Paul Hall

Assistant Professor

Office: Stone 141E
Phone: 617.353.9678
E-mail: phall@bu.edu

Educational Background

Ph.D. 2003 University of Rhode Island
B.A. 1995 The College of Wooster

Research

Paul Hall’s research focuses on the use of fluid dynamic models to further our understanding of Earth’s deep interior and the processes related to mantle convection. In particular, he is interested in melt generation and migration processes at subduction zones and the interaction between mantle plumes and the mid-ocean ridge system. He employs a variety of modeling techniques to these ends, including 2- and 3-D numerical methods and laboratory modeling.

Geophysics research group
Solid Earth and Tectonics research group

Teaching

  • Earthquakes, Volcanoes and other Natural Disasters (ES 140)
  • Plate Tectonics and Kinematics (ES 505)
  • Solid Earth Geophysics (ES 581)
  • Mechanics of Earth Materials (ES 701)

Recent Students

  • Rohan Kundargi; MA (current); Plume-ridge interaction
  • Ethan Fahy; MA (current); Geodynamic constraints on the nature of the asthenosphere

Selected Publications (*=student)

  • Hall, P.S. (2012). On the thermal evolution of the mantle wedge at subduction zones, Phys. Earth Planet. Int., 198-199, 10.1016/j.pepi.2012.03.004.
  • Hall, P.S., L.B. Cooper and T. Plank (2012). Thermochemical evolution of the sub-arc mantle due to back-arc spreading, J. Geophys. Res., 117, B02201, doi:10.1029/2011JB008507.
  • Huang, S., P.S. Hall, and M.G. Jackson (2011). Geochemical zoning of volcanic chains associated with Pacific hotspots, Nature Geoscience, 4, doi: 10.1038/NGEO1263.
  • Cooper, L., T. Plank, R. Arculus, E. Hauri, P. Hall and S. Parman (2010). Boninites from the modern Tonga arc, J. Geophys. Res., 115, B10206, doi:10.1029/2009JB006367.
  • Spaulding, M.L., T. Isaji, P. Hall. and A.A. Allen (2006), A hierarchy of stochastic particle models for search and rescue (SAR): Application to predict surface drifter trajectories using HF radar current facing, Journal of Marine Environmental Engineering, 8(3), 181-214.
  • Hall, P.S. and C. Kincaid (2004), Melting, dehydration and the geochemistry of off-axis plume-ridge interaction, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys., 5, Q12E18, doi:10.1029/2003GC000667. (pdf)
  • Hall, P.S. and C. Kincaid (2003), Melting, dehydration and the dynamics of off-axis plume-ridge interaction, Geochem. Geophys. Geosys., 4, 8510, doi:10.1029/2003GC000567. (pdf)
  • Kincaid, C. and P.S. Hall (2003), The role of back-arc spreading in circulation and melting at subduction zones, J. Geophys. Res., 108(B5), doi:10.1029/2001JB001174. (pdf)
  • Hall, P.S. and C. Kincaid (2001), Diapiric flow at subduction zones: A recipe for rapid transport, Science, 292, 2472-2475. (pdf)