John Hopper:
Rupturing Continental Lithosphere

How and why continents breakup apart to form new ocean basins is the cornerstone of John Hopper's research.  He uses seismic imaging methods and numerical modeling to understand the crustal and lithospheric structure of different tectonic settings to better understand the dynamic processes associated with how different regions evolve.  He has studied rift processes in the North Atlantic around Greenland and Iceland, Newfoundland and Iberia, as well as NW Australia. Most recently, he has become involved in projects to unravel the tectonic history of Arctic Ocean basins.

Dr. Hopper is an Assistant Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M University.

Daniel Lizarralde:
Rupturing Continental Lithosphere

The evolution of Earth's lithosphere, particularly at continental margins, is Daniel Lizarralde's primary research interest. He uses active-source seismology to image crustal and upper-mantle structure and make inferences about tectonic and magmatic processes. He has studied rifting processes that formed the U.S. East Coast margin and the Gulf of California, and he also studies processes at convergent margins with work in the Aleutians and in Costa Rica.  Other margins-related processes Dan is working on include submarine groundwater discharge and methane gas-hydrate formation.

Dan is an Associate Scientist in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Greg Hirth:
The Seismogenic Zone

Greg Hirth investigates the processes that control the rheological behavior of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. He studies problems ranging from brittle deformation of the shallow lithosphere to viscous flow of the asthenosphere. While emphasizing an experimental approach, he also collaborates with field geologists and geophysicists to explore the implications of rheological data for the mechanical behavior of the Earth, and to constrain the strengths and limitations of laboratory measurements.

Greg is an Associate Professor at Brown University.

Casey Moore:
The Seismogenic Zone

Casey Moore's scientific work involves the linkage of structural geology and fluid flow in rock evolution. Currently he is studying processes of earthquake generation along faults, especially what makes some faults seismogenic and others not. He is also interested in how the earthquake processes are expressed and sequenced in the structural evolution of accretionary prisms. Casey Moore has studied both modern submarine subduction processes and ancient exhumed equivalents in California, Alaska, Japan, southern Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Casey is a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was previously a Distinguished Lecturer for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions/United States Science Advisory Committee.

Charles Nittrouer:
Source to Sink

Chuck Nittrouer has investigated continental-margin sedimentation in many settings around the world, where significant amounts of sediment are being supplied from rivers and glaciers. His focus has been on the processes related to sediment accumulation on time scales of decades, and has used a diverse range of tools (especially short-lived radioisotopes) to quantify the mechanisms of strata formation. Much of his research has involved collaborations with scientists is associated disciplines, in order to expand the relevance of the results.

Chuck is a Professor in the School of Oceanography and in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He teaches students from undergraduate to graduate levels.

Patricia Wiberg:
Source to Sink

Patricia Wiberg's research focuses on the role of sediment bed properties in controlling sediment transport and morphologic evolution, primarily in shallow marine environments.  Her work spans a range of temporal and spatial scales from the motion of individual sediment grains to the evolution of continental margin morphology.  A particular interest is the potential for preservation of flood and storm event beds in the longer-term stratigraphic record. 

Dr. Wiberg is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia.

Karen Fischer:
The Subduction Factory

In her research, Karen Fischer uses seismological methods to understand the structure and dynamics of the Earth's crust and mantle. Her work focuses on mantle flow and melting processes in subduction zones and on the on the continental lithosphere - its properties, evolution and interactions with the deeper mantle. Recent field projects include an array of broadband seismometers in Nicaragua and Costa Rica (the TUCAN Experiment) whose goal is to image the subducting slab and mantle wedge and clarify their relationships to the generation of arc magmas.

Karen is a Professor of Geological Sciences and a Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence at Brown University.

Peter Kelemen:
The Subduction Factory

In subduction research, Kelemen focuses on the origin of continental crust, including genesis of primitive andesites, foundering of dense lower crust, thermal structure of subduction zones, intermediate depth earthquakes, cratonic upper mantle, and ultra-high pressure metamorphic rocks. Initially specializing in “extreme terrain mineral exploration”, Kelemen also studies mid-ocean ridge melt transport and crust formation, and carbon sequestration via peridotite weathering. He has worked in India, Pakistan, Greenland, Peru, Alaska, B.C., Oman, the Bering Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the continental US.

Peter is Arthur D. Storke Professor at Columbia University, Associate Research Scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, and Adjunct Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

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