The project is to support an IRES for US-Turkey Collaboration on the extensional dynamics for U.S. undergraduate and graduate geosciences students in Western Turkey. The US PIs are Dr. Elizabeth Catlos, Dr. Estella Atekwana and Dr. Ibrahim Cemen, Department of Geology, Oklahoma State University (OSU), Stillwater, Oklahoma. The foreign collaborators are Dr. Cemal Goncuoglu, Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara and Dr. Mete Hancer, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey. Since 2005, the PI has been conducting NSF-supported research in western Turkey in collaboration with co-PI Cemen and with Dr. Cemal Goncuoglu at Middle East Technical University and Dr. Mete Hancer, Pamukkale University. The collaborative efforts have centered on field and geochemical studies of the Menderes Massif in western Turkey. Two Master's level graduate students from OSU have participated in the project and have conducted intensive field work and training in Turkey. In this project the PIs will take advantage of ongoing research activities and the expertise of a new OSU faculty member (Atekwana) to provide research and training opportunities for 9 US students (6 undergraduates and 3 graduate students). The proposal will focus on the teaching and training of students that are traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Over three years, these students will partner with peers at METU and Pamukkale University to conduct field-based research within a multidisciplinary framework focused on investigating the dynamics of extension within the Earth's lithosphere. The goal is to provide talented and motivated US students with hands-on field experience in geophysical surveying, field mapping, GPS mapping, sampling, as well as the tools necessary to make geochemical and petrologic observations. Intellectual merits: The scientific focus of this proposal is to develop a better understanding of the creation and evolution of the planet's largest metamorphic core complex, the Menderes Massif. The mechanism(s) that created extension in this region, and, consequently, how the Menderes Massif relates to other extensional domains in the Aegean Region is unclear. The tectonic history of this large and fundamental component of the Aegean is important, as it lends considerable insight into the large-scale processes that control and facilitate extension of the Earth's lithosphere. Proposed models for the creation of the massif include subduction roll-back, orogenic collapse, and extrusiontectonics. These concepts are often discussed in a variety of Geoscience courses. The topic of lithospheric extension is also a subject of current investigation and active discussion by numerous researchers in the field and laboratory as evidenced by recent NSF and Geological Society of America workshops. Broader Impacts: This project integrates field and geochemical research activities into the education of OSU undergraduate and graduate students. The proposal is geared towards students who are underrepresented in the Physical Sciences. The PI will partner with researchers and educators in OSU's relevant "diversity" offices to recruit and fund students. The project will provide access and support for the OSU Electron Microprobe and the UCLA Ion Microprobe Laboratory. The OSU and UCLA labs are sites of research and mentoring for a large number of students. Students will be encouraged to present the results of their research at professional meetings, including those geared towards advancing minority participation. With the Middle East likely to become one of the most crucial regional arenas for U.S. foreign policy in the coming years, and with Turkey singled out as a key country where the training pipeline should be expanded at every level, this project provides benefits by developing international partnerships and improving the Turkish language skills of US students. Funding is provided by the Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Earth Sciences.
