Wed 8th August @ noon, Rm 312.222

Abstract:

Partial melting and the segregation and migration of melt are the fundamental processes governing the formation and chemical differentiation of Earth’s lithosphere. These processes can be constrained using a combination of melt modelling, using new thermodynamic activity models which now allow the precise modelling of the melting of both ultramafic (mantle) and mafic (basalt) sources; and through empirical observations, such as geochemical and isotopic measurements, particularly within accessory minerals. These approaches will be deployed in tracing the conceptual chemical evolution of planet Earth: (a) charting how the chemistry of Earth’s first primary crust reflects that of mantle from which it was extracted; (b) the generation and geodynamic of Earth’s early continental crust; (c) the evolution and differentiation of that crust; and (d) the genesis of economically crucial mineral deposits hosted by highly evolved melts.

Short bio:

Nick Gardiner is a Research Fellow at CET-Curtin Node under the Timescales of Mineral Systems theme. He has a BA in geology from the University of Oxford, a MSc in geochemistry from the University of Leeds, and then returned to Oxford to complete a DPhil in isotope and metamorphic geochemistry. After a number of years working in the global commodities markets (JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch), he returned to Oxford (and academia) in 2013, and joined Curtin in 2015. His current research focuses on using geochemical tools to constrain magmatic-metamorphic processes notably: (a) petrogenetic controls on granite-hosted mineral deposits; (b) the growth and development of Earth’s early continental crust; (c) Hf isotope systematics applied to crustal evolution studies; (d) talking about himself in the third person. He moves to Monash in September.