ben holtzman

My research combines rock physics, seismology and geodynamics. Through field work, experiments and theory, I have studied the interactions of melt migration and deformation and the influences of melt on the mechanical properties of rocks in the deep Earth. Currently, my work is focused on the interpretation of seismic velocities measured at plate boundaries in terms of both rock fabrics and melt distribution, towards building more detailed images of the structure of plate boundaries and the upper mantle. Such images provide an observational basis for understanding convection and plate motion as the general mechanism for heat extraction from the Earth.

other:
Sounds of Seismology (LDEO Open House 2008)
Some illustrations

Some Recent papers

[13] D. S. H. King, B.K. Holtzman and D. L. Kohlstedt, ``An experimental investigation of the interactions between reaction-driven and stress-driven melt segregation: 2. Disaggregation at high melt fraction'', article 2011GC003685, Geophysics, Geochemistry, and Geosystems vol. 12, Q12020, 12 pp., doi:10.1029/2011GC003685, Dec. 2011.
PDF from AGU

[12] D. S. H. King, B.K. Holtzman and D. L. Kohlstedt, ``An experimental investigation of the interactions between reaction-driven and stress-driven melt segregation: 2. Application to mantle melt ex- traction'', article 2011GC003684, Geophysics, Geochemistry, and Geosystems vol. 12, Q12019, 16 pp., doi:10.1029/2011GC003684, Dec. 2011.
PDF from AGU

[11] B.K. Holtzman and J.-M. Kendall, ``Organized Melt, Seismic Anisotropy, and Plate Boundary Lubrication'', article 2010GC003296, Geophysics, Geochemistry, and Geosystems 11, Q0AB06, doi:10.1029/ 2010GC003296, Dec. 2010.
PDF from AGU

[8,9,10] Takei, Y. and B. Holtzman. Viscous constitutive relations of solid-liquid composites in terms of grain boundary contiguity, 1, 2 & 3. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2009
A summary

[7] Kohlstedt, D.L. and B. Holtzman. Shearing Melt Out of the Earth: An Experimentalist's Perspective on the Influence of Deformation on Melt Extraction. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 2009. 37:561-593
pdf

[6] B.K. Holtzman and D. L. Kohlstedt. Stress-driven Melt Segregation and Strain Partitioning in Partially Molten Rocks: Effects of Stress and Strain Journal of Petrology 48: 2379-2406. 2007
pdf from J.Pet.

[5] Katz, R. F., M. Spiegelman, and B. Holtzman, (2006) The dynamics of melt and shear localization in partially molten aggregates, Nature, 442, 676--679, doi:10.1038/nature05039.

[4] B.K. Holtzman, D.L. Kohlstedt, J.Phipps Morgan. Viscous Energy Dissipation and Strain Partitioning in Partially Molten Rocks. Journal of Petrology , doi:10.1093/petrology/egi065, 2005
pdf from J.Petrology

[3] J.Phipps Morgan and B.K. Holtzman. Melt transport and deformation of partially molten viscoelastic rocks: the Vug Wave. G^3 (Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems) V. 6, No. 8, 2005
pdf

[2] B.K. Holtzman, D.L. Kohlstedt, M.E. Zimmerman, F. Heidelbach, T. Hiraga, and J. Hustoft. Melt segregation and strain partitioning: Implications for seismic anisotropy and mantle flow, Science 301 , p. 1227-1230, August 29, 2003
pdf

[1] B. K. Holtzman, M. E. Zimmerman, N. J. Groebner, S. B. Ginsberg, and D. L. Kohlstedt. Stress-driven melt segregation in partially molten rocks. G^3 (Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems), vol. 4, no. 5, May, 2003
pdf