This $371,002 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) supports a collaborative research project led by Utah Tech University (UTU) that investigates the effects of lithospheric foundering on the formation of mountain belts and plateaus, using the southern Puna Plateau in Argentina as a case study. The project combines geological mapping, stratigraphic analysis, and numerical modeling to test hypotheses about the removal of lower crust and mantle lithosphere through detachment and sinking processes, and how these processes have shaped the tectonic evolution of the region. The award, effective September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2027, supports the research efforts of 2 PhD students, 7 undergraduate researchers, 2 postdoctoral researchers, and 3 early-career principal investigators. The project also aims to build connections between North American and Argentinian scientists through collaborative field work, a numerical modeling short course, and an annual student field trip and retreat at UTU.
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