Dr. Lavier's research focuses on large scale, tectonic questions, specifically the dynamic structural and geodynamical evolution of continental and oceanic rifts as well as collisional environments. To address these questions, he has used and developed numerical techniques to model tectonic processes on crustal and lithospheric scales. Lavier uses a variety of geophysical and geological data to constrain and quantify tectonic processes, including "How To Break a Continent." These different studies led to the development of parametrizations to understand such phenomena as the localization of deformation and the initiation of subduction.