Dynamic behavior of thermochemical plumes
Origin of the asthenosphere
Small-scale and "edge-driven" convection [(summary)] [(abstract)]
Shear-driven upwelling [(summary)]
Plume-lithosphere interaction [(press release)]
Multi-component melting dynamics [(abstract)]
Intraplate volcanism
Evolution of the Mantle Transition Zone
Origin and Evolution of lowermost-mantle structures
Connection between surface expressions of mantle convection and deep processes
The role of deep-Earth and deep-time processes in sustaining Life

" I'm a geodynamicist that is primarily interested in the origin of volcanism, and the structure of the Earth's mantle. In the past, my research has beed focused on mantle plumes and hotspot volcanism, small-scale convection in the upper mantle (as initiated by asthenospheric shear, and thermal or compositional instability), as well as the role of mantle heterogeneity on mantle flow, melting dynamics, and magma geochemistry. Volcanism well away from tectonic plate boundaries offers an opportunity to study the chemical make-up of the mantle, as well as the dynamic processes that lead to magma generation. More recently, my prime interests shifted somewhat deeper in space and time, motivated by trying to understand the thermal and chemical evolution of our planet, as well as the long-term sustainability of life. I apply numerical modeling techniques to integrate basic fluid dynamical principles with constraints from mineral physics and earthquake seismic tomography in 3-dimensional computer simulations. These models each run for days or weeks on hundreds of computer cores in parallel. For interpretation, numerical model predictions are quantitatively compared to a wide range of geophysical and geochemical observations. "


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