Whitney Behr
Assistant Professor, Department of Geological SciencesMy research focuses on the mechanics and kinematics of continental deformation at plate boundaries and spans a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. I examine the geomorphic expression of young, active faults, and I study older remnants of deep-seated ductile shear zones exhumed from greater depth within the lithosphere. I apply a wide range of field, structural/microstructural, geochronologic and analytical methods. For more detail, feel free to check out my group's web page on the 'links' page.
Areas of Expertise
Mechanics and kinematics of deformation in continental lithosphere, rheology of the crust and upper mantle, mechanisms of strain localization, experimental rock mechanics, tectonic geomorphology and long term slip rates on large-scale strike-slip faults.
Research Locations
Current Research Programs & Projects
Long term slip-rate of the Banning strand of the southern San Andreas Fault at Devers Hill
Mechanisms and longevity of strain localization during dynamic recrystallization of olivine aggregates
Present-day rheology of the lithospheric mantle beneath the western Mojave from naturally deformed peridotite xenoliths
Structural evolution and geochronology of subduction complexes in the Betic Cordillera of southern Spain.
Post-doctoral Research Fellowship - Brown University (2011 - 2012)
Exploration Post-Doctoral Fellowship (declined) - Arizona State University (2011)
WISE (Women in Science or Engineering Fellowship) - University of Southern California (2010)
Oakley Fellowship - University of Southern California (2010 - 2011)
Teaching Award, Petrology - University of Southern California (2008)
Outstanding Graduating Senior, Geology Department - California State University Northridge (2006)
Outstanding Graduating Senior, College of Math and Science - California State University Northridge (2006)
Keck Fellowship - University of Southern California (2006)
L.G. Collins Scholarship - California State University Northridge (2005)
Martin Van Couvering Award - AAPG (2004)
Present-day rheology of the lithospheric mantle in the western Mojave from naturally deformed peridotite xenoliths (Graduate - 5 years)
Microstructure and petrology of upper mantle xenoliths erupted from volcanoes in the Mojave desert in the western US. Correlating properties of these xenoliths to geophysical measurements of seismic anisotropy, mantle tomography, seismic reflection data, and post-seismic relaxation models from geodesy.
