Dr. Jean Crespi's Research Webpage
Ongoing research in the Structure/Tectonics Lab:
The overall goal of my research is to integrate studies of active and ancient orogenic belts to improve understanding of the deformation of continental lithosphere. To this end, I have been working in the active Taiwan and the early Paleozoic Taconic collision zones. Currently, I am focusing efforts on understanding the effects of the reactivation of continental margin fractures zones on strain partitioning within collisional orogenic belts. Information on deformation in the lower upper crust in analogous fracture zones is obtained using seismicity in Taiwan and using field mapping and traditional strain analysis in the Taconics. I have also had a long-standing interest in volume change in slates and continue to refine ways of using multiple strain techniques to understand inconsistencies in results.
Below are brief descriptions of current and recent student research projects:
Current graduate research projects:
Geethika Wijewardena (doctoral student) – Geethika is analyzing centroid moment tensor solutions for earthquakes in the Taiwan region as a means of understanding the role of tectonic inheritance in the development of the active Taiwan accretionary wedge.
Photo: Geethika at the UConn
Storrs Campus
Recently completed graduate research projects:
Erica Curran (MS 2006) – Erica mapped fold and cleavage geometries along the southeastern coast of Taiwan where the folds lie at a very high angle to the overall trend of the orogenic belt and the cleavage displays a non-axial planar relation to the folds. She was able to determine the detailed deformation path of rocks within a transpression zone.
Ray Underwood (MS 2006) – Ray conducted field- and lab-based research in the Taconic allochthon in eastern New York State . His research has led to the recognition of fundamental along-strike variations in the structural geometry of the Taconic allochthon and has shown how the early Paleozoic Taconic collision is affected by Neoproterozoic structures related to the break-up of the Rodinian supercontinent.
Photo: Ray working in the structure
lab
Recently completed undergraduate research projects:
David Parmelee (BS 2006) – Dave undertook a detailed study of an outcrop in the Taconic allochthon in eastern New York State . He measured fold attributes to determine how the moderately plunging folds formed in a subhorizontal shear zone, and he analyzed strain fringes to determine the influence of cut effects on measurements of absolute changes in length.
Photo: Moderately plunging, outcrop-scale folds in the Taconic allochthon.
Carolyn Zwang (BA 2006) – Carrie analyzed fracture patterns in graptolites that are characterized by chocolate-tablet boudinage in order to determine the relation of the fractures to tectonic stresses and to graptolite morphology. She also retro-deformed the graptolites using standard computer graphics software.
Photo: Chocolate tablet boudinage of the periderm of a graptolite in the Taconic allochthon.