Geophysicist Maureen Long wins CAREER award from National Science Foundation

Yale geophysicist Maureen D. Long has won a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, worth more than $500,000, for her continuing study of the Earth’s interior. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards program in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research.An expert in the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s middle layer, or mantle, Long is focused on the movements of subducting tectonic plates, or slabs.“Subduction zones — where one plate dives beneath another plate into the mantle — are very important features here on Earth’s surface, because they are prime sites for earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunami hazards,” she said. “Subduction is just as important for understanding how the Earth’s deep interior works, because subducting slabs are a major driver for mantle processes.”The grant will support her group’s study of the way subducting plates interact with surrounding mantle as they sink from the surface. “It’s crucially important to understand this interaction if we are going to understand the Earth’s mantle as a dynamic system.”Long, an assistant professor of geology and geophysics, joined the Yale faculty in 2009. David Bercovici, chair of the Department of Geology and Geophysics, called her “a rapidly rising star in the world of earthquake seismology.”“She is already recognized as a leader in understanding the structure and dynamics of subduction zones, where tectonic plates dive into the mantle and cause the Earth’s most dangerous earthquakes and volcanoes,” he said. “This NSF CAREER award is further recognition of her accomplishments and stature in her field.”Long’s planned research will focus on the phenomenon of seismic anisotropy, or the directional dependence of seismic wave speeds. “It’s a tool that allows us to actually observe how the Earth’s mantle is moving,” she said.