Collaborative research: structural and thermal architecture of the north american cordillera in SE california

The National Science Foundation Office of Integrative Activities awarded $371,082 to University Enterprises Corporation at California State University, San Bernardino on August 1, 2026, under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to investigate the structural and thermal architecture of the North American Cordillera in southeastern California.

The project integrates field observations, laboratory analyses, and structural and thermal modeling to reconstruct the tectonic and thermal history of mountains near the California-Arizona border, where multiple tectonic events reshaped the landscape following a shift in Pacific Plate direction. The research will test the continuity of deformation events from the United States into Mexico and examine how the crust responded to changes in subduction angle before formation of the San Andreas Fault system. Understanding these events clarifies how Earth's crust responds to plate boundary changes and helps identify areas with mineral resource potential.

The award runs through July 31, 2029, with place of performance in Verdemont, California. The project will support multiple undergraduate and master's students, conduct outreach at regional community colleges, and engage students through field trips. No sub-awards are planned.

Abstract

The mountains of southern california provide a natural laboratory for studying how earth's crust responds when plate boundaries change. A shift in the direction of the pacific plate led to a series of tectonic events that reshaped the mountains. Understanding when, where, and how these events occurred helps explain how the earth changes and is an important step toward identifying areas with mineral resource potential. This project assesses changes in the region through a combined field, laboratory, and modeling approach. The project will support multiple undergraduate and master's students, conduct outreach at regional community colleges, and engage the student community through field trips. The mountains near the california?arizona border preserve evidence of multiple tectonic events related to major changes in plate boundary dynamics. However, the timing, extent, and relative importance of these events remain debated. By integrating field observations, laboratory analyses, and structural and thermal modeling, this study aims to reconstruct the region's tectonic and thermal history. This will test the continuity of deformation events from the united states into mexico, and how the crust responded to changes in the subduction angle before the formation of the SAN andreas fault system. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.