The Earth’s crust is always subject to change. The structures that we observe at the Earth’s surface or at shallow depths (few kilometres depth) are snapshots of tectonic activity that happened in the distant past and that are now frozen in time. In the field, we can observe, measure and quantify disturbances in the rock record, for example tilted layers, displaced stratigraphy or folded layers, such as found in Norway and the Himalaya, or fragments of ocean floor now observed in mountains high above sea level (e.g. Cyprus). These features provide information on the relative timing and stresses of these past events that caused these disturbances. The geological field data are combined with geophysical methods, with which we are able to image structures deeper in the crust.
We also investigate the evolution of fold and thrust belts and accretionary wedges, and how the evolution of structures might be affected by the rheology of the materials located at the base and within the wedge by using analogue experiments and applying these to natural settings, such as the Spanish Pyrenees.
The above research is important when mitigating risks associated with natural hazards, such as earthquakes, but also for a more fundamental understanding of how our Earth evolved and transformed over time.
Main topics of research:
- Understanding the (re)activation of brittle fault systems along the margins of northern Norway
- Investigating exhumation of lower crustal blocks in the Himalayas and in the offshore domain
- Identifying tectonic phases of ophiolite emplacement in Cyprus
- Evolution of fold-and-thrust belts (e.g. Pyrenees)
2.2. Sea floor mapping
Approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, with ocean depths ranging between a few meters close to shore to more than 10 kilometres at the deepest trenches (e.g. Mariana Trench). This vast region hosts a treasure of information, including seamounts, long mountain ranges, hydrothermal vents and resources, which all form in response to tectonic activity. Because our oceans are submerged, it is quite challenging to understand how these bathymetric features form, what resources they host and what hazards they may produce. Especially geological data, including rock samples and measurements, are very difficult to gather, even though they inform us about the processes that occur in the oceanic crust.
Using existing geophysical datasets and machine learning, we develop offshore mapping techniques that allow the identification of geological data (e.g. rock type) in the offshore domain. We use this information for paleogeographic reconstructions of complex tectonic settings in the offshore domain.
Main topics of research:
- Developing numerical mapping techniques for submerged domains
- Investigating oceanic gateway opening and closure (e.g. Scotia Sea)
- Paleogeographic reconstructions of back-arc basins