Planets and planetary interiors
There are three major foci to departmental work in this theme: a range of laboratory equipment is deployed to mimic conditions deep in the Earth to understand the geochemistry and mineralogy of mantle phases; inverse theory is applied to earthquake arrival data to assess the internal structure of Earth’s mantle and core; and cutting-edge mass spectrometers are used to make isotope measurements to reconstruct early earth processes and the chemical environment of the mantle. This work aims to understand fundamental questions about how planets are put together, and how deep-earth processes control the nature of the planet we live on.
Relevant research group pages (and group leaders)
Mineral chemistry (Fraser)
Paleomagnetism and rock magnetism (MacNiocaill)
Seismology (Das / Woodhouse)
Ultra-high pressure (Jephcoat)
Relevant faculty members and senior research fellows (and expertise)
Don Fraser (geochemistry and minerals)
Alex Halliday (isotope geochemistry)
Don Porcelli (mantle geochemistry)
Conall MacNiocaill (rock magnatism)
Bernard Wood (deep earth mineralogy)
John Woodhouse (seismology)