Geochemistry & Petrology

Geochemistry is an extremely powerful tool to investigate a wide variety of geosystems in the ocean basins. Department members are currently investigating a wide range of problems including sediment biogeochemistry, submarine hydrothermal systems and the origin of mineral deposits on the seafloor, melt generation and flow in the earth’s mantle, crustal magmatic systems, and seafloor volcanic processes. Research conducted by the department staff spans the entire globe and utilizes combinations of field studies, analytical, experimental and theoretical approaches. The Department houses several state-of-the-art facilities including the National Ocean Sciences Mass Spectrometry (NOSAMS) facility, the Northeast Ion Microprobe facility and a new Multicollector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer.

Related Web Sites

Northeast National Ion Microprobe Facility (NENIMF)
The NENIMF members themselves cover a broad range of geochemical research - from solar/presolar materials and processes, early Earth evolution, mantle dynamics, and crustal processes and evolution to environmental monitoring and experimental geochemistry.

Seafloor Samples Laboratory
The Seafloor Samples Laboratory collection contains more than 14,000 archived marine geological samples that have been carefully recovered from the seabed. The inventory includes long, stratified sediment cores, rock dredges, surface grabs and samples collected by DSRV Alvin.