The Rio Grande rift is an extensional tectonic feature located in Colorado and New Mexico. Extensive research has established that the rift has been affected by two phases of deformation, each characterized by development of topography and accompanied by volcanism. Tectonic models have been developed using heat-flow, gravity, seismic and topographic information as constraints. However, models for the earlier phase of deformation are loosely constrained because the topographic parameters associated with the event are not well known. This ROW project will employ fission-track analysis in order to provide better constraints on topographic relief and the near-surface cooling history of the Rio Grande Rift.
