topDonald J. Weidner—President–Elect, Tectonophysics
Harry W. Green II—President–Elect, Tectonophysics
Frederick M. Chester—Secretary, Tectonophysics
Scott D. King—Secretary, Tectonophysics
Donald J. Weidner—President–Elect, Tectonophysics
Donald Weidner, SUNY Distinguished Professor, has been at Stony Brook most of his academic career. His research in mineral physics is governed by the principle that the properties of minerals can inform us about the deep Earth. Elasticity, plasticity, and anelasticity are all material properties that have an expression in Earth data. He has developed experimental tools to investigate these properties, most recently using synchrotron radiation at high pressure and temperature. Weidner was the director of the Center for High Pressure Research (CHiPR) from 1991 to 2002, and founding chair of the executive committee for the Consortium for Material Property Research in the Earth Sciences (COMPRES) for 2002–2003. He has served as the director of the Mineral Physics Institute at Stony Brook since 1988. Weidner was the 1981 recipient of the James B. Macelwane Medal.
Statement: Tectonophysics is the heart of solid Earth science. As such, it provides an important link between deep Earth processes and those operating at or near the Earth's surface. The Tectonophysics section is in a key position to promote the interaction between research in monitoring and imaging solid Earth processes and structures, the reconstruction of the record of these processes, and quantitative process modeling. The integrated solid Earth perspective to Tectonophysics provides a strong drive to further innovation in experimental techniques, in data acquisition, and in tectonophysical modeling linking different temporal and spatial scales.
AGU is an essential organization in Earth science research and education. It serves as the backbone of Earth science communication. This communication is provided by meetings, journals, workshops, special volumes, and press releases. It is important to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the various mechanisms, look for new ones, and readjust old ones. We need to look at our effectiveness in communicating to funding agencies, governmental bodies, and the public as well as within the scientific community. My role as section president will be (1) to assure the AGU serves the tectonophysics community, (2) to assure that the AGU is serving the broader Earth science community, and (3) to assure that the AGU is representing the Earth science community to the public.
Harry W. Green II—President–Elect, Tectonophysics
Member of AGU since 1964. Distinguished professor of geology and geophysics, University of California, Riverside. Major interests include (1) flow and faulting mechanisms in subduction zones and relationships to earthquake mechanisms and mantle convection; (2) microstructural analysis of rocks exhumed up subduction zones to extract information about exhumation paths and processes. A.B. (honors), M.A., Ph.D. (distinction, 1968), all at University of California, Los Angeles. Postdoctoral materials science, 1968–1970, Case Western Reserve University. Faculty member University of California, Davis (1970–1992), chair of department, 1984–1988; University of California, Riverside (1993–). Director, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (1993–1995), vice chancellor for research (1995–2000), vice chair of department (2005 to present). Honorary professor of geophysics, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan (1998–). Visiting professor, Nantes, France (1978–1979), Monash, Australia (1984), Carnegie Institution of Washington (2000); Vetelson visiting professor, Columbia University (1991–1992); Allen Cox Visiting Professor, Stanford University (2007–2008). Fellow, AGU, MSA, AAAS; member, Cosmos Club, GSAs. Cofounder, Gordon Conference on Rock Deformation (1995–). Member, NAS Workshop on Future of Mineral Physics (1999); chair, Executive Committee of COMPRES (2004–2007). Author of 130 publications, 15 in AGU journals. Most important publications include discovery of transformation-induced faulting (Nature, 1989), discovery of extensive solubility of H2O in wadsleyite (EPSL, 1995), discovery that rocks can be exhumed up subduction zones from depths exceeding 300 kilometers (Science, 1996); elaboration of mechanisms of dehydration embrittlement (Nature, 2004). Honors: NL Bowen Award, VGP section (1994); Francis Birch Lectureship, Tectonophysics section (1995); Abelson Lecturer, Carnegie Institution (2000); Veinig Meinez Lecturer, Utrecht (2000). AGU service: Associate Editor, JGR (1997–2002); secretary, Mineral and Rock Physics Committee (1993–1998); Hess Medal Committee (1998–2002). Tectonophysics section service: Rock Def Tech Committee (1988–1996); Executive Committee (1998–2002); chair, Fellows Committee (1998–2002).
Statement: For solid Earth geophysics in general and for tectonophysics in particular, AGU is the most important international professional organization. We continue to witness a dizzying rate of technical improvements for everything we do, from fieldwork to modeling to experiments under conditions from ambient to the core of Earth and beyond. Spreading the word about these new developments beyond the core disciplines where they arise is a nontrivial task but can be key to major breakthroughs in our interconnected world. Each of us has witnessed unforeseen developments in (sometimes distantly) related disciplines suddenly becoming of keen interest us. I believe that the Tectonophysics section of AGU sits at the heart of solid Earth geophysics and that, as such, we can be a powerful vehicle to facilitate dissemination of such developments to the broader community, not only to others involved directly in tectonophysics but also in the related fields of seismology, petrology, geochemistry, mineral physics, geodynamics, planetary physics, etc. As president of the Tectonophysics section, I will work to streamline communication between these rapidly converging disciplines both within and outside of AGU. As we grow and some aspects of our Union become ponderous, perhaps it is time to revisit our structure. Is the creation of ever more sections of the Union the answer? That tends to facilitate focus within individual areas but it comes at the expense of cross-fertilization between subdisciplines. Union sessions are a great vehicle to attempt to solve this problem, but is it counterproductive to schedule those sessions in competition with many regular sessions?
Frederick M. Chester—Secretary, Tectonophysics
Member of Tectonophysics section since 1983. Professor of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University. Scientific interests are brittle deformation, experimental rock mechanics, seismogenesis, and fluid rock interactions. Current projects include participation in scientific drilling of active faults (EarthScope SAFOD and IODP NanTroSEIZE). B.A., geology with geophysics option, 1980; M.S., geology, Texas A&M University, 1983; Ph.D., geophysics, Texas A&M University, 1987. Postdoctoral fellow, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, 1988–1990; assistant professor (1990–1994) and associate professor (1994–1996), Saint Louis University; associate professor (1997–2002) and professor (since 2002), Texas A&M University. Member, Geological Society of America since 1981; member of the editorial board of Geology, 2003–2005. Thirty refereed publications, five book chapters, and nine papers in AGU journals. Steering committee member (1994–1996) and newsletter editor (1995, 1996) for Physical Properties of Earth Materials, AGU.
Scott D. King—Secretary, Tectonophysics
AGU member since 1986. Professor of geophysics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. Scientific interests focus on the dynamics of the interiors of the terrestrial planets, including subduction zones, plates, plumes, small-scale convection, and thermochemical convection. B.A. (honors), 1985, geophysical sciences, University of Chicago; Ph.D., 1990, California Institute of Technology. Green Scholar at Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1990–1991; faculty member at Purdue University from 1992 to 2007; visiting research scientist, IGPP, Los Alamos, 1999. Former editor of Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2000–2006). Author or coauthor of more than 50 refereed papers, 19 in AGU journals, and author of the ConMan convection code. AGU service as AGU Spring Meeting Tectonophysics program cochairman (1994–1995), AGU Fall Meeting Tectonophysics program cochairman (1995), Associate Editor, JGR-Solid Earth, 1995–1997, AGU Spring Meeting/Joint Assembly program chairman (2001–2004).