Overview

I consider myself an earth scientist, extremely curious about how the earth `works` and how it has evolved to its present state. Upon moving to GEOMAR-University of Kiel in Germany in 1999, I became involved in the study of subduction zone dynamics, initially focusing on the effects of the partial hydration and water release from down-going slabs. I also learned about the evidence from continental rifting and kimberlites that (in my opinion!) strongly favors the plume-fed asthenosphere paradigm for mantle convection. As a side project, I became interested in the causes of mass-extinctions, in particular worrying about the `too-many-coincidences` problem that these periods appear to be associated (if we believe what`s published in the mainstream literature) with BOTH extremely rare continental flood basalts and continental rifting, and even rarer `impact signals` commonly presumed to come from large extraterrestrial bolide impacts. I am continuing my career-long interest in mantle convection, by pursuing simple lab and computational experiments that help teach mantle dynamics while simultaneously exploring the physics of asthenosphere entrainment by subducting slabs.

Research Focus

Phipps Morgan's areas of research are geodynamics, the chemistry and physics of melting, and Earth's geochemical evolution (i.e. theoretical and computational petrology and geochemistry and their links to broader geodynamics), such as ridges plumes, and subduction. He has worked extensively with marine geophysics data sets and sea-going research projects. He works to integrate geochemistry, seismology, and climatology/paleoclimatology data and theory to study the large-scale Earth processes of partial melting, serpentinization, and deformation.

Instruction Focus

Geodynamics, Impacts and explosive volcanism, Marine geology and geophysics

Additional Links

• Our Faculty: Jason Phipps Morgan

Honors, Awards and Appointments

• Council Member, European Union of Geosciences - 1999 - 2003
• Associate Editor: Terra Nova - 1997 - 2003
• Associate Editor: Geology - 1996 - 1998
• Professeur, College de France - 1996
• James B. Macelwane Award, AGU - 1995
• Associate Editor: JGR - 1992 - 1995
• Cecil and Ida Green Scholar - 1985

Professional Activities

• Lecturer, RIDGE Workshop at the Oman Ophiolite, Muscat - January 1998
• FUMAGES Workshop Member - 1996
• Invited Speaker, IRIS Workshops - 1993, 1997, 2001

Selected Publications

• J. Phipps Morgan, T. J. Reston, and C. R. Ranero, Contemporaneous mass extinctions, continental flood basalts, and ?impact signals': Are mantle plume-induced ?Verneshots' the causal link?, EPSL,217, 263-284, 2004. (most downloaded EPSL paper in 2004)
• C. Ranero, J. Phipps Morgan, K. McIntosh, and C. Reichert, Bending-related faulting and mantle serpentinization at the Middle America trench. Nature, 425, 367-373, 2003.
• J. Phipps Morgan, The Thermodynamics of Pressure-Release Melting of a Veined Plum-Pudding Mantle, G-cubed, 2, 2001-4-12 (electronic journal, 65 manuscript pages).
• J. Phipps Morgan, The isotope topology of individual hotspot basalt arrays: Mixing curves or melt extraction trajectories?, G-cubed, 1, 1999-12-13. (electronic journal, 24 manuscript pages)
• J. Phipps Morgan and W. Jason Morgan, Two-stage melting and the geochemical evolution of the mantle: A recipe for mantle plum-pudding, Earth Planet Sci. Lett., 170, 215-239, 1999.
• J. Phipps Morgan, The generation of a compositional lithosphere by mid-ocean ridge melting and its effect on subsequent off-axis hotspot upwelling and melting, Earth Planet Sci. Let., 146, 213-232, 1997.
• J. Phipps Morgan, W. J. Morgan, Y.-S. Zhang, and W. H. F. Smith, Observational hints for a plume-fed, sub-oceanic asthenosphere and its role in mantle convection, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 12,753-12,767, 1995.
• J. Phipps Morgan, W. J. Morgan, and E. Price, Hotspot melting generates both hotspot volcanism and a hotspot swell?, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 8045-8062, 1995.
• J. Phipps Morgan and Y. John Chen, Dependence of ridge-axis morphology on magma supply and spreading rate, Nature, 364, 706-708, 1993.
• J. Phipps Morgan and P. M. Shearer, Seismic constraints on mantle flow and topography of the 660-km discontinuity: Evidence for whole mantle convection, Nature, 365, 506-511, 1993.
• J. Phipps Morgan, Melt Migration Beneath Mid-Ocean Spreading Centers, Geophys. Res. Lett., 14, 1238-1241, 1987.

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