INFERRED RHEOLOGY AND UPPER MANTLE CONDITIONS OF WESTERN NEVADA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA-NORTHWEST MEXICO

Understanding the viscous strength (rheology) of the mantle is essential for understanding the dynamics and evolution of the Earth. Rheology affects many geologic processes such as mantle convection, the earthquake cycle, and plate tectonics. This study uses tectonic (postseismic) and non-tectonic (lake unloading) events that have induced differential stress changes within the crust and mantle, which in turn, create surface deformation. The viscoelastic relaxation is constrained using geodetic methods, such as GPS, InSAR, or measurements of shoreline rebound. We can use these observed surface displacements to constrain numerical models of the relaxation processes that can be used to infer a viscosity structure. These studies allow us to infer the mechanical nature of the lithosphere and asthenosphere using 3D finite element models. When we combine our inferred viscosity structure with calculations of conductive geothermal gradients and models of mantle melting, we can infer environmental conditions of the upper mantle like water content, mineralogy, and degree of melt.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Year

2015

Author dc:creator

• Dickinson, Haylee

Contributors dc:contributor

• Andrew M Freed
• Christopher Andronicos
• Ken Ridgway
• Antonio Bobet

• Central Nevada Seismic Belt
• El Mayor-Cucapah
• finite element modeling
• Lake unloading
• Postseismic relaxation
• Rheology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1486

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:docs.lib.purdue.edu:open_access_dissertations-2702