Research Interests and Expertise

Metamorphic geology

My students and I are interested in metamorphic geology and what it can tell us about broader problems in Earth Science.

Metamorphic geology is concerned with:

(1) the ways in which rocks change in response to variations in depth, temperature and fluid movement in the Earth's crust and mantle,

(2) the time scales over which these changes occur, and

(3) the underlying geochemical and tectonic processes that control these changes.

Metamorphic geology is used to:

(1) understand ancient mountain building and other plate tectonic processes,

(2) decipher the thermal evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle from 4 billion years ago to the present,

(3) understand how ore deposits have been formed or modified by metamorphism, and

(4) provide constraints for geophysical studies of the unexposed crust and mantle.

The specialized areas of metamorphic geology that I am interested in include:

(1) phase equilibria, especially of metapelites (metamorphosed mud-rocks) and metabasites (metamorphosed basaltic rocks),

(2) the interplay between equilibrium and kinetics in metamorphic processes,

(3) contact metamorphism around igneous intrusions, and

(4) metamorphosed ore deposits.

Some current topics I am working can be found here.  

Applications of metamorphic geology to Earth Science:

Metamorphic geology is especially interesting when brought to bear on broader structural, tectonic and ore-related problems in collaboration with other researchers. Over the last couple of decades, my students have helped illuminate the tectonic evolution of the Omineca belt of the southern Canadian Cordillera in southeastern British Columbia through their metamorphically-focused studies, as synthesized in a recent field guide and overview of this region.

Go to my graduate students webpage to see the range of problems in Earth Science that are currently being addressed by the application of metamorphic geology. If you are a potential student, go to my research opportunities webpage to see some ideas for new research.

My research program is mainly funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). My students and I also receive research support from external agencies such as the Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada’s ‘Targeted Geoscience Initiative’, GeoscienceBC,  and a number of provincial surveys.

In addition to my metamorphic research, I'm also faculty supervisor of our electron microprobe lab (UCLEMA). We have a JEOL JXA-8200 'Superprobe'. Dr. Rob Marr is the manager and operator of the facility.

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