spreading? Why and how do continents split apart? What processes control mid-ocean ridge dynamics?
Small-scale convection, if it exists, should be detectable using high resolution ocean-bottom seismology. We use surface-wave imaging to investigate mantle flow patterns and evaluate whether SSC persists.
We have comprehensively characterized the anisotropic structure of ~70 Ma oceanic lithosphere. This has helped us better understand mid-ocean ridge processes and the evolution of oceanic basins.
This project aims to better understand mantle dynamics associated with breakup of Pangaea from relic fabrics recorded in the oceanic lithosphere.
What can seismic noise reveal about how the cryosphere and hydrosphere interact with the solid Earth? How does near-surface structure impact intensity of seismic shaking?
Development of novel methods for imaging Earth's interior, incorporating diverse geochemical, petrological, and rheological datasets.