My research focuses on understanding how the lithosphere evolves and how deep Earth processes shape tectonic processes, magmatism, and surface behavior. I approach these questions through geodynamic modeling, and integrate numerical results with geological, geophysical, and geochemical observations, to link mantle and lithosphere dynamics with their surface expressions.
Subduction Zone Dynamics
Turino et al., in preparation
Subduction zones govern mass and heat transfer between the surface and the mantle and host many of Earth’s most significant natural hazards. My work examines how the time-dependent evolution of slabs shapes slab thermal structure and deformation. I explore how changes in plate velocity and interface properties influence temperatures, metamorphic conditions, exhumation, and underplating along the plate interface. Going forward, I aim to develop models with more realistic interface behavior to bridge deep slab dynamics with the occurrence of megathrust earthquakes and slow slip events.
Melt Transport
Mittal and Richards, G-cubed (2017)
Melt in the mantle and lithosphere tends to localize into discrete networks that control magma migration and lithospheric deformation. My research investigates how initial melt geometry and deformation interact to produce channelized melt flow, linking small-scale melt organization to larger-scale transport pathways. I integrate two-phase flow models with observations from migmatites and volcanic regions such as the Galápagos platform to understand how melt moves through and reshapes the lithosphere. My aim is to build a framework connecting localized melt dynamics to larger-scale mantle processes and tectonic evolution.
Lithosphere Heterogeneities
Turino et al., JGR (2023)
Inherited structures such as rifted margins, ridges, seamounts, and regions influenced by past plume-ridge interactions strongly influence tectonic behavior. My work explores how the size, composition, and distribution of these features affect slab geometry, plate interface deformation, and melt transport. I aim to understand how lithospheric heterogeneities control processes such as flat-slab subduction, slab break-off, and the localization of deformation. I am particularly interested in how lithospheric structures generated from melt or previous deformation impact the outcome of tectonic processes, such as subduction, over millions of years.
Valeria Turino 