Welcome to the
web site of Kip Hodges' research group in the School of Earth and
Space Exploration at Arizona State University. Here you can learn
about the people in our group, our laboratories, our various
projects, and how to apply to join us. Principal themes of our
research include continental tectonics, noble gas geochronology and
thermochronology, and planetary field
geology.
Continental Tectonics
Continental tectonics is the field of earth sciences that deals with the evolution of the continental crust. An important aspect of this evolution – and the one we focus on extensively here at Arizona State University – is the development of mountain systems like the North Atlantic Caledonides, the Cordillera of western North America, and the Himalayan-Tibetan Orogen of South Asia.
Orogenic systems have complex behaviors that are shaped by the interplay of physical, chemical, and biological processes at scales ranging from a few microns to thousands of kilometers. As a consequence, the most effective way to study orogenesis is through a combination of field, laboratory, and theoretical research.
Our tectonics projects integrate a variety of research methods: geologic mapping; structural analysis; tectonic geomorphology; geochronology; thermochronology; thermomechanical modeling; and metamorphic petrology.
Noble Gas Geochronology and Thermochronology
Our interests in the use of radiogenic noble gasses to explore the thermal evolution of orogenic systems are wide-ranging. We exploit the 40Ar/39Ar and (U-Th)/He techniques to constrain the ages of major deformational structures, and to understand the evolution of orogenic landscapes. In addition, we use high-precision 40Ar/39Ar geochronology to understand the timescales of volcanic processes. We have a history of contributing to the development of the methods we use, often coordinating method-development and method-application projects. Innovative applications of laser microprobe technologies are among our specialties. Using emerging facilities at Arizona State University, we are expanding our noble gas research to the geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids, to diffusion kinetics in minerals, and to the geochronology of extraterrestrial samples and terrestrial impact craters.
Continental Tectonics
Continental tectonics is the field of earth sciences that deals with the evolution of the continental crust. An important aspect of this evolution – and the one we focus on extensively here at Arizona State University – is the development of mountain systems like the North Atlantic Caledonides, the Cordillera of western North America, and the Himalayan-Tibetan Orogen of South Asia.
Orogenic systems have complex behaviors that are shaped by the interplay of physical, chemical, and biological processes at scales ranging from a few microns to thousands of kilometers. As a consequence, the most effective way to study orogenesis is through a combination of field, laboratory, and theoretical research.
Our tectonics projects integrate a variety of research methods: geologic mapping; structural analysis; tectonic geomorphology; geochronology; thermochronology; thermomechanical modeling; and metamorphic petrology.
Noble Gas Geochronology and Thermochronology
Our interests in the use of radiogenic noble gasses to explore the thermal evolution of orogenic systems are wide-ranging. We exploit the 40Ar/39Ar and (U-Th)/He techniques to constrain the ages of major deformational structures, and to understand the evolution of orogenic landscapes. In addition, we use high-precision 40Ar/39Ar geochronology to understand the timescales of volcanic processes. We have a history of contributing to the development of the methods we use, often coordinating method-development and method-application projects. Innovative applications of laser microprobe technologies are among our specialties. Using emerging facilities at Arizona State University, we are expanding our noble gas research to the geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids, to diffusion kinetics in minerals, and to the geochronology of extraterrestrial samples and terrestrial impact craters.
Planetary
Field Science
As humankind contemplates a return to the Moon as a precursor for further exploration of the Universe, we will contribute to the design of new protocols for technology-enabled scientific exploration of other planets. We have been active in building a new academic infrastructure for training astronaut-explorers for lunar field geology. We have embarked on collaborative studies of how these explorers might best work with robotic field assistants, how they might be given greater autonomy and heightened situational awareness through wearable computing, and how new field analytical tools can allow them to do science more effectively and more efficiently.
Use the menu bar above to learn more.....
As humankind contemplates a return to the Moon as a precursor for further exploration of the Universe, we will contribute to the design of new protocols for technology-enabled scientific exploration of other planets. We have been active in building a new academic infrastructure for training astronaut-explorers for lunar field geology. We have embarked on collaborative studies of how these explorers might best work with robotic field assistants, how they might be given greater autonomy and heightened situational awareness through wearable computing, and how new field analytical tools can allow them to do science more effectively and more efficiently.
Use the menu bar above to learn more.....