tectonics

Those of us working in Lehigh University's tectonics program are devoted to understanding the fundamental processes controlling lithospheric structure and dynamics. Our NSF-supported research projects take Lehigh students and faculty to a wide variety of field areas, including

Typically, our approach involves an integrated blend of field, laboratory, and theoretical work, all of which are essential in current tectonics research, so we are interested in hearing from students interested in working across disciplinary boundaries. But we're also interested in people who are passionate about the specific subfields in which we hold expertise: tectonics requires both synthesis and skilled application of increasingly refined methods and technologies.

Application for Graduate Study and Further Information

We strongly encourage interested students to contact individual faculty members for more information about specific research opportunities. This web site provides further information about our graduate program and admission procedures. If you can't find an answer to your question or you need help, contact us at:

• Dr. Zicheng Yu (Graduate Coordinator)
• Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
• 31 William's Drive
• Lehigh University
• Bethlehem, PA 18015-3188
• email: ziy2@lehigh.edu
• phone: 610/758-6751 fax: 610/758-3677

Thanks for your interest!

Recent Publications by Group Members

Bebout, G. E., 2007. Metamorphic chemical geodynamics of subduction zones, Frontiers paper, Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 260, 373-393

Enkelmann, E., Zeitler, P.K., Pavlis, T.L., Garver, J.I., and Ridgway, K.D., 2009. Intense localized rock uplift and erosion in the St Elias orogen of Alaska. Nature Geoscience, v. 2, no. 5, p. 360-363. DOI: 10.1038/NGEO502

Finnegan, N.J., Hallet, B., Montgomery, D.R., Zeitler, P.K., and Liu, Y., in press. Coupling of rock uplift and river incision in the Namche Barwa-Gyala Peri massif, Tibet. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 120, p. 142-155, doi: 10.1130/B26224.1.

Latta, D.K., and Anastasio, D.J., 2007. Multiple scales of mechanical stratification and decollement fold kinematics, Sierra Madre Oriental foreland, northeast Mexico. Journal of Structural Geology, 29, 1241-1255.

Latta, D.K., D.J. Anastasio, L.A. Hinnov, M. Elrick, and K.P. Kodama, 2006. A magnetic record of Milankovitch rhythms in lithologically noncyclic marine carbonates. Geology, 34, 29-32.

Picotti, V. and Pazzaglia, F. J., 2008. A new active tectonic model for the construction of the Northern Apennines mountain front near Bologna (Italy). Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, doi:10.1029/2007JB005307.

Sol, S., Meltzer, A., Burgmann, R., Van der Hilst, R.D., King, B., Chen, Z., Koons, P., Lev, E., Liu, Y.P., Zeitler, P.K., Yuping, L., Zhang, X., Zhang, J., and Zurek, B., 2007. Geodynamics of the southeastern Tibetan plateau from seismic anisotropy and geodesy. Geology, 35, 563-566.

Stewart, R.J., Hallet, B., Zeitler, P.K., Malloy, M.A., Allen, C.M., and Trippett, D., 2008. Brahmaputra sediment flux dominated by highly localized rapid erosion from the easternmost Himalaya. Geology, v. 36, p. 711-741, doi: 10.1130/G24890A.1.

Tan, Xiaodong, K.P. Kodama, S. Gilder, and V. Courtillot, 2007. Rock magnetic evidence for inclination shallowing in the Passaic Formation red beds from the Newark basin and a systematic bias of the Late Triassic apparent polar wander path for North America. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 254, 345-357.

Wilson, L. F., Pazzaglia, F. J., and Anastasio, D. J., 2009. A fluvial record of active fault-propagation folding, Salsomaggiore anticline, northern Apennines, Italy: Journal of Geophysical Research, 114, doi:10.1029/2008JB005984.

Tectonics Courses for Graduate Students

EES is a broad department focused on several aspects of the Earth system, giving you abundant opportunities to work across disciplines. The following courses available for graduate credit are those most directly related to issues in tectonics and geodynamics:

• EES 301. Seismology: Images and Dynamics of the Earth's Interior (3) (Meltzer)
• EES 316 (CEE 316). Hydrogeology (3) (Peters)
• EES 325. Remote Sensing of Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments (3) (Ramage)
• EES 334. Geosphere Structure and Evolution (3) (Bebout, Kodama)
• EES 405. Paleo- and Environmental Magnetism (3) (Kodama)
• EES 407. Seismology (3) (Meltzer)
• EES 412. Advanced Fluvial and Tectonic Geomorphology (3) (Pazzaglia)
• EES 426. Tectonic Processes (3) (Meltzer, Zeitler)
• EES 427. Orogenic Belts (3) (Anastasio)
• EES 429. Methods and Applications of Geochronology (3) (Zeitler)
• EES 438. Petrogenetic Processes (3) (Bebout)
• EES 457. Advanced Remote Sensing of the Environment (3) (Ramage)
• EES 471. Stable Isotope Chemistry - Theory, Techniques, and Applications in the Earth and Environmental Sciences (3) (Bebout)
• EES 473. Aqueous Geochemistry (3) (Peters)

Recent Graduate Theses in Tectonics

Dario Bilardello (Ph.D.) 2009. A new technique for measuring the magnetic fabric of hematite-bearing sedimentary rocks, hf-AIR: Inclination correction case studies from carboniferous red beds from the maritime provinces of Canada. (advisor: Kodama).

