Yildirim Dilek

y research interests include structure and geochemistry of modern oceanic crust and ophiolites; structure and tectonics of metamorphic core complexes and supra-detachment basins; kinematics of crustal deformation and mantle dynamics along active transform faults; geochemistry and chemical geodynamics of post-collisional magmatism in the Aegean, Mediterranean, Caucasus and Himalayn-Tibetan regions; and regional structure of the Alpine-Himalayan, Caledonian, and North American Cordilleran orogenic belts.  The current research involves structural, petrological, geochemical, and geochronological studies of phiolites in California, Norway, Greenland, Albania, Greece and Turkey; structural and tectonic studies of the Menderes, Pelagonian and Rhodope metamorphic core complexes; structural, geochemical, geomorphic, and tectonic investigations of the northern Dead Sea fault zone and the Eastern California Shear Zone; and structural, biostratigraphic, and geophysical studies of intra-montane sedimentary basins in the Dinaride-Hellenide, and Tauride mountain systems in eastern Europe.

Possible thesis/dissertation topics:

• Passive margin development, rift-drift tectonics and sedimentary basin evolution in Eastern Europe and Anatolia (involves fieldwork in Greece, Albania, and/or Turkey).
• Structure, tectonics and geomorphology of the Northern Owens Valley and Evolution of the Great Basin-Sierra Nevada Boundary (involves fieldwork in Eastern California).
• Structure, geochemistry and tectonics of ancient oceanic crust in arc-trench rollback systems (involves field work in Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Iran and/or Chile).
• Structure, geochemistry, geochronology and tectonics of orogenic vs. anorogenic Cenozoic magmatism (involves fieldwork on Aegean Islands, in Western Turkey, Azerbaijan, and/or Iran).
• Structure, sedimentology, and tectonics of melanges (involves fieldwork in Italy, Greece, Cyprus and/or Turkey).

Current/recent graduate student research:

• John Alten (M.S. 2005) Structural Analysis and brittle Deformation - Groundwater Relationships of the Rough Creek Fault Zone (RCFZ), Western Kentucky, USA.
• Constandina Ghikas (M.S. 2007) Structure and tectonics of a subophiolite melange (Zavordas Melange) of the Vourinos ophiolite (Greece) and kinematics of ophiolite emplacement.
• Zeynep Oner (Ph.D. in progress) Structure and tectonics of the Alasehir supradetachment basin, Western Anatolia, Turkey
• Charity Phillips (M.S. 2004) Structure, tectonics and hydrothermal alteration history of a suprasubduction zone ophiolite in Albania.
• Tatia Taylor (M.S. 2002) Origin and structure of the Poverty Hills, Owens Valley Fault Zone, Owens Valley, California.

Selected publications:

Dilek, Y., and Sandvol, E., 2009, Seismic structure, crustal architecture and tectonic evolution of the Anatolian-African Plate Boundary and the Cenozoic Orogenic Belts in the Eastern Mediterranean Region:  Geological Society, London, Special Publications, v. 327, p. 127-160.

Dilek, Y. Altunkaynak, S., and Oner, Z., 2009, Syn-extensional Miocene granitoids in the Menderes core complex (Western Anatolia), and their role in the late Cenozoic extensional tectonics of the Aegean province.  In:  Ring, U., Wernicke, B.B. (eds.), Continental Extensional Tectonics, Geological Society of London Special Publications, vol. 321. p. 197-223, DOI:  10.114/SP321.10.

Dilek, Y. and Furnes, H., 2009, Structure and geochemistry of Tethyan ophiolites and their petrogenesis in subduction rollback systems:  Lithos, v. 113, p. 1-20, DOI:10.1016/m.lithos.2009.04.022.

Dilek, Y. ad Thy, P., 2009, Island arc tholeiite to boninitic melt evolution of the Cretaceous Kizildag (Turkey) ophiolite:  Model for multi-stage early arc-forearc magmatism in Tethyan subduction factories:  Lithos, v. 113, p. 68-87, DOI:10.1016/j.lithos.2009.05.044.

Dilek, Y., Imamverdiyev, N., and Atunkaynak, S., 2009, Geochemistry and tectonics of Cenozoic volcanism in the Lesser Caucasus (Azerbaijan) and the peri-Arabian region:  collision-induced mantle dynamics and its magmatic fingerprint:  International Geology Review, p. 1-42, DOI:10.1080/0020681093360422.

Zhao, Z., Mo, X., Dilek, Y., Niu, Y., DePaolo, D.J., Robinson, P.T., Zhud, D., Sun, C., Dong, G., Zhou, S., Luo, Z., and Hou, Z., 2009, Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb-O isotopic compositions of the postcollisional ultra-potassic magmatism in SW Tibet:  Petrogenesis and implications for intra-continental subduction of India beneath southern Tibet:  Lithos, v. 113, p. 190-212, DOI:10.1016/j.lithos.2009.02.2004.

Postdoctoral research associates mentored:

Dr. Yusuf K. Kadioglue, University of Ankara-Turkey, Fulbright Research Fellow, the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), January - October 2002.

Dr. Nikolay Georgive Bonev, Sofia University of St. Kliment Ohridski-Bulgarie, Fulbright Research Fellow, The Council for the International Exhange of Scholars (CIES), August 2008 - January 2009.

Dr. Andrea Festa, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita degli Studi di Torino, Torino, ITALY, May - October 2009.

Dr. Yener Eyuboglu, Gumushane Unviersity, Department of Geology, Gumushane, TURKEY, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) Post-Doctoral Fellowship Abroad, September 2009 - July 2010.

Awards and Honors:

• 2002 - College of Arts & Science Dinstinguished Educator
• 2003 - Miami University Distinguished Research Scholar
• 2003 - Philip E. Knox Teaching Award
• 2008 - Bejamin Harrison Medal of Miami University
• 2009 - Distinguished Career Award of the Geological Society of America

Teaching Interests:

GLG F108 - Geology and Geopolitics of the Silk Road

GLG 322 - Structural Geology

GLG 492/592 - Global Tectonics

GLG 499C - Tectonics and Geomorphology of Eastern California

GLG 661 - Continental Mantle Dynamics

For a complete description of courses please see the 2014/2015 Miami Bulletin.