This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $465,972 to William Marsh Rice University to characterize timescales of magma compositional changes in continental volcanic arcs. The University will create a high-resolution record of volcanic ash deposited along the western US coast over 65 million years ago. Analyzing ash altered into bentonite deposited in Texas over 7 million years will enable reconstruction of arc composition history. The project aims to determine if arc chemistry can change on timescales less than 100,000 years. Specific products include assessment of elemental mobility during bentonite formation, reconstruction of ash source compositions, analysis of volcanic minerals, and models of how tectonism and crustal processes influence timescales of magma transfer. Broader impacts include student involvement in improving urban park access and development of a course on critical mineral resources necessary for energy transitions.
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