Crystal growth to craton formation: A story of healing
We will have a "social half-hour" at 3:30 pm, refreshment will be provided. (cookies, desserts, fruit platter, coffee etc.)
All are welcome. This talk should be of broad appeal.
Zoom info:
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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83290389803?pwd=YTJOWWxBUjl1c21qbWVBM1gzQmUwZz09
Meeting ID: 832 9038 9803
Passcode: 045256
How does the deep lithosphere of cratons form? These lithospheric keels have remained stable for billions of years, but exactly why they are strong is a mystery. Prevailing view is that the cratonic keel is made up of dehydrated, melt-depleted building blocks, the dehydration resulting in a stiffening of the cratonic keel. However, most studies show that cratonic peridotites are wet or have experienced hydrous conditions during their formation and evolution. Here, we suggest that cratons have become strong through a grain coarsening process facilitated by the passage of fluids, transitioning the dominant mode of deformation from diffusion to dislocation. We show that in the presence of fluids, crystals growth rate can be accelerated. Cratons are born weak, but with time, heal and become strong through the healing powers of crystal growth.
I am a geologist/petrologist/geochemist who investigates how our planet has evolved with time, from the deepest parts of the Earth's mantle to the continental crust and to the atmosphere. I combine field mapping and sampling with state of the art analytical tools (mass spectrometry, x-ray spectrometry, electron probe microanalysis) and simple analytical and numerical modeling. I have worked on continent formation and destruction, redox evolution of the Earth's interior, the origin of various ore deposits, the petrological structure of volcanic margins, and the origin of granites. I am now working on thegeochemical interactions between the deep Earth and oceans/atmospheres in order to better understand what controls long term climate evolution. More details on my research interests can be found on my Research and Publications pages.
Website: https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/cin-ty-lee