Annie Palya (M.S.) 2009. Storage and mobility of organic nitrogen and carbon in the continental crust: evidence from partially melted metasedimentary rocks, Mt. Stafford, Australia. (advisor: Bebout).

Joanna Troy (M.S.) 2008. Synsedimentary tectonic strain and fold kinematics recorded by AMS in Pyrenean Flysch. (advisor: Anastasio).

Karl Wegmann (Ph.D) 2008. Tectonic gomorphlogy above Mediterranean subduction zones: northeastern Apennienes of Italy and Crete, Greece. (advisor: Pazzaglia).

Brian Zurek (Ph.D.) 2008. The evolution and modification of continental lithosphere dynamics of the 'Indentor Corners' and imaging the llithosphere across the eastern syntaxis of Tibet. (advisor: Meltzer).

Christina Majerowicz (M.S.) 2007. Quaternary rupture history of the Lima Reservoir fault, SW Montana. (advisor: Anastasio).

Luke Wilson (M.S.) 2007. A fluvial record of active fault-propagation folding, Salsomaggiore anticline, northern Apennines, Italy. (advisor: Anastasio).

Sarah Flanagan (M.S.) 2006. Traverse drainages, divides and landscape evolution in the Great Valley, eastern United States. (advisor: Pazzaglia).

Robert King (Ph.D.) 2006. Melange a Trois metamorphic controls on recycling and mass transfer within subduction zones. (advisor: Bebout).

Michael Kutney (M.S.) 2006. The timing of topographic development in southeastern Tibet from low-temperature thermochronology. (advisor: Zeitler).

Jeremy Laucks (M.S.) 2006. Divide mobility and migration in the Appalachian Mountains. (advisor: Pazzaglia).

Long Li (Ph.D.) 2006. Estimates of carbon and nitrogen input fluxes in subduction zones and investigation of natural and human-induced environmental changes from lake sediments using carbon and nitrogen concentrations and isotope compositions. (advisor: Bebout).

Michael Newton (M.S.) 2006. Rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy, orbital forcing, and high-resolution age constraints from an Eocene marine flysch, Spanish Pyrenees. (advisor: Anastasio).

Chris Call (M.S.) 2005. Geophysical profiling in the Interandean Valley, Ecuador. (advisor: Meltzer).

Diana Latta (Ph.D.) 2005. A high-resolution study of decollement folding, northeast Mexico. (advisor: Anastasio).

Yongxiang Li (Ph.D.) 2005. Paleomagnetism of the Valle Group, Baja California, Mexico, and environmental magnetism of White Lake, New Jersey, USA. (advisor: Kodama).

Molly Malloy (M.S.) 2004. Rapid erosion at the Tsangpo knickpoint and exhumation of southeastern Tibet. (advisor: Zeitler).

BangYeon Kim (Ph.D.) 2003. Rock magnetism applied to tectonic and environmental problems. (Advisor: Kodama).

Kurt L. Frankel (M.S.) 2002. Quantitative topographic differences between erosionally exhumed and tectonically active mountain fronts: Implications for late-Cenozoic evolution of the southern Rocky Mountains. (Advisor: Pazzaglia).

Nathan W. Harkins (M.S.) 2002. Neotectonics along the Red Rock Fault, Southwestern Montana: implications for fault kinematics and tectonic geomorphology. (Advisor: Anastasio).

Adrienne C. Johnson (M.S.) 2002. Syntectonic fluid-rock interactions involving surficial and hydrothermal waters in the sevier thrust belt, Tendoy Montains, southwest Montana. (Advisor: Anastasio).

Nicholas J. Scala (M.S.) 2002. Neogene to present contractional growth structures and partitioning of strain along the San Andreas fault borderland, southern Point Arena Basin, offshore Northern California. (Advisor: Meltzer).

Jordan D. Vaughn (M.S.) 2002. Two studies on the accuracy of sedimentary paleomagnetic remanence, the effects of rapid deposition in a flume study and remanence of the Perforada Formationof Baja California. (Advisor: Kodama).

 

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