Séminaire ISTeP - Kosuke Ueda

(ETHZ)

Investigating the interaction between tectonics and surface processes with coupled geomorphological-thermomechanical models: background, challenges, applications

Tectonic deformation equates to displacement of material. Erosion, surface transport, and deposition, also manifest a mode of material displacement. Tectonic and surface process modes interact, most ostensively in settings where crustal heterogeneities show both as stress/potential differences and topographic relief, e.g. in rifts, orogens, and fold-and-thrust belts. Despite its relevance, studies of this complex interaction are hampered by computational limitations and methodological challenges.
This talk introduces the basic background and challenges, and shortly reviews progress achieved by the community. A new three-dimensional method is presented that achieves state-of-the-art, independent resolution in both the coupled thermomechanical code and the surface process model, and copes with large deformation. It is used to systematically study interaction and surface impact in thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts. Selected applications to large-scale geodynamic problems are also demonstrated.

06/03/2015 à 12h30, Salle Fourcade (Tour 55/56, 4ème étage)