Home

Introduction
Research
Faculty
Students
Facilties

 

Oregon State University, Corvallis

College of Science - Dept. of Geosciences
College of Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences - Marine Geology

 

Introduction

The Department of Geosciences has a diverse group of faculty and students working on petrology, ore geology and volcanology. There is close collaboration with faculty in the marine geology group in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, where many of the analytical facilities are housed. If you join us for coffee at the Beanery (coffee house) across the street at about 10 A.M., you're likely to run into anywhere from 3 to 15 "VIPERS" (members of the Volcanology, Igneous Petrology and Economic Research group).

Research projects of faculty and students alike are multifaceted, including a variety of field, dating, geochemical and experimental techniques. Facilities that are most used by faculty and students of the VIPER group are the Cameca SX-100 electron microprobe, the ICP-MS facility that includes in-situ laser ablation capacity, 40Ar-39Ar dating facility, oxygen isotope silicate extraction line, noble gas isotope analytical lab, and a TRIGA reactor for neutron activation analysis. Most of these facilities are used on a cooperative basis with other groups on campus. All said, most elements of geological
interest are analytically accessible. The department also houses a variety of rock preparation facilities and petrographic research microscopes with digital capture and image processing capabilites.


Geological employment among past students includes positions in exploration geology, environmental geology, academic positions and high school science teaching. Others are employed by the Gemological Institute of America, the National Park system and the U.S. Geological Survey.

If you are interested in graduate studies please contact OSU Geosciences or any of the faculty listed below.


 


Research Foci

VIPERs are involved in a wide range of research involving igneous and hydrothermal systems. The following is a general list, contact individuals for more information:
  • Subduction Zone Magmatism

  • (Grunder, Tepley, de Silva, Kent, Nielsen; Bloomer)
  • Intermediate and silicic magma systems (Grunder, Tepley, De Silva, Kent, Dilles)
  • Mid Ocean Ridge Magmatism
    (Graham, Kent, Nielsen)
  • Ocean Island Basalts and Seamounts
    (Koppers, Duncan, Graham, Kent, Keller)
  • Large Calderas and Ignimbrite "Flare ups"
    (de Silva, Grunder)
  • Melt Inclusion studies
    (Kent, Nielsen)
  • Hydrothermal Mineral Deposits

  • (Dilles)
  • High Lava Plains Magmatism
    (Grunder, Duncan)
  • Subsurface Biosphere Processes
    (Fisk)
  • The Plutonic-Volcanic Connection
    (Grunder, Dilles, de Silva)

Faculty

 


Graduate Students

                                                           Current

  • Denise Giles (gilesde<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Ashley Hatfield (hatfielda<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Abigail Stephens (stephensa<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Barry "BJ" Walker (walkerb<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Rob Lee (rglee<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Alison Weinsteiger (weinsta<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • David Adams (adamsd2<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Alison Koleszar (koleszaa<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Manggon Abot (abotm<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Mike Iademarco (iademarm<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Mark Ford (fordmark<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Chris Harpel (harpelc<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Erin Lieuallen (withama<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Kaitlin McCann (mcannn<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Robert Peckyno (peckynor<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)
  • Morgan Salisbury (salisbum<at>geo.oregonstate.edu)

 

        

            Recently Completed

 


Facilities

Plasma ICP-MS and Multicollector ICP-MS Labs
The Keck collaboratory in College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS) has been jointly funded by the Keck Foundation, NSF, and OSU's COAS and College of Science (Department of Geosciences). It consists of computer-interfaced and driven facilities, including two ICP-MS instruments (a VG Excel model quadrupole and a VG Axiom high-resolution instrument), one ICP emission spectrometer, and a 193 nm Excimer laser with New Wave/Merchantek optics/video and computer control (see below). A Nu multicollector (9 collectors with 18% amu mass range) ICP-MS intrument, which was installed in March, 2003, provides high resolution isotopic capabilities. Adam Kent (Geosciences) has developed a set of working solid standards for Laser Ablation-ICP-MS, including NIST glasses and USGS sulfide, phosphate, and carbonates doped with trace elements.

