New Zealand Evolutionary Dynamics

How does subducting lithosphere respond to a progressively more translational kinematic regime, and how do lithospheric structures and the 3-D plate interactions evolve to accommodate this change?

Oblique subduction to translation tectonic regimes exist on a variety of scales presently ranging from the laterally extensive Sumatra-Andaman-Myanmar and Alaska-Aleutian subduction zones to the nascent subduction of Hjort Trench along the Macquarie Ridge. One example, the Puysegur-Fiordland-Alpine Fault system of South Island, New Zealand is ideal for examining this fundamental question. It is large enough (in spatial extent) and temporally mature enough to allow us to observe the geometries and tectonic consequences of such plate kinematics, but at the same time, it is small enough and young enough that we can capture the entire system and its evolution in a logistically reasonable and accessible setting. This project is under review in the NSF Continental Dynamics Program. It is a collaborative project with 4 US univerisities and universities and government agencies in New Zealand.