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Department of Earth Sciences

 

 

 Image courtesy USGS, #0634. February 23, 2005)This grouping combines research into igneous, metamorphic and volcanic processes to enhance understanding of global tectonics as well as their more immediate impacts on our surficial environment. Our strategy is to integrate geological observational studies (field work, petrology, geochemical and isotopic analyses) with interdisciplinary work on multiphase flow in deformable media and the properties of the materials involved.

Current Research

  • Mantle heterogeneity and melt transport: Isotope geochemistry, microanalysis and thermodynamics are used to characterise compositional heterogeneity in the convecting mantle. These observations constrain our statistical and computational models of the long-term evolution of Earth's geochemical structure and now highlight the relationship between heterogeneity and melt transport.
  • Mantle convection and lithospheric structure: The study of mafic and ultramafic rocks from ocean islands, mid-ocean ridges, large igneous provinces and the continental interiors is used to probe mantle thermal structure and flow field and test models of mantle convection and lithospheric stability.
  • Magma chambers: Observations of rock textures and compositional microanalyses are coupled with theoretical models and the results of laboratory experiments to understand magma chamber processes, including evolution of crystal mushes at chamber margins and mixing in the chamber interior.
  • Volcanic processes: The establishment of remote, high-resolution measurements of volcanic gases in conjunction with analyses of melt inclusions to model the physical processes occurring during volcanic eruptions.
  • Thermodynamics, Mountain Building and Crustal Evolution: Quantitative estimates of changes in pressure and temperature are being made using mineral compositional zonation and thermodynamic databases. The complexity of zoning can be linked to tectonic movements in the Earth's crust.

We have well-equipped geochemical laboratories for the preparation and geochemical analysis of minerals and rocks. The Department has laboratories for high pressure and temperature experiments and also for fluid dynamical investigations.

Recent publications in this area.


People specializing in this area

Academic Staff
Name Office phone Email address
Professor Marie Edmonds +44 (0) 1223 333463 marie.edmonds@esc.cam.ac.uk
Professor Sally Anne Gibson PhD, FGS, AGU, MinS +44 (0) 1223 333401 sally@esc.cam.ac.uk
Professor Marian Holness FRS +44 (0) 1223 333434 marian@esc.cam.ac.uk
Professor John Maclennan +44 (0) 1223 761602 jcm1004@cam.ac.uk
Professor Jerome A Neufeld +44 (0) 1223 765709 jn271@cam.ac.uk
Dr Oliver Shorttle +44 (0) 1223 768328 os258@esc.cam.ac.uk
Professor Nicholas Tosca +44 (0) 1223 330670 njt41@cam.ac.uk
Dr Maximillian Van Wyk de Vries msv27@cam.ac.uk
Dr Owen Weller +44 (0) 1223 333464 ow212@cam.ac.uk
Prof Helen M. Williams +44 (0) 1223 333411 hmw20@cam.ac.uk
Professor Andy Woods +44 (0) 1223 765702 andy@bpi.cam.ac.uk
Research Staff
Name Office phone Email address
Elsa Amsellem eda27@cam.ac.uk
Dr Charles D. Beard cdb53@cam.ac.uk
Dr Iris Buisman +44 (0) 1223 333402 ib330@cam.ac.uk
Dr Jason Day +44 (0) 1223 765282 jafd2@cam.ac.uk
Dr Heye Freymuth +44 (0) 1223 333455 hf325@cam.ac.uk
Justin Hu jh2363@cam.ac.uk
Dr Simon Matthews sm905@cam.ac.uk
Dr Kathryn Shaw kms91@cam.ac.uk
Joshua Shea jjs83@cam.ac.uk
Dr Carrie Soderman +44 (0) 1223 333441 cs801@cam.ac.uk
Dr Zoltán Taracsák +44 (0) 1223 768357 zt265@cam.ac.uk
Research Students
Name Office phone Email address
Charlotte Gordon cg712@cam.ac.uk
Claire Marie Guimond cmg76@cam.ac.uk
Ayesha Landon-Browne arrl3@cam.ac.uk
Nicholas Lucas nl423@cam.ac.uk
Sophie Miocevich +44 (0) 1223 333425 srm81@cam.ac.uk
Matthew Morris mcm96@cam.ac.uk
Devesh Verma dv328@cam.ac.uk
Emeritus and College Teaching Staff
Name Office phone Email address
Professor Michael James Bickle FRS +44 (0) 1223 333484 mb72@esc.cam.ac.uk
Dr Judith Bunbury +44 (0) 1223 765260 jmb21@esc.cam.ac.uk
Professor Tim Holland tjbh@cam.ac.uk
All members of the Department
Name Office phone Email address
Dr Charles D. Beard cdb53@cam.ac.uk
Professor Michael James Bickle FRS +44 (0) 1223 333484 mb72@esc.cam.ac.uk
Dr Judith Bunbury +44 (0) 1223 765260 jmb21@esc.cam.ac.uk
Dr Jason Day +44 (0) 1223 765282 jafd2@cam.ac.uk
Professor Marie Edmonds +44 (0) 1223 333463 marie.edmonds@esc.cam.ac.uk
Dr Heye Freymuth +44 (0) 1223 333455 hf325@cam.ac.uk
Professor Sally Anne Gibson PhD, FGS, AGU, MinS +44 (0) 1223 333401 sally@esc.cam.ac.uk
Charlotte Gordon cg712@cam.ac.uk
Claire Marie Guimond cmg76@cam.ac.uk
Professor Tim Holland tjbh@cam.ac.uk
Professor Marian Holness FRS +44 (0) 1223 333434 marian@esc.cam.ac.uk
Ayesha Landon-Browne arrl3@cam.ac.uk
Nicholas Lucas nl423@cam.ac.uk
Professor John Maclennan +44 (0) 1223 761602 jcm1004@cam.ac.uk
Dr Simon Matthews sm905@cam.ac.uk
Sophie Miocevich +44 (0) 1223 333425 srm81@cam.ac.uk
Matthew Morris mcm96@cam.ac.uk
Joshua Shea jjs83@cam.ac.uk
Dr Oliver Shorttle +44 (0) 1223 768328 os258@esc.cam.ac.uk
Dr Carrie Soderman +44 (0) 1223 333441 cs801@cam.ac.uk
Dr Zoltán Taracsák +44 (0) 1223 768357 zt265@cam.ac.uk
Professor Nicholas Tosca +44 (0) 1223 330670 njt41@cam.ac.uk
Dr Maximillian Van Wyk de Vries msv27@cam.ac.uk
Devesh Verma dv328@cam.ac.uk
Dr Owen Weller +44 (0) 1223 333464 ow212@cam.ac.uk
Professor Andy Woods +44 (0) 1223 765702 andy@bpi.cam.ac.uk