I am a petrologist and a geochemist. I study modern and ancient environments. My current research focus is on:
- The Archean and Paleoproterozoic Earth: the co-evolution of early prokaryotic life and environmental conditions on the early Earth, and the link to tectonic and magmatic processes;
- Archean and Paleoproterozic greenstone belt geology (Barberton Greenstone Belt, S Africa; Marowijne Greenstone Belt, Guiana Shield, South America);
- Origin of banded iron formations;
- Development of microanalytical techniques for isotopic and trace element analysis. Stable isotope tracers in geomicrobiology and astrobiology (Fe, Se and multiple S isotopes);
Since my early career I have had a continued interest in the investigation of melt generation processes and crust-mantle interactions in subduction zones, especially related to Mio-Pliocene volcanism in Eastern Europe and eastwards in the Neo-Tethys.
Chair
Petrology