Project Title: Cratonic and orogenic diamonds.

Project Description: The study compares characteristics of Jericho diamonds formed below the Slave craton and Wawa diamonds emplaced by orogenic lamprophyres. The morphology, growth and etching features of the diamonds are studied using optical microscopy. Infrared spectroscopy is used to evaluate concentrations of nitrogen and hydrogen impurity in diamond, as well as the aggregation state of nitrogen. Mineralogy of diamond inclusions is studied on extracted grains and directly within the polished diamond slab using an electron microprobe. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of the diamonds, combined with the study of mineral inclusions, will determine isotopic signatures and carbon sources for the different types of diamonds.

Employment after graduate work:
Sessional Lecturer, UBC

Project Title: Volcanology of the Victor Northwest kimberlite pipe

Project Description: The Victor kimberlite is a recently discovered economically diamondiferous pipe in Northern Ontario (Attawapiskat province). The kimberlite can be subdivided into three parts, Victor Main, Victor Southwest and Victor Northwest. Mining of Victor Main and Victor Northwest is currently scheduled to start in 2008. The target area for the PhD research is uneconomic Victor Northwest, the least understood area of Victor in terms of kimberlite geology and diamond grade. Victor Northwest appears to comprise crater-facies kimberlite formed by numerous diverse evenets that include extrusive magmatic kimberlites that may consist of coherent and clastogenic lavas, types of kimberlite not documented elsewhere. The project includes detailed logging of selected drill holes, open pit face mapping, analytical work on bulk kimberlite samples and on constituent minerals, review of downhole geophysics and geotechnical data, and development of the kimberlite emplacement model.

Employment after graduate work:
Geologist, Tahera Diamond Corporation
Mineralogist, SGS Canada Inc.
Geologist, First Point Mineral Corp.

Project Title: Megacrysts of the Jericho kimberlite pipe.

Project Description: This project examines a rare suite of megacrystalline pyroxenites that grade to intergrowths of megacrysts of ilmenite, garnet, clinopyroxene and olivine. The study includes petrographic and mineralogical examination of samples, calculation of their P-T conditions of formation and re-equilibration, and Sr-Nd dating.

Currently Researcher at the Argonne National Laboratory

Project Title: Application of synchrotron-based techniques to diamond exploration

Project Description: This project was a collaborative effort between the University of British Columbia, the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and the Saskatchewan Research Council. The project took first steps to develop quantitative analytical tools for in-situ identification of mineral inclusions in diamonds using micro-X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). The research was done on the PNC-CAT 20-ID beam line at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory.

Employment after graduate work:
Petrologist, De Beers Canada, Toronto
PhD, Otaga University, New Zealand

Project Title: Volcaniclastic breccia and diamonds of Wawa, Ontario.

Project Description: The project comprised a comprehensive petrological and volcanological study of diamondiferous breccias (Wawa, Ontario) donated by Band-Ore Resources Inc. Band-Ore Resources also partially funded the research. Unusual diamondiferous rocks are found in Wawa subprovince of the Southern Superior craton. They are dated at 2.67 Ga and comprise part of a subduction-related volcanic sequence of the Michipicoten greenstone belt. The Wawa metavolcanics represent the first confirmed occurrence of diamonds in calc-alkaline lamprophyric rocks and should be considered a potential target for diamond exploration in the future.

Employment after graduate work:
Geologist, Tahera Diamond Corporation
PhD student, Monash University, Australia Lecturer, Monash University, Australia

Project Title: Characterization of diamonds from the Rio Soriso, Juina area, Brazil.

Project Description: The morphology, colour, fluorescence, cathodoluminescence, nitrogen content and aggregation state, internal structure and mineral inclusions have been studied for 69 alluvial diamonds from the Rio Soriso (Juina, Brazil). Nitrogen in most diamonds (54%) is fully aggregated as B centres, but there is also a large proportion of N-free stones (38%). A strong positive correlation between nitrogen and IR-active hydrogen concentrations is observed. The diamonds contain (in order of their decreasing abundance) ferropericlase, CaSi-perovskite, magnetite, MgSi-perovskite, pyrrhotite, _olivine_, SiO2, perovskite, tetragonal almandine-pyrope phase, eclogitic garnet, native Fe and orthopyroxene. The Rio Soriso diamond suite is subdivided into several subpopulations that originated in the upper and lower mantle of ultramafic and mafic compositions. Most diamonds (90%) belong to the ultramafic paragenesis equilibrated in the lower mantle. Analysed ferropericlase grains are enriched in Fe (Mg#=0.43-0.89) typical of Juina ferropericlase reported elsewhere. We ascribe high Fe content of ferropericlase to its origin in the lowermost mantle. The Juina kimberlites may be unique in sampling the material from depths below 2000 km that ascended in a plume formed at the core-mantle boundary.

Employment after graduate work
Geologist, Snap Lake Mine, De Beers Canada Inc.

Project Title: Petrology of the De Beers Snap Lake kimberlite, NWT.

Project Description: This project was funded by De Beers Canada. The study involved a detailed petrographic and geochemical analysis using SEM, Microprobe and XRF in order to quantitatively characterize the Snap Lake hypabyssal kimberlite (Northwest Territories). This kimberlite body is in the form a shallow dipping sheet that averages 2 to 3 meters in thickness and has a proven aerial extent of 2 km by 3 km., which varies from the more common archetypical South African kimberlite pipe model. The project included characterizing the mineralogy and textures of various underground grab samples and approximately 100 surface drill core samples, taken over 7 years of exploration. Compositions of all minerals and bulk compositions of the kimberlite were analyzed to determine if this deposit is one phase or multiple phases of hypabyssal kimberlite.