The University of British Columbia

Ph.D., Earth and Ocean Sciences (completed Fall 2010)

University of British Columbia. Supervisor: Dr. Lee A. Groat

Thesis title: ‘Geology, Geochronology and Lithium Isotopes of the Rare Element Enriched Pegmatites of the Little Nahanni Pegmatite Group, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories'.

The thesis looked at the emplacement and consolidation of a Li-rich granitic pegmatite swarm in the Northwest Territories and included evidence and observations from geological mapping, petrography, structural studies of country rock and pegmatites, geochronological analyses, fluid inclusion studies, geochemical modelling of magmatic fractionation, Rietveld X-ray diffraction analyses.

My thesis reasearch also included the development of an analytical protocol for measuring lithium isotopic ratios. This was applied to a study of the Li isotopic signature of extreme magmatic differentiation observed in this highly evolved pegmatites. There were strong correlations between the Li isotopic signature and the major and trace element geochemistry indicating both were significantly influenced by increased volatile content in the late stages of silicate melt differentiation. This study was published in Lithos Vol 132-133, February 2012, Pages 21–36

Postdoctoral research

 I recently worked with Prof. Dominique Weis as a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research on a Li isotope investigation of post-shield and secondary volcanism on Hawaii.