Tectonics of Plate Boundaries
Brief description: This research area investigates processes taking place at divergent, convergent, and strike-slip plate margins. Convergent margins are studied at various scales and evolutionary stages, particularly the initial stage of lithospheric subduction and the later stage of continental collision. While the first is examined through detailed analysis of the deformation process in the frontal part of subduction zones, the collisional stage is primarily explored by assessing the structural style and development of fold-and-thrust belts. Rifted margins are studied from their inception to their mature stages, with an emphasis on the role played by pre-existing faults on rift architecture and evolution. Additionally, this research area explores the composition of mid-ocean ridges, examining how magmatic and hydrothermal processes influence crust formation and elemental cycling. By integrating structural geology, geochemistry, and geophysical data, this work aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the forces driving lithospheric deformation and the geochemical fluxes shaping Earths surface.
Researchers: Daniele Brunelli, Anna Cipriani, Giovanni Camanni, Francesca Remitti