Geodynamicist · Independent Researcher
Diandian Peng
I study how mantle convection shapes plate tectonics, subduction, and the Earth's surface — building global geodynamic models that assimilate geological and geophysical data to reconstruct the deep Earth's recent past.
d3peng@ucsd.edu) and UIUC (dp6@illinois.edu) — are no longer active. The best way to reach me is pengdiand@gmail.com.
Research
I use global and regional mantle convection models, constrained by data assimilation, to connect deep-mantle processes with surface observations — reconstructing how slabs sink, stagnate, and interact with plumes, and how that history shapes lithospheric structure, magmatism, anisotropy, and topography.
A global mantle-convection model in motion, built on the Müller et al. (2016) plate reconstruction.
Selected projects
About
I held a postdoctoral position at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, working with Dr. Dave Stegman on slab–plume interaction dynamics. Before that, I earned my Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign under Dr. Lijun Liu, and my Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Geophysics from the University of Science and Technology of China.
My work sits at the interface of geodynamics, seismology, and tectonics. I'm drawn to problems where a physical model of mantle flow can be confronted directly with the geological and geophysical record — combining global and regional convection models, data assimilation, and observations of seismic structure, magmatism, and surface topography. I also take part in observational work: on a 2023 R/V Thomas G. Thompson cruise, I helped deploy ocean-bottom seismometers near the Lau Basin and the Samoa Hotspot.
My postdoctoral position at Scripps concluded in June 2025. Since then I have been a full-time father while staying active in the research community, and I continue to welcome invitations to review manuscripts in geodynamics, tectonics, and mantle dynamics. Please feel free to reach out.