Thorsten W. Becker

Jackson School of Geosciences
The University of Texas at Austin

Field projects


[news] [teaching] [team] [publications] [CV] [downloads] [contact]
research: [geodynamics] [seismology] [fieldwork]
While our group's main expertise is in numerical modeling, data collection, be it in the field or the laboratory, is of course crucial for our understanding of planetary dynamics. We conduct passive seismology experiments and collaborate with a range of geologists, geodesists, and geochemists to this end, and are involved in a number of multi-disciplinary experiments across the globe. I believe that some experimental and field experience is important even for theoretical geophysicists.
  • Northern Chile (04/2022)

    Pictures from an outstanding field trip to look at short and longterm megathrust deformation features in Northern Chile, led by Onno Oncken of GFZ.
  • Megathrust Modeling Framework (MTMOD)

    A five-year, collaborative, NSF funded effort to advance integrative modeling ca pabilties within the megathrust context with focus on the regional settings of the Japan system, New Zealand, and Cascadia. Read more on the MTMOD web page.
  • Colombia flat slab project: Modeling, Uplift, Seismology, and Igneous geochemistry in the Colombian Andes (MUSICA)

  • GSA Grand Canyon Thomson Field Forum (09/2019)



    Field trip led by Karl Karlstrom & Co. to explore the uplift history of the Grand Canyon from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
  • Mojave broadband experiment: Eastern California Shear Zone fault imaging (2017 - 2020)

  • Field trip to Kenya rift valley (2018)

    A field trip run by University of Potsdam (Manfred Strecker) and Universita di Roma TRE to study paleoclimate and tectonics of the Kenya rift.
    Kenya 2018
  • Banda Arc project (2013 - 2016)

    We studied the Banda Arc (PI: Miller, co-PIs: West and Becker) and how continental collision and subduction are expressed tectonically and in terms of topography.
    • Miller, M. S., Zhang, P., Dahlquist, M. P., West, A. J., Becker, T. W., and Harris, C. W.: Inherited lithospheric structures control arc-continent collisional heterogeneity. Geology, 49, doi:10.1130/G48246.1, 2021. (PDF)
    • Miller, M. S., O'Driscoll, L. J., Roosmawati, N., Harris, C. W., Porritt, R. W., Widiyantoro, S., de Costa, L. T., Soares, E., Becker, T. W., and West A. J.: Banda Arc Experiment - Transitions in the Banda Arc-Australian continental collision. Seismol. Res. Lett., 87, doi:10.1785/0220160124, 2016. (PDF)
    • bandaarc.blogspot.com
  • Sculpting the Earth's topography: insights from modelling deep-surface processes (TopoMod, 2012 - 2014)

    We were involved in the ESF TopoMod project led by Universita di Roma TRE and involving U Amsterdam, GFZ, ETH Zurich, U Durham, U Rennes, ICTJA-CSIC, U Florence, and U Parma. The role of mantle convection in shaping Earth's topography is explored using geology, seismology, and geodynamics. TOPOMOD was an EU ITR training project designed for a team of early-stage and experienced researchers to investigate and model the origin and evolution of topography of the continents over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.

    • Field trip to/>Field trip to the Menderes Massif, Turkey (03/2013)
    • Pictures from Ethiopia field trip March (05/2012)
      • Sembroni, A., Kiraly, A., Faccenna, C., Funiciello, F., Becker, T. W., Globig, J., and Fernandez, M.: Impact of the lithosphere on dynamic topography: Insights from analogue modeling. Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 2693-2702, doi:10.1002/2017GL072668, 2017. (PDF)
      • Sembroni, A., Faccenna, C., Becker, T. W., Molin, P., and Bekele, A.: Long-term, deep mantle support of the Ethiopia-Yemen plateau. Tectonics, 35, 469-488, doi:10.1002/2015TC004000, 2016. (PDF)
      • Faccenna, C., Becker, T. W., Jolivet, L., and Keskin, M.: Mantle convection in the Middle East: Reconciling Afar upwelling, Arabia indentation and Aegean trench rollback. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 375, 254-269, 2013. (PDF)
  • Geodesy field work in Baja California (02/2012)

    A GPS survey in collaboration with Rocco Malservisi of Florida University.

