Mineralogy & Petrology
Most geochemical reactions near the Earth’s surface and in the crust involve a fluid phase or occur at fluid-mineral interfaces. Understanding and prediction of large-scale natural and anthropogenic processes involving these reactions ultimately depends on a fundamental understanding of the chemistry involved. Craig Lundstrom is working to understand igneous processes at mid-ocean ridges and other tectonic settings. Recently, he has been addressing the issue of how diffusion can affect rock composition. Facilities for this work include the new ICPMS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) lab, a laboratory for experimental petrology, a TIMS lab, and a dedicated SEM. Prof. Lundstrom also sponsors studies at the Center for Materials Research.
Jay Bass uses a variety of sophisticated techniques (including diamond anvils, Brillouin Spectroscopy, and the Advanced Photon Source) to characterize mineral phases that exist in the mantle, and to interpret the mantle‘s chemical composition. Prof. Bass is an active participant and current President of the COnsortium for Material Properties Research in Earth Sciences (COMPRES).
The University of Illinois is the home of the Materials Research Center, which hosts a great variety of state-of-the-art equipment for analysis of materials at the nano-scale. Researchers from our department also take advantage of the proximity of the Advanced Photon Source facility at Argonne National Laboratory.
- Prof. Jay Bass mineral elasticity, mantle mineralogy, effects of shock waves, Brillouin Spectroscopy
- Prof. Steve Altaner Mineralogy of clay minerals and sedimentary rocks
- Prof. Craig Lundstrom Uranium series disequilibria, rates of magmatic processes
- Prof. C.Y. Chen petrology, hotspots
- Dr. Michael Stewart Stable isotope and trace element geochemistry of basaltic systems
