University of Calgary

Solid Earth Processes


The solid Earth is one component of the interconnected Earth system. Like the oceans, atmosphere, and biosphere, the solid Earth is dynamic. From core motions at the centre, through mantle convection, plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and land surface evolution, the solid Earth is always changing. Research at the University of Calgary investigates the geochemical and geophysical processes of the solid Earth. Answers to basic questions regarding the structure and deformation of the crust, the dynamics of crust-mantle interaction, and the evolution of magmatic systems, can lead to surprisingly practical benefits to society such as the assessment and mitigation of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and the characterization and discovery of mineral resources. Enquires from potential graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and collaborators are welcome.

People

Research and Teaching Faculty

Fred Cook
Seismic reflection, lithospheric structure and evolution, Precambrian geology, LITHOPROBE. >> more
David Eaton
Structure and dynamics of Earth's interior, seismological imaging methods. >> more
David Pattison
Metamorphism; thermodynamics, phase equilibria and kinetics applied to rocks; ore deposits; tectonics. >> more
Patrick Wu
Geodynamics, model deformations of Earth, evolution of sedimentary basins, intraplate earthquakes, earth rotation and Dynamic Reference System. >> more
New Mineralogist: Starting August 2008

Teaching Faculty

Melissa Giovanni
Tectonics of orogenic systems, sedimentology, basin analysis, tectonic geomorphology, field geology, fold-thrust belts, extensional tectonics.
Jennifer Owen
Radiogenic isotope geochemistry, petrology of ultrapotassic and potassic volcanic rocks, mineral chemistry, mantle metasomatism. >> more
Leslie Reid, Tamaratt Teaching Professor
Structural geology, field geology, geochemistry, geochronology, tectonics. >> more

Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Staff

Fred Gaidies
• Faculty mentor: David Pattison.
• Project/Interests: Modelling metamorphic reactions taking account of equilibrium and disequilibrium effects. >> more
Robert Marr
Senior Technician and Lab Manager, University of Calgary Laboratory for Electron Microbeam Analysis (UCLEMA). >> more
Kris Vasudevan
Seismic data processing and interpretation of reflection seismic and georadar data, time-series analysis of non-stationary data, pattern recognition methods in data analysis. >> more

Professors Emeriti

Ed Ghent, Faculty of Science Research Professor
Geochemistry and petrology of metamorphic rocks, electron microprobe analysis, application of physical chemistry to petrology. >> more
Jon Jones
Crystallography, optical mineralogy, landslides and mass movement.
Jim Nicholls
Crystallization paths of magmas, thermodynamic modeling of igneous processes. >> more
Philip Simony
Thrust tectonics, hinterland-foreland deformation links, structure of metamorphic complexes, pluton geometry, emplacement and deformation.

Ph.D. Students

Kadircan Aktas
• Supervisor: Eaton
• Project/Interests: Lithospheric structure of the western Grenville orogen from teleseismic studies.
Catrina Alexandrakis
• Supervisor: Eaton
• Project/Interests: Studies of Earth's outermost core by array analysis of SmKS phases.
Joel Cubley
• Supervisor: Pattison (Brady, Simony, Hoskin).
• Project/Interests: The Kettle River Fault Zone, SE British Columbia: metamorphic contrast, timing and tectonic significance. >> more
Chris Couëslan
• Supervisor: Pattison (Brady, Hoskin).
• Project/Interests: Metamorphism and tectonics in the Thompson Nickel Belt, Manitoba. >> more
Wayne Edwards
• Supervisor: Eaton (Peter Brown, UWO).
• Project/Interests: Seismic detection and analysis of atmospheric airbursts caused by bolide fireballs./td>
Shutian Ma
• Supervisor: Eaton
• Project/Interests: Origin and characteristics of intraplate seismicity of central and eastern Canada.
David Moynihan
• Supervisor: Pattison (Brady, Cook, Simony).
• Project/Interests: Tectonothermal studies in the Kootenay Lake segment of the Kootenay Arc. >> more
Hendro Nugroho
• Supervisor: Brady
• Project/Interests: Kinematic evolution of the Lime Ridge fault, southern Virgin Mountains, Nevada.
Rick Schroeder
• Supervisor: Brady (Pattison, Spratt)
• Project/Interests: Fault kinematics of the Maacama Fault zone, California; geologic mapping, remote sensing, shallow geophysics, and (U-Th)/He thermochronometry.
Adar Steinitz
• Supervisor: Hoskin (Pattison)
• Project/Interests: Plutonic geochemistry, magmatic differentiation, Canadian Cordillera.

