Deep Earth

Dr. Yildirim Dilek
Department of Earth Sciences
Miami University, USA
40 years of successful, field-based,
inter-disciplinary exploration of the
Earth processes and training of the
future generations of geoscientists!
Where does the IGCP fit
into the big picture of the
global, technology-driven,
societal science that
explores the feedbacks in
both natural and social
systems in the Earth?
IGCP is a major corner-stone
in the larger foundation of
the UNESCO to serve the
nations of the world.
Earth
Earth
Venus
The study of the Planet
Earth requires an interdisciplinary approach to
understand the interplay
among its Lithosphere,
Hydrosphere,
Atmosphere and
Biosphere.
IGCP-430: Mantle Dynamics & Natural Hazards
Mantle
The Earth is a giant heat engine, and
70% of its heat transfer by plate tectonics (convection through the mantle)
25% by conduction through continents
5% by mantle plumes
The upper ~100 km
of the Earth in the
oceans is created by
plate tectonic events,
driven by deep
mantle dynamics and
processes, and gets
recycled entirely in
every ~150 to 200
million years.
IGCP-256: Ophiolite genesis and
evolution of oceanic lithosphere;
IGCP-283: Evolution of the PaleoAsian Ocean;
IGCP-433: Caribbean plate tectonics;
IGCP-440: Rodinia assembly &
breakup
IGCP-480: Tectonics of Central Asia
Plate tectonics alters:
Ocean currents and therefore heat transport;
Global atmospheric circulation.
And, generates more volcanic activity!
more volcanic eruptions >> emit more CO2
into atmosphere;
this would cause global temperatures to rise.
Hence, plate tectonics causes significant
global changes.
IGCP-428: Climate and boreholes;
IGCP-430: Mantle dynamics and
natural hazards;
IGCP-455: Basement volcanoes
interplay and human activities.
IGCP-476: Monsoon evolution and
tectonic-climate linkage in Asia.
~330 Ma
AppalachianCaledonian
Mountain Belt
Colliding plates and continents create large
mountain belts, which are rich in ore deposits
and natural resources:
IGCP-23: The Caledonide Orogen;
IGCP-540: Gold-bearing hydrothermal fluids of
orogenic deposits.
Pangea
Continental collision leads to mountain buildup with deep roots (like
icebergs). The landscapes of high mountains are ever-changing &
controlled by the balance between uplift, precipitation (climate) and
erosion.
IGCP-559: Crustal architecture and landscape evolution.
Mountain root
Absolute motions of plates and continental blocks with respect to fixed Asia in
present time: active deformation, seismicity & the history of human civilizations
IGCP-567: Earthquake archeology–archeoseismology along the Alpine-Himalayan seismic zone.
Distribution of earthquake occurrences, seismic hazard & landslides in the
Mediterranean region and Eurasia
IGCP-382: Seismotectonics and seismic hazard assessment of the Mediterranean basin;
IGCP-414: Seismic ground motion in large urban areas;
IGCP-425: Landslide hazard assessment and cultural heritage.
Mount Pinatubo plume from NW on June 12, 1991
VOLCANISM & GLOBAL CHANGE
Eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 ejected roughly 10 billion
metric tons of magma, and 20 million tons of SO2.
Over the following months, the aerosols formed a global layer of
sulfuric acid haze. Global temperatures dropped by about 0.5 °C
(0.9 °F), and the ozone depletion temporarily increased
substantially.
IGCP-383: Paleostress, neotectonics, geodynamics & natural
hazards in West Pacific/Asia.
The Aerosol Plume
produced by Mt.
Pinatubo
Mt. Pinatubo injected 20
million tons of sulfur
dioxide into the
stratosphere;
The sulfur dioxide was
observed around the
globe in the equatorial
regions
Global air
temperature before
and after Mt.
Pinatubo eruption
average hemispheric
temperatures dropped by
0.2-0.5°C for a period of
1-3 years.
2010 Eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland
They caused enormous disruption to air travel
across Europe during six days in April 2010.
The eruption may have affected atmospheric carbon
dioxide levels by fertilizing oceans with iron > increased
CO2 absorption following the eruption.
The total loss for the airline industry was around US$1.7
billion.
Just over 200 years ago an Icelandic volcano (Laki)
erupted with catastrophic consequences across the
northern hemisphere > triggered the French revolution.
IGCP PROJECT 497: RHEIC OCEAN (2004-08)
The Rheic Ocean opened between Gondwana and a number
of continental blocks that rifted from the Amazonian-West
African margin of Gondwana about 470 Ma.
Frankfurt 2008
Closure of the Rheic Ocean produced the vast OuachitaAlleghanian mountain belt in North America and the Variscan
orogenic belt in Central & Eastern Europe. It was one of the
principal events in the assembly of the supercontinent
Pangaea, and caused significant global changes and mass
extinctions.
400 Ma
Evolution of the northern margin of the Rheic Ocean;
Field excursion, 5 July 2005,
Portsmouth (UK)
Remnants of the Rheic Ocean, Portsmouth, U.K.
IGCP Project 559 - Crustal Architecture and Images –
Structural controls on landscapes, resources and hazards
IGCP Project 559 - Crustal Architecture and Images –
Structural controls on landscapes, resources and hazards
Caribbean Region with locations of IGCP 546 activities
Where does the IGCP go from here in the next 10 years?
Increasingly more interdisciplinary studies of the Earth not only within the broad field of
geosciences, but also with physics, chemistry, biology, astrobiology & archeology:
IGCP should collaborate closely with other entities in the UNESCO.
Field-based studies in geosciences constitute the most fundamental boundary conditions
and the reality-check in our research: IGCP should continue to support and encourage
field-oriented, observational work by interdisciplinary teams.
More funds are needed to support the increasing number of excellent, multi-disciplinary
projects by truly global research teams, particularly those made of young scientists:
IGCP, UNESCO and the National Committees can be more creative and pro-active in
seeking & securing external funds.
The IGCP Science Board and staff can afford to play an active role by engaging the
international scientific community in submitting proposals based on some current trends
in frontier science and hot-topics, w/o overcompensating the “bottom-up” nature of its
historically successful program.
Thank you
for your
attention!
Hierapolis ancient city &
fault-controlled geothermal
waters, Western Turkey