Advanced Structural Geology, Tectonics and Metamorphism

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
• Convenors: Professor Gerald Roberts, Steve Hirons
• Assessment: a three-hour examination (100%)

In this module we provide you with advanced material on the links between:

• structural evolution
• plate tectonics
• the metamorphic evolution of the crust.

You will learn how one can constrain the internal deformation and pressure/temperature/time histories of the crust, and how this information can reveal key tectonic processes for the Earth. You will consider case studies of key deforming zones, showing how structural and metamorphic evolution are related, and how the concept of simple plate vectors associated with rigid plates breaks down in the continents to reveal more complex motions that evolve through time to reveal information about the strength of the lithosphere, how it evolves, and the key driving forces associated with the edge of moving plates.

Indicative syllabus

• Overview of convergent orogens
• Overview of the Alps
• Alpine evolution
• Overview of processes in convergent orogens and how this informs our understanding of plate tectonics
• Overview of extensional provinces
• Overview of the Basin and Range and other core complex regions
• Core complex evolution
• Overview of processes in extensional provinces and how this informs our understanding of plate tectonics

By the end of this module, you will have an understanding of the complexity of structural evolution, plate tectonics and the metamorphic evolution of the crust. This will allow you to develop insights into other deforming regions and regions that have deformed in the past. These skills will allow you to consider open research questions relevant to industry and research.