This Americas Program award will fund a dissertation enhancement grant for Ms. Rachel Hannah, under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Vogel, Michigan State University, for a study of the origin of silicic magmas, an unusual occurrence in an island arc where there is no continental crust. The research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Guillermo Alvarado, School of Geology, University of Costa Rica.
With the long-range goal of determining the origin of the high-silica-magmas that occur in Costa Rica, the researcher will conduct a specific, detailed study of the highly zoned ash-flow deposits of the Central volcanic range and a preliminary comparison with the volume ash-flow sheets in the Guanacaste volcanic range in northwestern Costa Rica. She will work on the chemical variation of the Valle Central ash-flow sheet, combining the chemical stratigraphy and the physical stratigraphy into one model for emplacement and interpreting the results. The data obtained will lead to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of continental crust, and may be able to address the fundamental question of why are silicic magmas produced in some island arc systems and not in others.
The University of Costa Rica (UCR) and Michigan State University (MSU) complement each other in their research capabilities. CRU can provide valuable knowledge of the local geology and an understanding of the physical volcanology in the area, and the MSU researchers bring the expertise in chemical petrology and the analytical equipment necessary for in-depth geochemical research. ***
