Contact Information
Research Interests
Prof. Liu has a broad interest in the temporal evolution of solid Earth. He takes an interdisciplinary approach to study the history of subduction and mantle convection, and their interactions with Earth's surface. Particular questions Prof. Liu tries to answer include what drives the long-term, large-scale continental vertical motion; how could orogeny be related to mantle dynamics; to what extent major volcanic eruptions are due to abnormal subduction processes. In practice, he applies forward and inverse data-assimilation methods to the construction of geodynamic simulations, using observational data from various fields.
Education
- Ph.D. Geophysics, California Institute of Technology, 2010
Courses Taught
- GEOL 107: Physical Geology
- GEOL 450: Probing the Earth's Interior
- GEOL 552: Geodynamics
External Links
Recent Publications
Chen, L., Wang, X., Liang, X., Wan, B., & Liu, L. (2020). Subduction tectonics vs. Plume tectonics—Discussion on driving forces for plate motion. Science China Earth Sciences, 63(3), 315-328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-019-9538-2
Liu, Y., Liu, L., Wu, Z., Li, W., & Hao, X. (Accepted/In press). New insight into East Asian tectonism since the late Mesozoic inferred from erratic inversions of NW-trending faulting within the Bohai Bay Basin. Gondwana Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2020.01.022
Liu, L. (2020). The elusive mantle dynamic topography. Science China Earth Sciences, 63(2), 312-314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-019-9562-x
Wang, X., Chen, Q. F., Niu, F., Wei, S., Ning, J., Li, J., Wang, W., Buchen, J., & Liu, L. (2020). Distinct slab interfaces imaged within the mantle transition zone. Nature Geoscience, 13(12), 822-827. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-00653-5
Chang, C., & Liu, L. (2019). Distinct Responses of Intraplate Sedimentation to Different Subsidence Mechanisms: Insights From Forward Landscape Evolution Simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 124(5), 1139-1159. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004905
