Acquisition of Externally Heated TZM Pressure Vessel and Diamond Anvil Cell Systems

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9910539GardnerFunding from this grant will allow us to obtain experimental equipment to augment the existing experimental petrology laboratory at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Department of Geology and Geophysics. Specifically, we will acquire an externally heated TZM pressure vessel system, including furnace and pressurizing equipment, which will extend the current capabilities of the experimental laboratory by increasing the conditions attainable to ~1250 degrees celsius while containing up to ~2000 bars of pressure. This addition will enable us to study basalt and andesite compositions at upper crustal conditions. A primary goal of the establishment of this new apparatus will be to further the monitoring goals of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) by contributing valuable information on processes that control and initiate eruptions. In particular, we will be able to contribute valuable studies that focus on understanding processes that control explosive and effusive volcanism, such as crystallization rates, crystal dissolution studies, bubble nucleation and growth, and the use of mineral reactions to monitor magma ascent. In addition, constraints on bubble nucleation and growth processes could be very important for understanding the nature and causes of volcanic tremor. Thus, we will be adding a new dimension to the work of AVO by furthering our understanding of the processes that control arc volcanism.***