Christopher Beaumont

Canada Research Chair
in Geodynamics, Tier 1,
Oceanography 

Education 

• 1973, PhD, Dalhousie University
• 1968, B.Sc., University of Sussex, UK

Publications and research presentations
95 refereed journal and conference publications; one book; 13 reports; 13 papers arising from the work of the Geodynamics Group

Research interests

• Geodynamics of orogens.
• Formation and subsidence of rifted margin and foreland basins
• Isostasy and flexural rheology of the lithosphere.
• Surface processes, geomorphology and sediment transport.
• 'Tilted Block' sedimentary basins and Laramide tectonics of the Rocky Mountain foreland.
• Cenozoic Tectonics of the Tien Shan.
• Thermal histories of sedimentary basins and the use of geochemical reactions and fission track dating as thermochronometers.
• North American Midcontinent Rift system.
• Mechanisms of lithospheric deformation 

Website
Link to Geodynamics website

E-mail: Dr. Christopher Beaumont

Geodynamic mountain building

Chris Beaumont collides tectonic plates and builds mountains as the earth’s crust deforms.

Actually, Beaumont builds models of mountains—and of the tectonic plates that shift and intersect to form mountain ranges. The Dalhousie University professor’s models (computer-generated simulations) provide key insights into the way the Earth evolved long ago. They also provide insights into the behaviour of the Earth’s crust as mountain ranges were first being formed.

To create these computerized experiments, Beaumont applies physics to quantifying geological processes. The product? He has recreated the plates that constitute the Earth, their interaction and the resulting mountains, plateaus, and sedimentary basins. But these computer simulations are more than just pretty pictures. Their geographic features store an important record of the Earth’s evolution.

By studying these mountain belts and their underlying crust—known as oregens—and their creation, Beaumont and his research team will try to determine how changes in the strength of the lithosphere (the top 100 kilometres of the Earth) affect the development of plateaus and faults. They will pay particular attention to the role of temperature during evolution.

(Source: Canada Research Chairs)