Masters Students

Heather Ainsworth
• Supervisor: Cook
• Project/Interests: Structure of the Moyie Anticline, imaged by a three-dimensional pseudo-grid of reflection seismic in southeastern British Columbia.
Erik Parker
• Supervisor: Ghent (Simony)
• Project/Interests: Metamorphism and structure of Late Precambrian rocks, eastern Esplanade Range, British Columbia.
Graham Spray
• Supervisor: Ghent (Simony)
• Project/Interests: High-grade metamorphism, migmatites, isograds, structural geology, Mica Creek, British Columbia.

Undergraduate Research Students

Chris Pettman
• Supervisor: Pattison
• Project/Interests: Basement influence on uranium mineralisation in the Thelon Basin, NWT. >> more

Selected Publications

Carr, S. D. and Simony, P. S. (2006) Ductile thrusting versus channel flow in the southeastern Canadian Cordillera: evolution of a coherent crystalline thrust sheet. In: Law, R. D., Searle, M. P., and Godin, L., Eds. Channel Flow Ductile Extrusion and Exhumation in Continental Collision Zones. Geological Society, London, Special Publication 268, pp. 561-550.

Cook, F. A., Hall, K. W. and Lynn, C. E. (2005) The edge of northwestern North America at ~1.8 Ga. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 42, pp. 983-997.

Cook, F. A. and Siegel, S. M. (2006) From Proterozoic strata to a synthesized seismic reflection trace; implications for regional seismic reflection patterns in northwestern Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 43, pp. 1639-1651.

Cook, F. A. and Vasudevan, K. (2006) Reprocessing and enhanced interpretation of the initial COCORP Southern Appalachians traverse. Tectonophysics 420, pp. 161-174.

Eaton, D. W. (2006) Backscattering from spherical elastic inclusions and accuracy of the Kirchhoff approximation for curved interfaces. Geophysical Journal International 166, pp. 1249–1258.

Eaton, D. W. (2006) Multi-genetic origin of the continental Moho: Insights from LITHOPROBE. Terra Nova 18, pp. 34–43.

Eaton, D. W. and Frederiksen, A. (2007) Seismic evidence for convection-driven motion of the North American plate. Nature 446, pp. 428–431.

Eaton, D. W. and Kendall, J.-M. (2006) Improving seismic resolution of outermost core structure by multichannel analysis and deconvolution of broadband SmKS phases. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 155, pp. 104–119.

Gaidies, F., Abart, R., de Capitani, C., Schuster, R., Connolly, J. A. D., and Reusser, E., (2006) Characterization of polymetamorphism in the Austroalpine basement east of the Tauern Window using garnet isopleth thermobarometry. Journal of Metamorphic Geology 24, 451–475.

Gaidies, F., de Capitani, C., Abart, R., and Schuster, R. (in press) Prograde garnet growth along complex P-T-t paths: Results from numerical experiments on polyphase garnet from the Woelz Complex (Austroalpine basement). Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology doi: 10.1007/s00410-007-0264-y.

Gaidies, F., de Capitani, C., and Abart, R. (in press). THERIA_G: A software program to numerically model prograde garnet growth. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology doi: 10.1007/s00410-007-0263-z.

Ghent, E. D., Dipple, G. M., and Russell, J. K. (2004) Thermodynamic models for eclogitic mantle lithosphere. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 218, pp. 451–462.

Ghent, E. D. and Simony, P. S. (2005) Geometry of isogradic, isothermal, and isobaric surfaces, interpretation and applications. Canadian Mineralogist 43, pp. 295–310.

Ghent, E. and Villeneuve, M. (2006) 40Ar/39Ar dates on hornblende, muscovite and biotite from the Mica Creek area, British Columbia: regional metamorphic and tectonic implications. Canadian Journal of Earth Science 43, pp. 83–100.

Hanchar, J. M. and Hoskin, P. W. O. (2003) Zircon. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 53, Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, D.C., 500 p.

Hoskin, P. W. O. (2005) Trace-element composition of hydrothermal zircon and the alteration of Hadean zircon from the Jack Hills, Australia. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 69, pp. 637–648.

Hoskin, P. W. O. and Ireland, T. R. (2000) Rare earth element chemistry of zircon and its use as a provenance indicator. Geology 28, pp. 627–630.

Hoskin, P. W. O., Kinny, P. D., Wyborn, D. and Chappell, B. W. (2000) Identifying accessory mineral saturation during differentiation in granitoid magmas: an integrated approach. Journal of Petrology 41, pp. 1365–1396.

Hoskin, P. W. O. and Wysoczanski, R. J. (1998) In situ accurate and precise lead isotopic analysis of ultra-small analyte volumes (10–16 m3) of solid inorganic samples by high mass resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry 13, pp. 597–602.

