We are pleased to recognize graduate student Michael Durcanin, who has received a research grant from the Geological Society of America in support of his work investigating post-rift uplift and erosion along the eastern North American “passive” margin. His project uses a comprehensive compaction-based analysis of approximately 50 wells across multiple Mesozoic rift basins to quantify the magnitude and distribution of regional exhumation. By integrating these findings with existing stratigraphic, thermal maturity, and thermochronologic data, Michael’s research will evaluate the roles of inherited Appalachian crustal structure, continental breakup, and magmatic processes in shaping long-term landscape evolution. This award recognizes the significance of his work, which will provide one of the first margin-scale assessments of exhumation in eastern North America and contribute to a deeper understanding of how lithospheric architecture influences passive-margin development.
