break

boston/blizzard-Pato/Vero-Montreal

finals and paper writing

LA ICP MS

SC and VY ols for V values

Mount Merapi's eruptions

more photos

Paricutin volcano, Mexico

Eruptions At Anak Krakatau Volcano, Indonesia 1st November 2010

James Reynolds filmed Spectacular Explosive Eruptions At Anak Krakatau Volcano, Indonesia Yesterday 1st November 2010

A cross section of Earth

Mid Terms

Recent Geology News

Hungarian toxic damn break

4.3 magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma

Preparing documents to laser MORB olivine and glass on Friday
lasered
intro to XANES in AMAG
column chemistry AMAG lab
chem potential
component transformation
open house Saturday

making and preparing laser mounts for Friday (V and ols)
Sm -> Nd
La -> Hf
Rb -> Sr
Bulk silicate Earth
Calorimetry
Chinese harvest festival
Homework
Rangers at Devils

lab

polishing, erasing melt inclusions

back to the classroom

C.G. - math review, differential equations
C.G. - thermodynamics intro, zeroth law (no perpetual motion), 1/2 law (if you squish something it gets small)

I.G, intro to standard eqn w/ 87Rb->87Sr
87Sr = 87Sr(intial) + 87Sr * (e^(lt)-1)
86Sr = 86Sr(intial) + 86Sr * e^(-lt)

used to determine age of solar system and last geologic activity on Mars


I.C. resonance, Lewis structures, bond angles, electronegativity, electron affinity

LA ICP MS

Zapping Cima olivines and Uinkaret melt inclusions.

RF SONNE

My floating home in the Pacific for two weeks off the coast of Coasta Rica and Nicaragua. Looking at pillow basalts and volcanoclastics from seamounts.

manhattan center for science and mathematics

Costa Rica

meeting here

red blobs, blue blobs, low velocity anomaly, high velocity anomaly, water, degree of melting, pressure, temperature

FTIR at AMNH

Final Exams are not my favorite thing to do

Thermodynamics
Petrology

EMP at AMNH

Ash plume from Eyjafjallajokull Volcano, Iceland

South West Field Work

This is my office on a good day.

Cima Field Area

View Cima Field Area in a larger map

SIMS at DTM in DC

making an indium mount

Magnetite (spinel specie)

The spinel species magnetite (Fe3O4) is found in a huge range of different rock types. The equilibrium between quartz, olivine, and magnetite is used as a reference to specify a commonly-occuring oxygen pressure typical of rocks formed near the Earth's surface. In addition, magnetites in many igneous and metamorphic rocks are titaniferous (containing ulvospinel, Fe2TiO4, in solid solution). Titaniferous magnetites coexisting with ilmenite solid solution are sensitive to both temperature and redox conditions (oxygen fugacity), and in favorable conditions the compositions of both phases can indicate the temperature at which they formed.

from: Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy (2008) Dyar, M. and Gunther, M.; Mineralogical Society of America.

Spinel

Spinel (MgAl2O4) At about 400 km, the olivine structure is no longer stable. It changes spontaneously from the olivine structure to a spinel-type structure, which takes up 8% less space; the composition remains the same (though we now call it beta-Mg2SiO4). This causes seismic discontinuity at about 300-400 km depth that is the boundary tranistion zone.

from: Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy (2008) Dyar, M. and Gunther, M.; Mineralogical Society of America.

Hematite

Hematite(Fe2O3) is a common member of the corundum group and is usually found in sedimentary of metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. When present in metamorphic or igneous rocks, it is indicative of highly oxidizing conditions. The red color of hematite is very intense because the Fe(+3)O6 octahedra are somewhat asymmetric, intensifying the bands in the hematite spectrum.

from: Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy (2008) Dyar, M. and Gunther, M.; Mineralogical Society of America.

Ilmenite

Ilmenite (FeTiO3) is extremely common in both igneous and metamorphic rocks, where it's presence often serves as a signature of high activity of TiO2 saturation and/or relatively reducing conditions. Ilmenite typically contains some magnetite (Fe2O3) in solid solution and in favorable conditions can help indicate both temperature and redox conditions under which it formed.

Ilmenite is antiferromagnetic.

from: Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy (2008) Dyar, M. and Gunther, M.; Mineralogical Society of America.

Fundamental minerals of Igneous Petrology

This list of minerals is organized by ascending number of Oxygens.

Iron Oxides (3)
ilmenite FeTiO3
hematite Fe2O3 <-----> Fe6O9

Spinel (4)
spinel MgAl2O4
hercynite FeAl2O4 note: hercynite is relate to magnetite
chromite MgCr2O4
Ferritchromite FeCr2O4

magnetite Fe3O4 <-----> Fe608
ulvospinel Fe2TiO4

Olivine (4)
fosterite Mg2SiO4
fayalite Fe2SiO4

Pyroxene (6)
enstatite Mg2Si2O6 opx
ferrosilite Fe2Si2O6 opx
diopside CaMgSi2O6 cpx
hedenbergite CaFeSi2O6 cpx
Wollastinite Ca2Si2O6 cpx note: pyroxenoid

jadite NaAlSi2O6 note: high pressure, composition btwn Ab & Np
MgAl2SiO6

Feldspar (8)
Plagioclase
anorthite CaAl2Si2O8
albite NaAlSi3O8

Potassium Felspar
albite NaAlSi3O8
orthoclase KAlSi3O8

Mica (10) + (OH)
TRICK: remember from talc compositition
talc Mg3Si4O10(OH)

biotite KMg3AlSi3O10(OH)
phengite KMgAl2Si3O10(OH)
annite KFe3AlSi3O10(OH)

muscovite KAl3Si3O10(OH)

Garnet (12)
pyrope Mg3Al2Si3O12
almandine Fe3Al2Si3O12
grossular Ca3Al2Si3O12

grossularite Ca3AlFeSi3O12

Amphiboles (22) + 2(OH)
tremolite-actinolite Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2
cummingtonite Mg7Si8O22(OH)2

edenite NaCa2Mg5Si7AlO22(OH)2 hornblende
tschermakite Ca2Mg3Al2Si6Al2O22(OH)2 hornblende
pargasite NaCa2Mg4AlSi7Al2O22(OH)2 hornblende

glaucophane Na2Mg3Al2Si8O22(OH)2

LA-ICPMS at LDEO