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THE ANDES-NAZCA DYNAMIC TOPOGRAPHY EXPERIMENT (ANDYN)
Start date: Apr 1, 2013, End date: Mar 31, 2014 PROJECT  FINISHED 

"In the world, there is a relative paucity of studies that correlate surface data with deep Earth processes. The main objective of this experiment is to introduce a series of observations from geology (basins, thrust belts and plateaus) to constrain mantle flow models and better understand the topographic signal generated by the mantle. We propose to test an active and natural laboratory: The Andes. The study will embrace the Andean history from Miocene to Present, the main orogenic phase of South America, and from the Amazonian foreland to Patagonia. In these regions, mismatches between orogen dynamics and basin geometries suggests mantle generated topography is an important factor. Understanding the sources of dynamic topography, its amplitude and wavelength and how they vary as the tectonic environment changes (subduction angle and rheology) will help to understand continental wavelength geoid anomalies and surface deflections, as well as large-scale basin subsidence and surface uplift, not only in the Andes but also in orogens with similar origin. I will conduct a series of regional 3-D mantle flow finite element simulations to predict surface deformation and compare to observational geophysics, lithospheric modeling (eg. residual topography) and geological data. Geology will focus on basin analyses (stratigraphy, structural reconstructions, thermo-/geo-chronology, backstripping and flexural models), supported by a compilation and reprocessing of geophysical observations (industry seismic sections, InSAR, GPS, tomography, and gravity). This study will produce databases of international interest for applied and scientific fields."
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