Dr. Ken Dueker

Associate Professor

Natural Source Seismic Imaging to Constrain Continental Evolution

Office Phone: 307-742-1765
Fax Phone: (307) 766-6679

P.O. Box 3006
Laramie, Wyoming 82071-3006 Office Room No: 2036
Lab Room No: 2002
Email: dueker@uwyo.edu

Education

Geology, BA, Whitman College, 1985
Geophysics, PhD, University of Oregon, 1995
Seismology, Post-doc, University of Colorado, 1996-2000

Active and Previous Research Projects (2009)

Research website

Publications (2009)

Publications in PDF format

Hansen, S. and K. Dueker, P- and S-wave receiver function image of crustal imbrication beneath the Laramie array, Bull. Seismo. Soc. Am., June 2009.

Aster, R. MacCarthy, J., Heizler, M., Kelly, S., Karlstrom, K., Crossey, L., Dueker, K., and the CREST team, CREST Experiment Probes the Roots of the Geologic History of the Colorado Rockies, Outcrop, January 2009.

Mercier, J.P., Bostock, M.G., Cassidy, J.F., Dueker, K., Gaherty, J.B., Garnero, E.J., Revenaugh, J., Zandt, G., Body wave tomography of western Canada, Tectonophysics, in press, August 2009.

Graduate Students

Steven M. Hansen - PhD Candidate
Josh Stachnik - PhD Candidate
Zhu Zhang – PhD Candidate

Courses

Undergraduate Syllabus
GEOL1001 – Earth Science and Society
GEOL2005 - Introduction to Geophysics

Graduate Geophysics Syllabus
GEOL5215 - Inverse Theory and Parameter Estimation
GEOL5216 - Global Seismology
GEOL5217 - Computerized geologic problem solving

Research Statement

It is becoming increasing clear that the mantle underlying continents is much more varied than the surface topography, crustal province boundaries, or active tectonics would suggest. Most interesting is that much of the mantle structure underlying tectonic mountain ranges is three-dimensional in form even though the mountain ranges are dominantly two dimensional chains. Often, post-orogenic uplift of these mountain ranges, in excess of that predicted by simple crustal thickening models, is suggested. This requires post-orogenic mechanisms occur that can create uplift such as: the removal or retrograde metamorphism of eclogite; convective removal or delamination of over thickened mantle lithosphere; or diapiric invasion of the lithosphere by an upwelling asthenosphere. Constraining the relative effects of these different geodynamic processes is crucial to understanding continental orogens and continental evolution in general.

Teaching Statement

I teach two graduate level courses on a regular basis: Inverse Theory and Parameter Estimation (Geol5215) and Theoretical/Global Seismology (Geol5216). To truly understand the material, about half of the homeworks require MATLAB (or other language if you desire) coding of the mathematical physics. I also regularly teach two undergraduate courses.