Research Opportunities In Extensional Dynamics for US Undergraduate and Graduate Geosciences Students In Western Turkey

This describes the first year of an award to the authors from the NSF-International Experiences for Students program. The award provides research and training opportunities for 9 US students (6 undergraduates and 3 graduate students) who are traditionally underrepresented in the geosciences. Over the next three years, US students will partner with peers from two Turkish universities (Middle East Technical University and Pamukkale University) to conduct field-based research within a multidisciplinary framework focused on investigating the dynamics of extension. The goal is to provide talented and motivated US students with hands-on field experience in geophysical surveying, field mapping, GPS mapping, sampling, and the tools necessary to make geochemical and petrologic observations. During one month of field work in western Turkey, students will work on specific projects designed to develop a better understanding of the creation and evolution of the planet's largest metamorphic core complex, the Menderes Massif. Proposed models for the creation of the massif include subduction roll-back, orogenic collapse, and extrusion tectonics; concepts often discussed in a variety of geoscience courses. Prior to the field season, students are required to make an effort to learn Turkish and develop goals for their field season. They spend 30 days in the field on projects throughout western Turkey, and after the trip, they examine data and prepare for professional presentations. They will keep in touch with their Turkish peers via the internet to communicate with them about the progress of their research. Students are encouraged to take primary responsibility for a project and place substantial input into its direction. Some key aspects of this award include the participation of underrepresented students, partnerships between Turkish and US students, understanding the benefits of collaborative research at an early stage, and well-defined projects with visible relationships between field experiences and concepts taught in geosciences courses.