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CIDER

2008 Summer Program: tutorial part

Overview

Strawman

Steering Committee

- 2008 Summer Program at KITP

Past Meetings
- 2003
- 2004
- 2006

2004 Draft CIDER proposal to NSF

CIDER Bibliography in progress

Links

Tutorial Agenda, Participants, Logistics,

Tutorial program: July 13th-August 8th

The purpose of the tutorial part of the 2008 CIDER Summer program is to familiarize participants with the tools of geochemistry, geodynamics, mineral physics and seismology that can be used to enravel the properties of the Earth's interior. The organization draws upon the successful preceding two workshops.

During weeks 4-5 (July 13th-July 25th), there will be two one hour lectures each morning (Mon-sat), followed each by 30 mn of discussion. In the afternoon, a hands-on tutorial will take place in one of the disciplines, followed by a discussion and occasionally an informal research presentation. Saturday afternoon and sunday are free.

The lectures will provide an overview of each field, aimed at advanced graduate students and post-docs in the other fields. During the second week of the tutorial program (Week 5), multidisciplinary groups will form that will define focused research topics relevant to the theme of the summer program, depending on the interests and expertise of the participants, in preparation for the workshop part in weeks 6-7.

Among the planned activities, an introduction to the use of the CIG facility and codes (Computational Infrastructure in Geodynamics) will be given.

Draft program

During weeks 6-7 (July 26th-August 8th), the research topics defined in week 4 will be further developed within the smaller groups. The results of the work of these groups will be presented during the last two days of the workshop. Although two weeks is not sufficient time to complete a research program, the goal is to advance the work sufficiently to plan presentations at the following Fall'08 AGU meeting, with the understanding that follow-up work will be needed after dispersion of the group. In previous years, some of the activities started during such workshops resulted in publications, others resulted in proposals to the NSF/CSEDI program. In many cases, contacts made between junior and senior participants led to longer term collaborations. To get a better idea of what is involved, please see the webpages of the previous summer programs, and in particular the ppt presentations of the results of the different working groups.

Participating lecturers:

  • Bruce Buffett (U. of Chicago, Geodynamics)
  • Adam Dziewonski (Harvard Univ. , Seismology)
  • Stan Hart (WHOI, Geochemistry)
  • Abby Kavner (UCLA, Mineral Physics)
  • Louise Kellogg (UC Davis, Geodynamics)
  • Cin-Ty Lee (Rice University, Geochemistry)
  • Ji (Jackie) Li (University of Illinois, Mineral Physics)
  • Alan Levander (Rice University
  • Robert Liebermann (COMPRES)
  • Guy Masters (UC San Diego, seismology)
  • Sujoy Mukhopadhyay (Harvard Univ., geochemistry)
  • Barbara Romanowicz (UC Berkeley, Seismology)
  • Jeroen Tromp Caltech, seismology)
  • Peter van Keken (Univ. of Michigan, Geodynamics)
  • In addition to lecturers, other researchers across the disciplines will be present at various times during the program and interact with the participating students and post-docs.

    Scientific themes:

    The 2008 summer program will focus on multidisciplinary issues concerning the core-mantle boundary region, the transition from upper to lower mantle as well as the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. We anticipate that the following broad questions - but not exclusively - might come up:

  • the origin of seismic heterogeneity and anisotropy near the core-mantle boundary, its role in mantle dynamics, and its relation to the recently discovered perovskite to post-perovskite transition
  • one or two layer mantle convection? degrees of mixing in the mantle - Hidden geochemical reservoirs in the earth - - the role of plumes - compositional stratification in the earth's transition zone
  • The nature of the asthenosphere and of the Lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary - how much water is present in the upper mantle and where?

    and more specifically:

  • how does the lithospheric layer break to develop sustained subduction? Is the role of liquid water on earth the only reason why Venus and Mars do not show signs of plate tectonics? Why do the downgoing boundary layers (aka slabs) appear to have low strength in the upper mantle, particularly when they are old and fast?
  • is there significant dynamic layering at the 670 km discontinuity? Is it possible to separate out the influence of the phase change over rheological changes (specifically the expected viscosity increase into the lower mantle) or compositional effects? What is the role of the predicted neutral buoyancy for eclogite at 670 km depth? Can a garnet-rich reservoir near 670 km explain some or all of the HIMU characteristics in OIB?
  • what is the role of compositional convection near the CMB? Are the superblobs in the lower mantle composed of recycled and dense oceanic crust or are they the remnants of primordial layering? How important is compositional heterogeneity near the base of the mantle in influencing the dynamics of plumes and hotspot regions? Is this compositional heterogeneity required to explain the differences between OIB and MORB?
  • Eligibility and logistics

    This four week tutorial program is open for graduate students that will have passed their qualifying exam, as well as post-docs. The participants are required to stay for at least three weeks and preference will be given to those that will stay the full 4 weeks. Travel and on-site expenses will be covered by the program for US participants. Foreign participants will have their on-site expenses covered, but not their travel.

    Participating students and post-docs will be housed on campus. Meals will be served on campus. An ice-breaker is planned at the beginning of the tutorial program (on July 13th). Lunch will be taken together with the instructors, and twice a week, dinners will be organized for the whole group (either a barbecue on the beach or a catered dinner at KITP), providing for more opportunities for interaction between junior and senior participants

    Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptop. Access to internet will be provided.

    This program is funded by the EAR-CSEDI program of the NSF, with facilities provided by KITP, including office space and access to computers for participating scientists.

    Read the report on the 2006 summer program, as well as the participant evaluations.

    For further enquiries concerning, please contact one of the five organizers. More specifically, for inquiries about the tutorial program, contact Prof. Barb ara Romanowicz (barbara@seismo. berkeley.edu.

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    Last update: 28 May 2008.