Behr Research Group

Olivine deformation experiments

Experiments on olivine aggregates are being used to track the mechanics of strain localization operative in Earth's deep lithosphere.

Newfoundland Summer 2016

Graduate Tectonic Problems Class visits Newfoundland to study arc-continent collisions on a trip led by John Dewey and Jack Casey

Rio Grande del Norte, New Mexico

Terraces along the Rio Grande River in northern New Mexico constrain incision rates for this steeply incised gorge.

Valle Santo Thomas, Baja California, Mexico

The Agua Blanca and San Miguel-Vallecitos faults in Baja California accommodate ~14% of plate boundary motion at this latitude. We are investigating their rates of slip and kinematic linkages with other faults within the San Andreas system and the Gulf of California Rift Zone.

Blueschists of Syros Island, Greece

High pressure subduction complexes preserved on Syros Island in Greece record different deformational processes and mechanisms as they transition from subduction to exhumation.

Mantle xenoliths from the Cima Volcanic Field, California

Xenoliths erupted from young volcanoes in the Mojave region are clues to understanding the present-day rheology of the lithospheric mantle and the nature of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary.

Research in the BRG focuses on the rapidly deforming zones that define Earth’s tectonic plate boundaries and generate many of the planet’s geohazards. We are interested in the rates and directions in which faults and shear zones move; their geometries, widths and mechanical behaviors at depth; and the processes that shape them over geologic time. To address these topics, we employ a range of tools and techniques that include field observations, analytical measurements, laboratory experiments, and numerical models. We frequently forge collaborations and synthesize datasets that cross disciplines, including structural geology, tectonic geomorphology, experimental rock mechanics, and geodynamics. To find out more about some of our active projects, check out our Research page.

The Behr Research Group is moving in July, 2018, to the Geological Institute in the Department of Earth Sciences at ETH-Zürich, Switzerland. Please see below for open post-doctoral research and teaching positions:

Senior Scientist/ Postdoc in Structural Geology & Tectonics

2 Postdoctoral Positions in Structural Geology & Tectonics

BRG Mailing Address: Dept. of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, 2275 Speedway Stop C9000, Austin TX, 78712-1722

Site Last Modified: April 21, 2018