EES Departmental Seminar: White mica as a timekeeper of mountain building processesÂ
Dr. Dawn Kellett Research Scientist
Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic-NRCAN
Title: White mica as a timekeeper of mountain building processes
Abstract: White mica, common in continental rocks, is a key mineral phase for studying tectonic processes because it is relatively weak and readily crystallizes/recrystallizes, for example during deformation, metamorphism and hydrothermal circulation. White mica also contains measurable amounts of the radioactive isotopes 40K and 87Rb, allowing it to be widely-used as a geo- and thermochronometer. The challenge for the tectonics community is to robustly link age information determined from the K-Ar and Rb-Sr decay systems to specific processes such as cleavage formation, shearing and metamorphism which are vital to reconstructing the tectonic history of Earth’s ancient mountain belts. In this talk I will discuss the principles, state of knowledge and challenges for applying white mica as a reliable timekeeper of mountain building processes.
Time
Location
LSC-B8007, 8th floor of the Biology/EES wing of the Life Sciences Centre
Additional Information
Meet the lecturer: COFFEE and COOKIES in B-3078 at 10:45 am
EES Departmental Seminar: White mica as a timekeeper of mountain building processesÂ