Karato, S. and Wu, P. (1993) Rheology of the upper mantle: a synthesis. Science 260, pp. 771–778.

Laberge, J. D. and Pattison, D. R. M. (2007) Geology of the western margin of the Grand Forks complex, southern British Columbia: high-grade Cretaceous metamorphism followed by Early Tertiary extension on the Granby fault. Canadian Journal of Earth Science 44, pp. 199–228.

Ma, S. and Eaton, D. W. (2007) Western Quebec Seismic Zone (Canada): Clustered, mid-crustal seismicity along a Mesozoic hotspot track. Journal of Geophysical Research 112, B06305, doi: 10.1029/2006JB004827.

Owen, J. P. (2007) Geochemistry of lamprophyres from the Western Alps, Italy: implications for the origin of an enriched isotopic component in the Italian mantle. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology doi: 10.1007/s00410-007-0246-0

Pattison, D. R. M. (2006) The fate of graphite in prograde metamorphism of pelites: an example from the Ballachulish aureole, Scotland. Lithos 88, pp. 85–99.

Pattison, D. R. M., Chacko, T., Farquhar, J. and McFarlane, C. R. M. (2003) Temperatures of granulite facies metamorphism: constraints from experimental phase equilibria and thermobarometry corrected for late Fe-Mg exchange. Journal of Petrology 44, pp. 867–900.

Pattison, D. R. M. and Vogl, J. J. (2005) Contrasting sequences of metapelitic mineral-assemblages in the aureole of the tilted Nelson Batholith, British Columbia: implications for phase equilibria and pressure determination in andalusite-sillimanite type settings. In: Pattison, D.R.M., St-Onge, M.R., Bégin, N.J. and Martin, R.F., Eds, Truth and beauty in metamorphism: A tribute to Dugald M. Carmichael. Canadian Mineralogist 43, pp. 51–88.

Raeside, R. R. and Simony, P. S. (1983) Stratigraphy and deformational history of the Scrip Nappe, Monashee Mountains, British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 20, pp. 639–650.

Simony, P. S. and Carr, S. D. (1997) Large lateral ramps in the Eocene Valkyr Shear zone: extensional ductile faulting controlled by plutonism in southern British Columbia. Journal of Structural Geology 19, pp. 769-784.

Simony, P. S., Sevigny, J. H., Mortensen, J. K., and Roback, R. C. (2006) Age and origin of the Trail Gneiss Complex: basement to Quesnel Terrane near Trail, southeastern British Columbia. In: Colpron, M. and Nelson, J. L., Eds. Paleozoic Evolution and Metallogeny of Pericratonic Terranes at the Ancient Pacific Margin of North America. Canadian and Alaskan Cordillera. Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper 45, pp. 505-515.

Tinkham, D. K. and Ghent, E. D. (2005a) Estimating P-T conditions of garnet growth with isochemical phase diagram sections and the problem of effective bulk composition. Canadian Mineralogist 43, pp. 295–310.

Tinkham, D. K. and Ghent, E. D. (2005b) XRMapAnal: a program for the quantitative analysis of element map. American Mineralogist 43, pp. 295–310.

Tomkins, A. G., Pattison, D. R. M. and Frost, B. R. (2007) On the initiation of metamorphic sulfide anatexis. Journal of Petrology 48, pp. 511–535.

van der Velden, A. J. and Cook, F. A. (2005) Relict subduction zones in Canada. Journal of Geophysical Research 110, no. B8, 17 pp.

Vasudevan, K., Eaton, D. W., and Cook, F.A. (2005) Adaptation of seismic skeletonization for other geoscience applications. Geophysical Journal International 162, pp. 975-993.

Wang, H. S. and Wu, P. (2006) Effects of lateral variations in lithospheric thickness and mantle viscosity on glacially induced relative sea levels and long wavelength gravity field in a spherical, self-gravitating Maxwell Earth. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 249, pp. 368–383.

Wu, P. (1991) Flexure of lithosphere beneath the Alberta Foreland Basin: Evidence of an eastward stiffening continental lithosphere. Geophysical Research Letters 18, pp. 451–454.

Wu, P. (1998) Will earthquake activity in Eastern Canada increase in the next few thousand years? Canadian Journal of Earth Science 35, pp. 562–568.

Wu, P. and Mazzotti, S. (2007) Effects of a lithospheric weak zone on postglacial seismotectonics in Eastern Canada and Northeastern USA. In: Stein, S. and Mazzotti, S., Eds, GSA Special Paper 425, Continental intraplate earthquakes: science, hazard and policy issues.

Wu P. and Peltier, W. R. (1984) Pleistocene deglaciation and the earth's rotation: a new analysis. Geophy. J. R. Astr. Soc. 76, pp. 753–792.

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