Understanding Precambrian to Present Assembly of Greenland

This project is aimed at studying the crust and mantle structure under Greenland, which reflects the Precambrian to modern tectonic assembly of the island. Seismological data provide important constraints that are otherwise unavailable due to the thick ice sheet that covers most of Greenland. Knowledge of such structure allows us to test hypotheses about the tectonic history of Greenland, the causes of current ice flow, and lateral variations in elastic and viscous strength that control patterns of glacial isostatic adjustment. It also provides important information about the lower boundary condition for the ice sheet, including heat flux, and allows accurate prediction of seismic wave propagation, needed for analysis of earthquake source processes.