Plate tectonic approximation: Diffuse oceanic plate boundaries and non-rigidity of plates

Prof. Richard Gordon

Rice University

2020.1.8（星期三）10:00，理科二号楼2821

Bio:

Gordon, the W.M. Keck Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, was selected as fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) “for distinguished contributions to the fields of tectonic geophysics and geodesy through forefront research on diffuse oceanic plate boundaries and true polar wander.”

Gordon joined Rice in 1995 and studies the movement and deformation of tectonic plates, the patterns those movements leave in the paleogeographic record and the geophysical consequences of tectonic motions and deformation, including earthquakes, the building of mountain ranges and the evolution of ocean basins. He has discovered and investigated a number of diffuse boundaries that separate distinct tectonic plates in the oceans, and his investigations of “true” polar wander, instances when Earth shifted relative to its spin axis, have helped explain puzzling features of the paleomagnetic record. Gordon’s many honors include the American Geophysical Union’s Macelwane Medal in 1989 and the Geological Society of America’s Day Medal in 2002.