UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEMS
Although large-scale convection in the Earth?s mantle ultimately controls tectonic deformation at the Earth's surface, the link between deep mantle flow and plate tectonics remains poorly understood. This is because patterns of mantle flow are difficult to constrain from surface observations and are sensitive to variations in the material (or rheologic) properties that control rock deformation within the plate-mantle coupling zone known as the asthenosphere. The goal of this project is to use computer simulations to evaluate how the material properties of the Earth influence the style of mantle convection. This understanding is important because it will help us quantify the tectonic forces that control geologic deformation and its associated seismic hazard, particularly at plate boundaries where most major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. The results of this project will be directly relevant to several NSF-sponsored programs such as Margins, Ridge2000, CSEDI, CIG, and Earthscope and will help fund graduate students at both WHOI and the University of Hawaii.In the Earth?s asthenosphere, mantle rheology depends on a variety of factors including temperature, pressure, water content, deformation mode, and grain-size, all of which depend on the time-dependent evolution of mantle flow. In this project, the investigators will examine the grain-size dependence of mantle rheology by computing grain-size evolution on a micro-scale (cm and smaller) within 3-D mantle flow models on regional (10s to 100s km) and global (100s to 1000s km) scales. They will accomplish this by incorporating laboratory-based models for grain-size evolution into large-scale mantle flow models to investigate the potential importance of feedbacks between grain-size, rock rheology, and flow. The predictions made by these numerical models will be constrained using seismic data (including variations in seismic anisotropy, wave speed, and attenuation) and rock texture analyses from a spectrum of tectonic environments. In doing so, they will improve our understanding of the relationship between mantle flow, surface tectonics, and grain size in the upper mantle.
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| AWARD OVERVIEW |
| Award Number |
0855546 |
Funding Agency |
National Science Foundation |
| Total Award Amount |
$198,950 |
Project Location - City |
HONOLULU |
| Award Date |
07/21/2009 |
Project Location - State |
HI |
| Project Status |
More than 50% Completed |
Project Location - Zip |
96822-2303
|
| Jobs Reported |
0.50 |
Congressional District |
01 |
| Project Location - Country |
US |
|
|
Recipient Information
(Grants)
| Recipient Information (Grants) |
|
Recipient Name
|
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII SYSTEMS |
| Recipient DUNS Number |
965088057
|
| Recipient Address |
2425 CAMPUS RD SINCLAIR LIBRARY RM 1 |
| Recipient City |
HONOLULU |
| Recipient State |
Hawaii |
| Recipient Zip |
96822-2247 |
| Recipient Congressional District |
01 |
| Recipient Country |
USA |
Required to Report Top 5
Highly Compensated Officials |
No |
Projects and Jobs Information
| Projects and Jobs Information |
| Project Title |
CSEDI Collaborative Research: Influence of Grain-Size Evolution on Global and Regional Mantle Flow and Upper Mantle Seismic Structure |
| Project Status |
More than 50% Completed |
| Final Project Report Submitted |
No |
| Project Activities Description |
Science & Technology, General/Other |
| Quarterly Activities/Project Description |
Postdoctoral scholar Joost van Summeren and PI Clinton Conrad are developing numerical models that constrain the influence of both mineral grain-size and anisotropic viscosity on viscous coupling between plate motions and mantle flow. We are currently evaluating whether the former can be detected from observations of seismic velocity variations in the asthenosphere, and the latter by changes in plate motions. Both aspects of this work are being prepared for publication. |
| Jobs Created |
0.50 |
| Description of Jobs Created |
Graduate Assistant |
Purchaser Information
(Grants)
| Purchaser Information |
| Contracting Office ID |
Not Reported |
| Contracting Office Name |
Not Available |
| Contracting Office Region |
Not Available |
| TAS Major Program |
49-0101 |
| Award Information |
| Award Date |
07/21/2009 |
| Award Number |
0855546 |
| Order Number |
|
| Award Type |
Grants |
| Funding Agency ID |
49 |
| Funding Agency Name |
National Science Foundation |
| Funding Office Name |
Not Available |
| Awarding Agency ID |
49 |
| Awarding Agency Name |
National Science Foundation |
| Amount of Award |
$198,950 |
| Funds Invoiced/Received |
$178,271 |
| Expenditure Amount |
$178,271 |
| Infrastructure Expenditure Amount |
$0 |
| Infrastructure Purpose and Rationale |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Name |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Email |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Phone |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Address |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact City |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact State |
Not Reported |
| Infrastructure Point of Contact Zip |
Not Reported |
Product or Service Information
(Grants)
| Product or Service Information |
| Primary Activity Code |
U01 |
| Activity Description |
Science & Technology, General/Other |
| Sub-Awards Information |
| Sub-awards to Organizations |
0 |
| Sub-award Amounts to Organizations |
$0 |
| Sub-Awards to Individuals |
0 |
| Sub-Award Amounts to Individuals |
$0 |
| Number of Sub-awards less than $25,000/award |
0 |
| Amount of Sub-awards less than $25,000/award |
$0 |
| Number of payments to vendors greater than $25,000 |
0 |
| Total Amount of payments to vendors greater than $25,000/award |
$0 |
| Number of payments to vendors less than $25,000/award |
28 |
| Total Amount of payments to vendors less than $25,000/award |
$5,226 |
| Location Information |
| Latitude, Longitude |
21º 19' 10",
-157º 48' 35" |
| Congressional District |
01 |
| Address 1 |
UH MANOA |
| Address 2 |
POST BUILDING |
| City |
HONOLULU |
| County |
Honolulu |
| State |
HI |
| Zip |
96822-2303 |
|
 |