PhD Research
These are some projects I worked on as a geophysics graduate student. I primarily used large seismic datasets to study how oceanic lithosphere formed and evolved under dynamic geologic settings.
Effects of igneous sill intrusion on sediment properties in Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California
We used multi-channel seismic data to identify igneous sill intrusions in Guaymas Basin and estimate changes in sediment properties where sills have intruded and altered sediments. We found an increase in bulk velocity of up to 15% for disrupted sediments above interpreted sills relative to unaltered sediments from the same stratal units, indicative of thermogenic alteration. Additionally, we analyzed seismic waveform spectral properties of interpreted sill reflections in order to quantify the thickness and velocity of inferred igneous sill intrusions. [abstract]
Widespread Cretaceous magmatism in the Jurassic Quiet Zone, western Pacific Ocean
We modeled the structure of Jurassic-age oceanic crust modified by Cretaceous magmatism to study how crustal evolution occurs as a result of the transport and emplacement of a large distribution of melt through the lithosphere and into the crust. Our observations of seafloor flows, seamounts, and widespread crustal thickening suggest that secondary igneous crustal modifications occurred via multiple distinct and poorly understood mechanisms of melt transport. [abstract]
Lithospheric-scale igneous additions on the subducting plate at the Mariana Trench
As part of an experiment to investigate mantle hydration processes in the Marianas subduction system, we used seismic tomography to model the crust and upper mantle of old (~155 Ma) subducting lithosphere. Data from ten ocean bottom seismometers were used to determine the seismic velocity structure of the downgoing plate. Our observations of a strong seismic reflector originating in the shallow upper mantle suggest that detailed upper mantle structures occur as a result of phase transitions under varying pressure and temperature conditions.
Paleomagnetic study of enstatite chondrites
We studied the magnetic properties and paleomagnetism of multiple enstatite chondrite samples to examine the feasibility of dynamo generation on the enstatite chondrite parent body. [abstract]
