Experimental studies on the behavior of sulfur and precious metals in magmatic systems

我们的星球是一个复杂的动态系统。例如，固体地球最外层的薄部分正在缓慢但持续地被回收到地球更深的部分，新的物质被带到地球表面。火山喷发是这种循环过程最壮观的表现之一，这种循环过程导致物质从地球的上地幔转移到地球表面。我的研究与这些火山过程有关，并旨在：(a)了解控制地幔深处岩浆生成的过程，这决定了哪些元素被纳入这些岩浆中；(b)控制岩浆在上升过程中与地壳相互作用时成分变化的过程；(c)控制这些岩浆的最终产物和积累的过程。我特别感兴趣的是导致经济金属如铜、镍、金和铂异常浓度的过程，以及硫在这些过程中所起的作用。因为我们无法亲眼目睹这些过程，所以我使用高压高温设备来模拟。这种方法允许我们分离和研究多个变量，并通过将我们的实验产品与自然过程的产品进行比较来检验多个假设。这项研究的结果将进一步促进我们对这些异常浓度如何形成的理解，并将帮助我们设计更好的方法来勘探这些资源。

Our planet is a complex and dynamic system. For example, the thin outmost portion of the solid Earth is slowly, but continuously, being recycled back into deeper parts our our planet and new material is brought up to the Earth's surface. Erupting volcanoes are one of the most spectacular expressions of this recycling process which results in the transfer of material from the Earth's upper mantle to the Earth's surface. My research is related to these volcanic processes and is directed at: (a) understanding the processes controlling magma generation deep in the Earth's mantle, which dictates which elements are incorporated in these magmas, (b) the processes controlling the changes in the composition of magmas as they ascend through and interact with the Earth's crust, and (c) the processes controlling the final products and accumulation of these magmas. I am interested in particular in the processes leading to anomalous concentration of economic metals such as copper, nickel, gold and platinum, and in the role that sulfur plays in these processes. Because we cannot witness these processes I use high-pressure and high-temperature equipment to simulate them. This approach allows us to isolate and study multiple variables and test multiple hypotheses by comparing the products of our experiments with the products of natural processes. The results of this research will further advance our understanding of how these anomalous concentrations are formed and will help us design better methods for the exploration of these resources.