| Citation | Distinguished for his contributions to our knowledge of tectonics and metamorphic processes in the crust of the Earth. Oxburgh has attempted to integrate knowledge from structural geology, geophysics and geochemistry. His work in Venezuela and the Alps has been directed at the understanding of the tectonic and thermal history of mobile regions as revealed by structure and mineral assemblages. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of thermal events in regions of crustal subduction and to large scale convection processes in general. Recent work has been concerned with geochemical aspects of heat production in mobile regions and the relationship of heat production to metamorphism and observed surface heat flow. This work is vital to our understanding of crustal evolution. |