An assistant professor of geosciences at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has received a $226,543 Faculty Early Career Development Program award from the National Science Foundation, the university announced Thursday.

Gregory Dumond will use the money to further his research on major intracontinental strike-slip faults in the earth’s lower crust, according to a UA news release. Dumond is analyzing the Canadian Shield, an area in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan that was formed by local strains and major intracontinental faults deep inside the earth.

He hopes the work will answer questions about the formation of the Tibetan plateau.

The project will also address some hotly debated topics in the field of geosciences such as continental collision and deformation along the earth’s crust.

Dumond joined UA faculty in August 2010. The award will fund his work for the next five years.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 16 on 05/10/2013