The University of Alabama Office for Sponsored Programs Division has been awarded a $164,486 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) to conduct a collaborative research project focused on evaluating tectonic models for the western United States cordillera through the metamorphic history of the Pelona-Orocopia-Rand schists.
The project will test the viability of the flat slab subduction model against alternative hypotheses, including the collision and translation of a far-traveled terrane, by determining the age, pressure, and temperature recorded by metamorphic minerals in the Pelona-Orocopia-Rand schist. The researchers will use advanced analytical techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, bulk chemical analysis, and P-T modeling to estimate the conditions of metamorphism. The timing of events will be evaluated using garnet Sm-Nd and monazite U-(Th)-Pb geochronology. The project will support the development of two early-career women in STEM, foster new collaborations across research institutions, facilitate the training of graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups, and contribute to the development of analytical facilities.
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