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Folarin Kolawole, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Structural Geology, Columbia University
Hi! I am an Assistant Professor of Structural Geology at Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.

My research focuses on active tectonics and earthquake Geology, and involves the integration of field observation of fault deformation zones and fracture systems, structural analyses of mappable geological deformation in geophysical datasets, laboratory geomechanical testing of rock samples, and numerical modelling of deformational processes to understand:
1) how the earth’s crust and lithosphere breaks up to form new sedimentary basins and deform existing basins,
2) how industrial subsurface activities 'wake-up' ancient faults in the crust (i.e. anthropogenically induced earthquakes) in areas of wastewater injection, CO2 injection etc., and
3) how ancient faults are 'woken up' by natural tectonic forces in areas far away from active tectonic boundaries (i.e. geogenic intraplate earthquakes).

 
Current research interests are on 1.) strain accommodation during the early-stages of continental rifting [Natural Laboratories: East African Rift System, Death Valley, Salton Trough], 2.) basement structure and fault reactivation in areas of induced seismicity [Natural Laboratory: Central U.S.], and natural intraplate seismicity [Natural Laboratory: Western & Southern Africa].

I am very passionate about promoting racial and gender diversity in the Geosciences... because it is the right thing to do. When I'm not working or spending time with family, you'll likely find me at a climbing gym or outdoor crag bouldering or sport climbing.
FACT: BLACK GEOSCIENTISTS ARE REAL.
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LATEST PREPRINT
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Crustal Softening at Propagating Rift Tips, East Africa

Kolawole, F. and R. Ajala. Under review at EGU-Solid Earth. Preprint at ESS Open Archive.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS
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Blind Magmatism Abets Nonvolcanic Continental Rifting

 

Rasheed Ajala, Folarin Kolawole, William Menke

Published at Nature Communications Earth & Environment (February 12, 2024)

TWITTER WALL

UPCOMING EVENTS

Conferences

  • Fall 2024      American Geophysical Union (AGU)

  • Sept. 2024   Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Annual Meeting

  • Sept. 2024   National Association of Black Geoscientists (NABG) Annual Meeting

  • Aug. 2024    Gordon Research Conference on Rock Deformation, Maine

Invited Talks: 
 
  • Fall 2024 - Texas A&M, College Station

  • Fall 2024 - University of Rochester, Rochester

  • August 2024 - Gordon Research Conference on Rock Deformation, Maine

  • April 2024 - Binghamton University, New York

CONTACT

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