DUKE– UNC COOPERATIVE STUDIES IN

IGNEOUS PETROLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY

 Yes, it is true that Duke and UNC have an implacable basketball rivalry.  But in the study of igneous rocks, the two campus have a cooperative program that allows students at both schools to take courses, work in the labs and attend seminars on either campus.  Indeed, the "Robinson Bus" is a free bus that runs hourly between the two campuses. Students interested in either school should look at how this combined effort can further their interest in igneous petrology, geochemistry, and related fields.

Faculty

Click on link to go to faculty member's  home page

UNC Faculty

     

Drew Coleman Isotope Geocehmistry. Research in how the continents have grown and been stabilized throughout Earth history.

    

Paul Fullagar  Isotope Geochemistry. Evolution of Appalachians and other orogenic belts, Rb-Sr and U-Pb geochronological studies of episodes of igneous activity.

 

Allen F. Glazner  Igneous Petrology. Main interest is in the igneous petrology, tectonics, and the geologic evolution of western North America.


DUKE FACULTY

  

Alan Boudreau Igneous Petrology. Petrology and geochemistry of Layered intrusions, numerical modeling of igneous processes

Emily Klein  Igneous Geochemistry. Petrology and geochemistry of oceanic crust. Volcanology and volcanic eruptions.

 

Graduate Courses

UNC COURSES

504 Topics in Petrology Origin of magmas and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks, combined with petrographic study of selected sites and individual examples.

512 Geochemistry  Introduction to the application of chemical principles to geological problems, with emphasis on isotope methods.

 518 Geodynamics  Interior of the Earth deduced from seismology, gravity, heat flow, magnetism; geophysics of continents and ocean basins; age of Earth.

 520 Data Analysis in the Earth Sciences Introduction to quantitative analysis in earth sciences: solid earth, atmospheres, oceans, geochemistry and paleontology. Topics covered: univariate and multivariate statistics, testing, non-parametric methods, time series, spatial and cluster analysis, shapes.

 522 Physical Volcanology. Course is aimed at understanding the physical properties and processes controlling volcanism and magma transport. Topics covered include volcanic processes from the formation of magma in the upper mantle to violent eruption at the surface. Emphasis is placed on dynamic processes and underlying mechanisms.

 560 Fluid Dynamics The physical properties of fluids, kinematics, governing equations, viscous incompressible flow, vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, irrotational incompressible flow.

 655 Physical Geochemistry An introduction to physical geochemistry and chemical thermodynamics with special emphasis on geological applications.

DUKE COURSES

220. Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Conservation equations for mass, momentum and heat, with an emphasis on large temporal and spatial scales; application to the earth, ocean and environmental sciences.

236S. Lithosphere Plate Boundaries. Plate tectonics and the geological and geophysical expression of orogenic belts, spreading centers, transform faults, subduction zones.

 240. Introduction to Modeling in the Earth Sciences. Elementary methods for quantitatively modeling problems in the earth sciences. Formulation and solution of classical equations that express fundamental behaviors of fluids, sediments, and rocks.

269. Thermodynamics of Geological Systems. Introductory thermodynamics applied to geologic problems through understanding of phase equilibrium.

273S. Analytic Techniques.  An introduction to advanced analytic procedures used in the earth sciences, such as electronic microbeam techniques (scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis) and plasma emission/absorption spectroscopy.

285S. Layered Intrusions. Survey of layered igneous intrusions and current theories on crystallization and other processes occurring in mafic magmas. Quantitative methods related to magma crystallization including crystal size distribution theory, quantitative analysis of rock texture and its interpretation, crystal aging and numerical models of compaction, infiltration and reaction processes occurring in magma chambers.

      

 Lab Facilities

UNC FACILITIES

The isotope geochemistry lab features a newly-renovated class 1000 clean lab with seven class 100 workstations, a separate dedicated class 100 U-Pb zircon lab, and a fully automated VG Sector 54 mass spectrometerwith eight adjustable faraday cups and a Daly ion-counting photomultiplier system. We routinely analyze isotopes of Sr, Rb, Nd, Sm, Pb and U from rocks, minerals, water, sediment, fossils, and biogenic material.

Cambridge/Leica Stereoscan 440 Scanning Electron Microscope.

Benzene Synthesis and Carbon-14 Laboratory. One of the department's recent addition to its research laboratories is a facility for carbon-14 dating by liquid scintillation counting. CO2 gas is released from the sample by compustion (organics) or acidification (carbonates), converted to benzene through intermediary reactions and purification steps for beta-counting on a brand new Backard TRI-CARB 1050 TR/LL liquid scintillation analyzer.

Direct Current Plasma Spectrometry The department posesses a Direct Current Plasma Spectrometer (DCP) for efficient determination of major and minor elements in sample solutions. The DCP lab is also equiped with high-temperature furnace for sample fusion.

X-X-Ray Diffraction Spectrometry. The department has an up-graded Philips PW 1720 x-ray diffraction equipment.

Subsidiary labs contain rock crushing equipment, mineral picking under binocular microscopes, and mineral separation facilities. Access to the department's scanning electron microscope is extremely useful for mineral identification and observing microstructures in zircon grains.

DUKE FACILITIES

VG PlasmaQuad-3 inductively-coupled-plasma mass-spectrometer (ICP-MS) equipped with the S-option pump for increased sensitivity and a UV laser-ablation microprobe for spot analyses. This instrument is commonly used for the bulk or laser analysis of low abundance trace elements including the rare earth elements, high field strength elements and a wide range of other elements.

 ARL-Fisons Spectraspan 7 direct current plasma (DCP) spectrometer with a 24 channel multi-element cassette for major- and high-abundance trace-element analysis.

 Cameca Microbeam fully automated electron microprobe with 4 wavelength-dispersive dual-crystal spectrometers (including a MLDE crystal for F and O analysis), 2048 MCA energy dispersive spectrometer, digital x-ray mapping and backscatter electron imaging, all under the control of a Macintosh-based operating system. This instrument is used for the analysis of major elements and high abundance trace elements in thin section.