This $339,129 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) supports fundamental research to better understand the processes responsible for the birth and death of the ancient Iapetus Ocean. The project, led by The Johns Hopkins University, will explore the potential link between the style of continental rifting that opened the Iapetus Ocean and the subsequent initiation of subduction that closed it. Researchers will conduct geological, geochemical, and geochronological studies of ophiolite and rift volcanic fragments from locations in Scotland and Norway to test two key hypotheses. The work aims to provide new insights into the differential fate of the Iapetus versus the modern Atlantic Ocean. The project also includes public outreach and summer research internships for local high school students in the Baltimore area. The award period runs from March 2025 through February 2028.
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