The combination of experimental petrology and thermodynamic modeling provides powerful insights into the igneous and metamorphic processes by which Earth and other planets evolved. My research involves the development of experimental techniques together with modeling of the experimental data to constrain the nature of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments through the study of synthetic analogs.
The topics I am currently involved with:
Melt and fluid compositions in equilibrium with mantle material. Aqueous fluids play an important role in melting and metasomatism of the Earth’s mantle; I study the role of volatiles (H2O, CO2, etc.) in dehydration/hydration and melting processes in the mantle.
The evolution of meteorite groups. Samples delivered to the Earth as meteorites provide us with a unique opportunity to study the timing and the processes by which our solar system formed and evolved. I combine both experimental and analytical methods to understand the formation conditions of different groups of meteorites.