PhD, 1992, University of Washington
I use high pressure/high temperature experiments together with analytical and theoretical tools to understand melting, mass transfer, and differentiation in planetary interiors. Areas of focus include the role of lithologic heterogeneity in basalt source regions, cycling and storage of volatiles (H, C, N, S) in planetary interiors, delivery and loss processes of these volatiles during the early accretion and differentiation of terrestrial planets, regions of possible stability of small-degree partial melts, such as the asthenosphere and above the 410 km discontinuity, and redox processes in both modern and early planetary environments.
Recent and current research projects include studies of the acquisition and loss of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur during formation and differentiation of planets and planetesimals, interactions between volatiles and redox processes in magma oceans, study of the central role of pyroxene in controlling oxygen fugacity and Fe3+ partitioning during basalt formation, redox processes in martian magmatism, and the incorporation of of H in plagioclase, particularly as applied to lunar materials.
Research employs high temperature and high pressure experimental devices and an array of analytical tools including, electron microprobe, FTIR, SIMS, XANES, Mossbauer spectroscopy, EBSD, and LA-ICP-MS
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