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缓慢但持续地被回收到我们地球的更深处，新的物质被带到地球表面。火山爆发是这种循环过程中最壮观的表现之一，这种循环过程导致物质从地球上地幔转移到地球表面。我的研究与这些火山过程有关，并针对：（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）控制岩浆上升穿过地壳并与地壳相互作用时成分变化的过程，控制这些岩浆最终产物和聚集的过程。我特别感兴趣的是导致铜、镍、金和铂等经济金属异常富集的过程，以及硫在这些过程中所起的作用。因为我们无法目睹这些过程，所以我使用高压和高温设备来模拟它们。这种方法使我们能够隔离和研究多个变量，并通过比较我们的实验产品与自然过程的产品来测试多个假设。这项研究的结果将进一步推进我们对这些异常浓度是如何形成的理解，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.