Petrology of the Mantle
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Microscopic view of a lherzolite from the Kakanui Mineral Breccia, viewed under plane polariesd light
Although the Earth’s crust is recognised as a fundamental area of geological research, it really only forms a thin skin (like an onion) to the Earth’s extremely dynamic mantle. The mantle forms an integral part of continental break-up, is the source of many magmas, and its rheology influences the formation of large-scale tectonic features such as back-arc basins and subduction zones. However, due to the high-P and T, the mantle is inaccessible but can be inspected from exhumed/obducted/erupted fragments such as ophiolite belts, ultramafic massifs, and mantle xenoliths. We currently have research projects into the composition, deformation, and tectonic evolution of the Dun Mountain Ophiolite Belt, the Brook Street Terrane ultramafic intrusions, and Mantle xenoliths
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