CLR person interests, research and publications
Researcher

Research interests
- Quantifying microstructural to tectonic-scale deformation (including PolyLX software development)
- Microstructural control of rocks rheology
- Numerical modelling of deformational processes
- Structural analysis of polyphase deformational patterns
Research projects
Melting of the crust leads to granitic magmas that vary widely in composition and in ability to generate metal deposits or cause explosive volcanism. A number of superposing, competing processes control this variability. Much has been learnt from investigating processes late in the magma history, but not much is known about magma generation at depth and what happens to it during transport to the upper crust. Indirect knowledge or inferences based on little data, leads to speculation and controversies.
The aim of this project is to carry out large-scale investigations of mechanisms and processes related to crustal thickening and formation of thick crustal root of large hot orogens exemplified by the Bohemian Massif. Our recent studies in Bohemian Massif showed that the formation of thickened continental crust was related to massive relamination of lower plate felsic crust followed by crustal thickening.
Selected segments of Euroasian orogenic system are used to constrain relative contribution of contrasting processes of continental construction in collisional and accretionary orogenic systems. Principal objectives of the proposal are: (i) identification of the individual terranes, kinematic analysis of their movements and characterization of deformation style connected with their amalgamation; (ii) estimation of net crustal growth vs. recycling of preexistent crustal material.
On the modern Earth, continental crust is created mainly at subduction zones. Here, release of aqueous fluid from dehydrating oceanic crust causes melting in the mantle wedge and generates the calc-alkaline magmas that evolve into granitoid continental crust. This project aims to understand crustal growth and possible crustal construction mechanisms, using the Mongolian and Chinese tract of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) as an example. The main questions raised here are: What were the cause, rate and timing of continental growth in the CAOB?