Geological and Geochemical Analysis

Researchers working at the intersection of geophysics and geochemistry use minerals like zircon—among the most durable materials in Earth's crust—to reconstruct how continents have formed, collided, and been reshaped over billions of years. By analyzing the isotopic signatures preserved in granitic rocks from ancient mountain belts and subduction zones, scientists can piece together timelines of crustal growth and trace how material from the deep mantle has been incorporated into the continents we stand on today. Central open questions include how the dynamics of subduction have changed through deep time, and what the geochemical record can reveal about the conditions under which early plate tectonics first began operating on Earth. Thermodynamic modeling and improved geochronological techniques are increasingly allowing researchers to test competing hypotheses about these processes with greater precision than was previously possible.

Works

377,959

Total citations

8,215,945

Keywords

ZirconGeochronologyTectonicsGranitic RocksIsotopic CompositionSubduction Zones