The National Science Foundation awarded a $305,251 Project Grant to the University of Arizona under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct research examining metamorphic rocks from ancient subduction zones in the Baja California peninsula from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2025. The research aims to quantify the pressure-temperature-time histories of amphibolite, blueschist, and eclogite rocks using advanced thermobarometry and petrochronology techniques to better understand the thermal evolution of subduction zones and periods of anomalous tectonic activity. The University of Arizona will analyze samples from mesozoic subduction complexes in Baja California, Mexico to evaluate the evolution of subduction zone thermal structure over time and the history and processes of metamorphism, exhumation, and ophiolite generation in the region. Results seek to test models of subduction initiation and evolution as well as relationships between exhumation of metamorphic rocks and regional tectonic changes.
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