Geologist has article published in scholarly journal

Dr. Wentao Cao of the Department of Geology and Environmental Science coauthored a recently accepted article in Earth-Science Reviews (IF=9.53), collaborating with colleagues from the University of Oxford, Colorado School of Mines, China University of Geosciences and University of Adelaide.

Dr. Cao earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees at China University of Geosciences in Beijing, and Ph.D. at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Cao, an assistant professor at Fredonia, and his group examine metamorphic rocks to unravel associated petrological and tectonic processes in thickened continental crust, along with other side projects. Current projects include: partial melting of high-grade metamorphic rocks, including partial melting of eclogite from North-East Greenland and Grenville Province, Canada; modeling melting of crustal lithologies; the development of retrograde textures; metasomatism and fluid-rock interactions, and kimberlite petrogenesis.

Age of onset of plate tectonics is a highly debated topic in the field, ranging from >4.0 billion years ago to ~800 million years ago. In this newly-accepted article, entitled, "Secular metamorphic change and the onset of plate tectonics", the authors review the current understanding of the operation of plate tectonics through time from the metamorphic point of view and discuss major unresolved questions in this research direction. Integrating several lines of evidence from independent studies including petrological and geochemical data and modeling results, the team argues that the initiation of a global-scale plate tectonics started no later than ~3.0 billion year ago.

The article, currently in production, will be available online in the journal’s website soon. Any interested readers are directed online for more details.