ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems
Matt Pankhurst
Postgraduate Student
Contact DetailsOffice : E5B 204 Matt Pankhurst |
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PhD
“Towards understanding the geodynamics of post-orogenic lithosphere re-equilibration by investigating magmatic processes”
On the modern earth, zones of major lithospheric accumulation occur at continent-continent collisions (e.g. the Himalaya), ocean-continent collisions (e.g. the Andes) and areas involving both (e.g. New Guniea region). Shoshonites (senso stricto; high K basaltic magmas) occur in all these settings, often host mineralisation, and can commonly be correlated to rapid crustal uplift. On the basis of major, trace and isotopic geochemistry shoshonites appear to be sourced from sub-continental lithospheric mantle that has experienced fertilisation. Therefore, by studying shoshonites as a global dataset, an opportunity exists to ask whether the lithospheric mantle plays a common role in lithospheric accumulation zones, regardless of tectonic setting.
Supervisors:
Dr Bruce Schaefer
Prof Simon Turner
research Interests
- Geodynamics of modern tectonic settings
- Shoshonites, provenance and processes
- Magmatic related mineralisation syn/post orogenesis
- Isotope geochemistry
- Geochemical analysis
- Geodynamics of Mesoproterozoic Australia
- Low viscosity rhyolites
- The role of halogens in lithospheric processes
- Rare earth element behaviour in titanite
- Polar dinosaurs
PUBLICATIONS
Pankhurst, M. J., Schaefer, B. F., Betts, P. G., Phillips, N., Hand, M., A Mesoproterozoic continental flood rhyolite province: The end member example of the large igneous province clan, submitted to Terra Nova, 2008
Betts, P. G., D. Giles, J. Foden, B. F. Schaefer, G. Mark, M. J. Pankhurst, C. J. Forbes, H. A. Williams, N. C. Chalmers, and Q. Hills (2009), Mesoproterozoic plume-modified orogenesis in eastern Precambrian Australia, Tectonics, 28, TC3006
