Kirk McIntosh Research Scientist Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz (1992); B.Sc., Colorado School of Mines (1980) Telephone 512-471-0480 email: kirk@ig.utexas.edu   Kirk's CV

Kirk is interested in the structure and development of continental margins along convergent and transpressive plate boundaries. His work investigates the structures and processes ranging from crustal scale to (large) outcrop scale that can be studied using seismic reflection and refraction data, sidescan sonar, and other geological and geophysical tools. Among these processes are sediment accretion, subduction, and erosion at convergent margins, forearc and backarc extension and compression, fluid dynamics in accretionary prisms, and shallow-subduction seismicity. McIntosh’s primary research sites are currently the Middle America Trench system offshore Costa Rica (where seamount subduction, the subduction of the Cocos Ridge, backarc thrusting, forearc extension, and a migrating triple junction pose exciting challenges) and Taiwan’s continent-collision zone (one of the world’s few sites of an ongoing continent/island-arc collision). To address a paucity of deep-structure data from this region, McIntosh and UTIG colleague Yosio Nakamura participated in a collaborative U.S.-Chinese seismic imaging project on which deep MCS profiling and seismic refraction studies were carried out with a suite of UTIG’s OBS instruments.

Student Involvement

Research Projects
NicStrat: Effects of Eustatic and Tectonic Forcing on the Development of Forearc Basin Sequence Stratigraphy

NicLakes: Distinguishing Tectonic Mechanisms of Extension and Forearc Translation Near the Central American Volcanic Arc by High-Resolution Seismic Profiling in Lakes Nicaragua and Managua

Correlation of Seismic Structure with Observed Outcrop Geology: MCS/OBS Investigation of Hess Deep and Blanco Transform

TAIGER: Integrated Investigation of the Geodynamics of the Taiwan Orogeny

Kirk's UTIG Contributions (Publications)

Recent Publications
Christeson, G. L., K. D. McIntosh, and J. A. Karson, Inconsistent correlation of seismic layer 2a and lava layer thickness in oceanic crust, Nature, 445, 418-421, 2007, doi:10.1038.

McIntosh, Kirk D., Eli A. Silver, Imtiaz Ahmed, Arnim Berhorst, Cesar R. Ranero, Robyn K. Kelly, and Ernst R. Flueh, The Nicaragua Convergent Margin: Seismic Reflection Imaging of the Source of a Tsunami Earthquake, in The Seismogenic Zone of Subduction Thrust Faults, T. Dixon and J.C. Moore eds., Columbia University Press, New York, p. 257-287, 2007.