Tectonic processes involve the deformation of the lithosphere – the rigid, conductive outer shell of the Earth. Such processes leave marks on the rock record, in the form of metamorphic changes to a rock’s mineralogy, or partial melting followed by crystallisation to form igneous rocks. Spanning the intersections between geology, geophysics and geochemistry, the Tectonics, Petrology and Lithospheric Processes Cluster explores a range of geological settings across geological time.
Key research themes include:
- Developing suites of petrological modelling tools, including the THERMOCALC software and the mineral equations of state associated with it
- Providing constraints on lithospheric thermal structure and understanding its impacts on temperature-dependent lithospheric processes
- Understanding controls on deformation in a range of tectonic settings including intraplate orogens and fold and thrust belts
- Simulating magmatic and volcanic processes to make sense of observations at the surface.
Coordinator
Eleanor Green