  • Program to Investigate Convective Alboran Sea System Overturn (PICASSO, 2008 - 2013)

    PICASSO was an NSF-Continental Dynamics project on the subduction and delamination underneath the Alboran domain involving field work in Spain and Morocco. A collaboration involving US institutions (Rice, University of Oregon, USC, and Woods Hole) and a number of Moroccan and European collaborators.

    • Conference presentation summarizing some of the USC led findings:
      • Miller, M. S.: Pockets, conduits, channels, and plumes: links to volcanism and orogeny in the western Meditteranean. Presentation at CIDER 2016, (video)
    • Geodynamics team project publications
      • Sun, D., Miller, M. S., Holt, A. F., and Becker, T. W.: Hot upwelling conduit beneath the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 8037-8044, doi:10.1002/2014GL061884, 2014. (PDF, supp. mat.)
      • Faccenna, C., Becker, T. W., Auer, L., Billi, A., Boschi, L., Brun, J.-P., Capitanio, F. A., Funiciello, F., Horvath, F., Jolivet, L., Piromallo, C., Royden, L., Rossetti, F., and Serpelloni, E.: Mantle dynamics in the Mediterranean. Rev. Geophys., 52, doi:10.1002/2013RG000444, 2014. (PDF)
      • Miller, M. S. and Becker, T. W.: Reactivated lithospheric-scale discontinuities localize dynamic uplift of the Moroccan Atlas Mountains. Geology, doi:10.1130/G34959, 2014. (PDF)
        • Miller, M. S. and Becker, T. W.: Reactivated lithospheric-scale discontinuities localize dynamic uplift of the Moroccan Atlas Mountains: Comment - Reply. Geology, 42, 338, 2014. (PDF)
        • Nature Geoscience highlight by Whitchuch
      • Alpert, L. A., Miller, M. S., Becker, T. W., and Allam, A. A.: Structure beneath the Alboran from geodynamic flow models and seismic anisotropy. J. Geophys. Res., 118, 4265--4277, doi:10.1002/jgrb.50309, 2013. (PDF)
      • Faccenna, C., Becker, T. W., Jolivet, L., and Keskin, M.: Mantle convection in the Middle East: Reconciling Afar upwelling, Arabia indentation and Aegean trench rollback. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 375, 254-269, 2013. (PDF)
      • Miller, M. S., Allam, A. A., Becker, T. W., Di Leo, J., and Wookey, J.: Constraints on the geodynamic evolution of the westernmost Mediterranean and northwestern Africa from shear wave splitting analysis. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 375, 234-243, 2013. (PDF)
      • Becker, T. W. and Faccenna, C.: Mantle conveyor beneath the Tethyan collisional belt. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 310, 453-461, 2011. (PDF)
      • Faccenna, C. and Becker, T. W.: Shaping mobile belts by small-scale convection. Nature, 465, 602-605, 2010. (PDF)
  • Multidisciplinary Experiment for Dynamic Understanding of Subduction under the Aegean (MEDUSA, 2004 - 2009)

    MEDUSA was an NSF-Continental Dynamics funded multi-disciplinary project involving passive seismological imaging of the Hellenic trench and geodynamic modeling of Mediterranean dynamics. A collaboration between MIT, USC, the University of Athens, Universita di Roma TRE, IPG Paris, INGV Rome, and the National Observatory of Athens.
    • Becker, T. W. and Faccenna, C.: Mantle conveyor beneath the Tethyan collisional belt. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 310, 453-461, 2011. (PDF)
    • Faccenna, C. and Becker, T. W.: Shaping mobile belts by small-scale convection. Nature, 465, 602-605, 2010. (PDF)
  • GEOL440 Geophysics class

  • Death Valley field trip, Spring 2005

  • Mount Etna field trip, June 2005

  • Paleoseismology helping out in Tom Rockwell's Hog Lake Trench, SoCal, 2003


[news] [teaching] [team] [publications] [CV] [downloads] [contact]
research: [geodynamics] [seismology] [fieldwork]
Updated: March 19, 2024. (c) Thorsten Becker, 1997-2024.