Theses and Dissertations from UMD

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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

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Author: search.filters.author.Mitchell, Garrett AlanSubject: search.filters.subject.Galapagos microplate

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    STABILITY OF RIDGE-RIDGE-RIDGE TRIPLE JUNCTIONS BASED ON THE MECHANICS OF RIFT INTERACTION: THE NORTHERN GALÁPAGOS AND RODRIGUEZ TRIPLE JUNCTIONS
    (2010) Mitchell, Garrett Alan; Montési, Laurent G.J.; Geology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Although known to be kinematically stable, Ridge-Ridge-Ridge (RRR) triple junctions sometimes display a complex sequence of short-lived rifts and no direct connection between the ridges. The Galápagos Triple Junction, in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean and the Rodriguez Triple Junction, in the Central Indian Ocean, serve as end-members of stability observed as RRR triple junctions. I propose that the stability of RRR triple junctions, principally whether secondary rifts are generated or direct connection between the spreading centers is favored, can be understood based on the mechanics of crack interaction. I develop numerical models of the stress field in an elastic plate under tension, with cracks representing rifts in the vicinity of a RRR triple junction and GIS spatial analysis to demonstrate the factors that control RRR triple junction's stability. Although RRR triple junctions are kinematically stable, rift junctions are mechanically unstable, generating a rapidly evolving and complex plate boundary.