Geophysics
The
geophysics program at the University of Illinois includes mineral physics,
seismology, geodynamics, and fluid dynamics. Prof.Wang-Ping Chen works on
the nature of seismogenesis along the entire depth of subduction/collision
zones, as well as on mantle structure, active mountain building, and the rheology
of the lithosphere. His research approach involves quantitative analyses of
data recorded by various global and regional seismograph networks with tectonic
interpretations integrating other geophysical, geodetic, and geologic data.
Prof.
Xiaodong Song studies the
structure and dynamics of the planet‘s interior by studying travel times of
seismic waves. Song and his co-workers have monitored the motion of the Earth‘s
inner core, resulting in publications that have demonstrated that the Earth‘s
inner core rotates faster than its mantle.
Jay Bass uses a variety of sophisticated techniques (including diamond anvils,
Brillouin Spectroscopy, and the Advanced Photon Source) to characterize mineral
phases that exist in the mantle, and to interpret the mantle‘s chemical composition.
Prof. Sue Keiffer focuses on studying the behavior of geological fluids in extreme
environments (ranging from water in rapids, to vapors in geysers, to debris
from meteorite impacts, to ash flows from volcanic eruptions) involving strongly
nonlinear effects.
Prof. Jonathan Tomkin models glacial erosion and tectonic
uplift in active orogens,
as well as sediment erosion and transport phenomena.
