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Gary Fung PhD Student (2024-present) Project Title: Fluid inclusions in octahedral diamonds Project Description: The project examines fluid and mineral inclusions hosted by octahedrally-grown, gem-quality diamonds from different cratons (the Siberian, Slave, Kaapvaal, Brazilian and West African). The study will characterize suites of alluvial diamonds from South America and will use Raman spectroscopy and various analytical methods to shed light on the nature of parent diamondiferous rocks of the Sao Francisco and Amazonian cratons. |
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Tenoch Galeana-Cornejo MSc Student (2024-present) Project Title: Meya Dikes: Petrology and the depth of mantle sampling Project Description: The Meya dikes near the Koidu diamondiferous carbonate-rich olivine lamproite (West Africa) are known for the large sizes of its diamond stones. The goal of the project is to characterize distinct melt batches within the dike and determine the mantle depths probed by the batches. |
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Johnathan Clarke MSc Student (2022-2025) Project Title: Melt sources and crystallization of the Kovdor Massif Project Description: The ultramafic alkaline carbonatitic Kovdor massif features several magmatic phases, i.e. olivinites, ijolites, melilitolites and several batches of carbonatites and phoscorites. The goal of the project is to investigate the relationship between the phases using petrography, mineralogy and radiogenic isotopes |
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Amy Mailey MSc Student (2022-2024) Current Employment: Geologist, SRK Vancouver Project Title: The effect of crustal xenolith assimilation on the host kimberlite classification Project Description: The study investigates whether the assimilation of felsic crustal xenoliths can lead to the formation of reactive (hybrid) minerals such as phlogopite and clinopyroxene, and whether such processes could influence the classification of the host kimberlite. The research is based on samples from the Pionerskaya Pipe, located in the Arkhangelsk diamond province of northwestern Russia. |
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Skylar Massey MSc Student (2019-2021) Project Title: Reaction zones around carbonatites of the Kovdor massif Project Description: Carbonatites strongly react with wall rocks triggering haloes of fenitization. The projects explores metasomatic zoning between carbonatite dykes and silicate wallrocks (olivinites, pyroxenites and others) and compares these to zones of mantle metasomatism. |
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Dylan Cone MSc Student (2018-2020)
Current Employment: Analyst, Rio Tinto, USA Project Title: Megacrysts of the Muskox kimberlite Project Description: The projects models kimberlite megacrysts as reaction products between proto-kimberlitic fluids and the lithospheric mantle. The study used Deep Earth Water (DEW) modeling and Sr-Nd-Pb radiogenic isotopic analyses. The modelled compositions are compared with observed major element and trace element compositions of kimberlite megacrysts. |
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Sofya Niyazova MSc Student (2018-2020)
Current Employment: Geologist, Fortesque Metals group subsidiary in Kazakhstan Project Title: Temperatures of kimberlite melts in the crust Project Description: The mineralogy and textures of a kimberlite are often affected by hybrid mineralization produced by the chemical reaction between kimberlite and felsic xenoliths. We use mineralogical changes in the xenoliths to constrain temperatures of the kimberlite around them. The study is based on modelling pseudosections and petrogenetic grids for hybrid bulk compositions of contaminated kimberlite. |
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Marina Karaevangelau MSc Student (2017-2019) Current Employment: Mineralogist, Geological Survey of Greece
Project Title: Mineral Inclusions of Lace diamonds (RSA) Project Description: The study investigates ~ 150 crystals from the Cretaceous Lace lamproite and assigns the diamonds to eclogitic, peridotitic and websteritic paragenesis. The temperature and pressure of the diamond formation is assessed based on trace element concentrations in olivine and zircon, and based on the equilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene. |
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Erica Tso
Project Title: Chidliak peridotite xenoliths Project Description: The project investigates petrography, mineral chemistry, thermobarometry and modal mineralogy of peridite xenoliths in the Chidliak kimberlite province, South Baffin Island. A special focus of the project is on trace element concentrations of secondary garnet and clinopyroxene. |
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Nester Korolev Current Employment: Researcher, American Museum of Natural History Project Title: Mineral inclusions in the Cullinan diamonds (RSA) Project Description: This study focuses on the differences in mineral paragenesis, carbon isotopic composition, and formation conditions between nitrogen-bearing (N-bearing) and nitrogen-free (N-free) diamonds. Additionally, the project investigates whether the mantle beneath the Bushveld region—potentially influenced by plume-related activity—is hotter or otherwise distinct in terms of diamond-forming processes compared to other mantle domains. |
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Vedran Pobric MSc Student (2015-2017) Current Employment: Fidelity Minerals Corporation Project Title: Eclogite xenoliths of Chidliak kimberlite (Baffin Island) Project Description: Eclogites entrained by kimberlite melts provide valuable insights into the nature of their source protoliths, as well as the pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions at which they formed. This project aims to constrain the formation conditions of the Chidliak eclogites and determine their depth of origin within the peridotitic mantle. |