Geochemical labs are housed in both COAS (including a Class II clean lab), and Geosciences and have for sample dissolution facilities for rocks and minerals (including a 14 cell microwave digestion unit).  See more details at http://wmkeck-icpms.coas.oregonstate.edu/. For information on laser ablation see here or email Adam Kent

Electron microbeam analyzer lab (Cameca SX-100, purchased 2003).
The Oregon State University Electron Microprobe Laboratory, located in Burt 150, utilizes and maintains a Cameca SX-100 Electron Microprobe equipped with 5 wavelength dispersive spectrometers (WDS) and one energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) with thin window for light element detection. The probe has high intensity dispersive crystals for high sensitivity trace element analysis, and a high precision sample stage with 0.1 um stepping capability. The probe is equipped with Cameca Peak Site analysis and imaging software. The SX-100 is capable of quantitative analyses from Z = 4 (Be) to 92 (U) uranium. It has the capability for high-resolution elemental mapping and trace element analysis at low concentrations (generally to 100’s of ppm). The probe has a high speed back scattered electron (BSE) imaging system, transmitted and reflected light imaging, and automated calibration and analysis. The Electron Microprobe Laboratory maintains a wide range of in-house calibration standards for quantitative analyses of silicates, sulfides, carbonates, oxides, and alloys. For more information, contact Frank Tepley

Sample prep & photography
The Dept of Geosciences houses standard rock crushing, sawing, and mineral separations labs. Petrographic microscopes (transmitted & reflected with standard photography are available), and was outfitted in 2002 with a Nikon DX-100 (12 Megapixel) digital camera and computer interface with imaging software.

Vacuum lines for O, S, & H extraction from rocks and minerals
The Dept of Geosciences houses vacuum lines (Dilles and Grunder) for extraction of oxygen via laser fluorination using ClF3 and a CO2 laser, and conversion of O2 to CO2 for isotopic analysis. They also maintain a vacuum line for extraction of hydrogen (U-reduction) from minerals and fluids for isotopic analyses, and a vacuum extraction line that allows extraction of sulfur from sulfides for isotopic analyses.

Stable Isotope Lab
Alan Mix (OSU-COAS) operates and maintains three gas-source mass spectrometers, including Finnigan 251 and 252 for static mode, and a Delta Plus for Continuous Flow mode (purchased by NSF, Mix et al., ). The latter has C, H, N, and S isotope capabilities via a Carlo Erba EA/GC that has both an oxidation furnace (for organic C, H, & S) and reduction furnace for organic (N). NSF funds will allow purchase in 2003 of a Finnigan TC/EA (carbon reduction 1500°C) furnace for analysis of H, O, and C isotopes from a variety of sulfate, carbonate, and hydrous minerals). This instrument would interface with the existing Delta Plus CF mass spectrometer.

USGS-type gas flow fluid inclusion heating/freezing stage and Vernadsky high temperature stage, Olympus BX-60 microscope, and video system. The Vernadsky stage is designed for heating and rapid quenching of melt inclusions.

Ar-Ar dating lab
Operated and maintained by Professor Robert Duncan, COAS. Includes vacuum line, Ta furnace & UV laser heating systems, and getters inline with a gas source mass spectrometer for Ar-Ar isotopic analyses.

He isotope lab Vacuum extraction lines and a mass spectrometer
Operated and maintained by Dr. David Graham and Dr. John Lupton at the COAS facility in Newport, OR.

Noble gas mass spectrometry
A new facility (May 2008) designed for isotopic analysis of noble gas samples from rock, ice and water samples. Run by Dave Graham and Ed Brook.

Ore deposits hand sample and mineral collection
Maintained by John Dilles and incorporates C.W. Field collection; it includes samples from more than 30 porphyry copper deposits of the American Cordillera, as well as numerous other ore deposits.


Maintained by Adam Kent (adam.kent<at>geo.oregonstate.edu). Last updated 7/2008