Download Strategic Plan NSL

Great BREAK
Great Basin and Range Evolution and
Kinematics
June 21-23, 2004
Granlibakken Resort and Conference Center,
Tahoe City, CA
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Theme
• The Great Basin is a type location for the
breaking apart of a continent.
• Earthscope will be setting a precedent for
understanding such processes on a global
scale.
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Goals of GreatBREAK
• Prepare for EarthScope in the Great Basin
• Identify key questions in Basin and Range
origin, development and deformation
• Explore interdisciplinary solutions geologic, geodynamic, seismic, gravity,
magnetotelluric, geochemical
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~85 smiling participants
Topical Breakout Sessions
• Breakout Theme A: Extensional tectonics
on the largest scale
– Why does the Sierra Nevada block move?
– What is the cause of Great Basin high uplift?
present high elevation?
– What aspects of lithospheric rheology control
Great Basin strength and deformation?
• Is it sufficient to consider the strength of the crust,
or must problems consider integrated lithospheric
strength?
– What made the rheology as it is?
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Thatcher, W., G.R. Foulger, J.B. R.,
J. Svarc, E. Quilty, and G.W.
Bawden, Present-Day deformation
across the Basin and Range
province, western United States,
SCIENCE, 283, 1714-1718, 1999.
Bennett, R.A., B.P. Wernicke, N.A.
Niemi, A.M. Friederich, and J.L.
Davis, Contemporary strain rates in
the northern Basin and Range
province from GPS data, Tectonics,
22 (0278-7407/03/2001TC001355),
3-1 - 3-31, 2003.
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Breakouts (continued)
• Breakout B: Rheology of the Mantle and its
Relation to Current Tectonics; Why Are Some
Parts of the Basin and Range More Active than
Others
– What does Great Basin deformation say about
lithospheric rheology?
– The role of fluids: Can magnetotellurics reduce nonuniqueness of mantle seismic models?
• Breakout C: What is the mantle and lower crust
in the Great Basin doing now?
– What are the relevant mantle processes?
– How are the crust and mantle coupled?
• Sierra Nevada drip, delamination
• Mantle flow associated with the trailing edge of a subducting
slab.
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Decoupling of crust and upper mantle?
Which is stronger?
What is the driving force?
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Wesnousky presentation
Breakouts (continued)
• Breakout D: Contrasts between the Eastern
and Western Great Basin
– What are the geophysical similarities and
differences between east and west?
– Proterozoic basement underlies the E. B&R,
Paleozoic/Mesozoic accreted terrain beneath
the west. Where is the boundary? How do
older terrain boundaries contribute?
– What drives seismicity east of the Wasatch
Front?
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Magnetotelluric methods complement deep seismic tomography.
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Phil Wannamaker
Breakouts (Continued)
• Breakout E: How do faults behave over time? Do
they turn on and off, speed up – slow down? If so,
why?
– Discrepancies between geodetic, geologic, and seismic
rates of strain accumulation
– Geological study will be needed
– Dating and mapping facilities are needed (e.g., the
GeoPBO white paper)
• Breakout G: Walker Lane.
– When did it start?
– How does the crust accommodate simultaneous
extension and strike-slip deformation in the Walker
Lane?
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Walker Lane as a developing plate boundary
Jim Faulds
20%
Steve Wesnousky
Breakouts (Continued)
• Breakout F: Relations of Economic
Resources to Tectonics (Structure,
Magmatism, Fluid and Heat Flow)
– Large-scale controls on Eocene mineralization Carlin Au (NNW) and porphyry Cu-Au-Mo
(EW)
– Industry collaborations could be mutually
beneficial.
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Shallow
expression
of deepseated
processes:
relate to
resources
Greg Arehart
Breakouts (Continued)
• Breakout H: Seismic and Geophysical
Methods, Crust and Mantle
– Three projects in sub-disciplinary selforganization.
• Promote the use of legacy data and models.
• Develop a test site or proving ground
• Immediate need for a community modeling
environment (CME).
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Desired Legacy
• Discovery
• Community Earth model
– Collaboration with SCEC
• Invigorated Earth science community (SCEC
model)
• Scientific understanding of the evolution of the
plate boundary and resources (in the broadest
sense) in the Great Basin.
• GreatBREAK web site (report, science
presentations:
– www.seismo.unr.edu/greatbreak
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• Look forward to surprises…
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27-32 km
0
30 km
Example of discovery,
first shown at
GREATBREAK
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Smith et al, 2004
Ingredients for Successful Science Integration
(Tom Jordan presentation, lessons drawn from SCEC
successes)
• Problem focus
– Regional tectonics & hazards
• Common objectives
– Community data products & models
• Community identity & organization
– History of collaboration, interactive working groups
• Collaboratory infrastructure
– Code validation, standardization of products
• Regular forums for assessing progress
– Workshops, annual meeting
• Funding
– To support collaboration/collaboratory activities
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The voyage to understanding… it’s a slow trip
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Teacher Workshops
Las Vegas/Reno
Nevada K-12 Seismology Program
Sensor Vault
Installation 6/04
Sumatra earthquake Bishop Manogue High School Station.
North Rockies
KarlEarthScope
Karlstrom
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