This Project Grant award for $123,726.00, funded by the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050), supports a collaborative research project to investigate mantle source reservoirs and Cretaceous plate motions in the central Pacific region. The project will trace the ages, compositions, and morphologies of volcanic chains such as the Liliuokalani Ridge, Hess Rise, and Mid-Pacific Mountains to better understand the timing and drivers of global plate reorganization events during the mid-Cretaceous period (120-80 million years ago). The research team, which includes three early-career scientists and several undergraduate participants, will conduct a 31-day seagoing expedition to dredge and analyze seamounts, ridges, and rises in the target locations. This data will be used to test hypotheses regarding the formation of these features by mantle plumes and their relationship to plate tectonics. The results are expected to provide an improved understanding of mantle plume dynamics and their influence on oceanic geomorphology and large igneous province construction, as well as an enhanced Pacific absolute plate motion model for the Cretaceous Normal Superchron.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $123.7k | 6/13/25 |