Researchers
Major Research Themes:
Global Climate Studies
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The rapid increase in anthropogenic CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere during the last century is placing a strain on Earth’s climatic system that is unprecedented in human history.
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There are still large uncertainties in climate model predictions and there is increasing urgency to better understand the underpinning of past climate, better predict future climate, and develop solutions to mitigate the rise of atmospheric CO2. Research projects include: reconstruction of oceanic meridional overturning circulation and resulting heat transport to assess the sensitivity of global climate to ocean circulation; measurement of major and trace elements, 230Th, helium, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon isotopes in marine sediments to establish the past efficiency of the ocean to naturally sequester atmospheric CO2; development of new isotopic tracers (Si, Cd, Cr, Mo, Cu, Zn, Fe) to evaluate past changes in ocean productivity, nutrient cycling, redox conditions and anthropogenic impact.
Researchers:
Francois, Roger
Dipple, Greg
Weis, Dominique
Pedersen, Tom
Calvert, Steve
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Biogeochemical Cycles in the Oceans
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Many researchers in the PCIGR work on quantifying the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and related elements in marine environments. As the marine biogeochemical cycle of carbon dictates the level of atmospheric CO2, this research has direct implications for societal concerns pertaining to greenhouse warming. |
Some example research includes: understanding cellular requirements and acquisition mechanisms of Fe and other bioactive metals (e.g. Cu, Cd) in marine phytoplankton to constrain the cycling of trace elements in seawater; measurement of metal isotopes (e.g. Fe, Si) in seawater to study their sources and biological cycling in the ocean; determination of long-lived radioisotopes from the U-decay series to assess particle dynamics and remineralization in the water column, constrain particle flux and deep water circulation, and quantify the processes dictating the ocean’s carbon sequestration capacity.
Researchers:
Maldonado, Maria (Matie)
Pakhomov, Evgeny
Francois, Roger
Tortell, Philippe
Weis, Dominique
Pedersen, Tom
Calvert, Steve
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Groundwater Contamination
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Contamination of soils, the vadose zone, and aquifers with organic and inorganic contaminants is a worldwide problem. |
Research in this area includes: study of naturally-occurring biodegradation reactions in contaminated areas; constraining the mechanism of arsenic release into groundwater in Bangladesh and India, one of the world’s most significant environmental groundwater problems; noble gases and heavy stable metal isotopes as indicators for weathering of mine waste (tailings or waste rock).
Researchers:
Mayer, Ulrich
Beckie, Roger
Orians, Kristin
Weis, Dominique
Raudsepp, Mati
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Geochemical Tracers and Composition of the Earth's Mantle and Lithosphere
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Radiogenic isotopic compositions (e.g. Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf) are extremely powerful tools for identifying the sources and components involved in the genesis of solid earth materials and for placing quantitative constraints on the movement of material between the major reservoirs of the planet (e.g. mantle-crust, asthenosphere-lithosphere). |
Major PCIGR projects include: modeling the geochemical and isotopic heterogeneity of the Earth’s mantle through a comparative study of basaltic lavas of oceanic plateaus, hotspot tracks, and other Large Igneous Provinces; granites as probes of the age and extent of crystalline basement structure in the Canadian Cordilleran of BC and Yukon; determination of precise trace element concentrations and radiogenic isotopic compositions of US Geological Survey and other reference materials.
Researchers:
Weis, Dominique
Scoates, James
Mortensen, Jim
Raudsepp, Mati
Coogan, Laurence
Gillis, Kathryn
Kopylova, Maya
Marshall, Dan
Russell, Kelly
Thorkelson, Derek
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Timescales and Rates of Geological Processes
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The last decade has seen major developments in geochronological methodology and instrumentation that make it possible to date rapidly (laser ablation) and precisely (multi-collection TIMS, zircon chemical abrasion and noble gas) a variety of geological materials with a wide range of closure temperatures. |
One can now obtain the age of formation of a rock unit, burial (subduction) and uplift (exhumation) rates by thermochronology, or the residence time of crystals in a magma chamber before eruption. Innovative geochronological research at the PCIGR includes: integrated geochronology (U-Pb, Lu-Hf, Ar-Ar, (U-Th)/He, 3He/4He) to study in detail the orogenic cycles in the Western Canadian Cordillera; precise dating of intrusive-related hydrothermal ore deposits and fluid circulation history in continental arc environments; emplacement history of Phanerozoic large igneous provinces to evaluate rapid (~1 million years) vs. protracted magmatism and potential effects on the environment; high-precision dating of large layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions to derive magma production/flux and cooling rates.
Researchers:
Scoates, James
Mortensen, Jim
Hickey, Ken
Weis, Dominique
Dipple, Greg
Jellinek, Mark
Marshall, Dan
Russell, Kelly
Smith, Paul
Kennedy, Lori
Thorkelson, Derek
Hart, Craig
Tosdal, Richard
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Metals in the Earth
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Solving problems of the distribution of metals, location, transport, concentration and dispersal in high-temperature magmatic, moderate- to low-temperature hydrothermal, and surficial environments is critical to better understand the concentration of mineral resources and the discovery of additional resources. |
Examples of this type of research include: building a holistic deposit model for alkalic gold-(copper) deposits based on an integrated structural, alteration zonation, and geochemical study of deposits from BC and Australia; development of the application of transitional metal and other heavy stable isotopes (e.g. Cu, Zn, Ag, Se) to hydrothermal ore mineralization processes; using the trace element concentrations of lode and placer gold combined with grain morphology to determine the ultimate source(s) of placer gold in central and western Yukon.
Researchers:
Scoates, James
Hickey, Ken
Dipple, Greg
Hart, Craig
Mortensen, Jim
Weis, Dominique
Gillis, Kathryn
Kopylova, Maya
Marshall, Dan
Russell, Kelly
Tosdal, Richard
Groat, Lee
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