Isotopic studies of crustal and mantle evolution

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The principal theme of my research is deciphering how the Earth's continental crust formed and how the formation of this crust led to the formation, of continents, sedimentary basins, mineral deposits, and depleted mantle and enriched mantle reservoirs. Field and geochemical studies reveal the interactions between these reservoirs and implications for socio-economic benefits in terms of mineral exploration models, climate change and food security. The Discovery Grant Program provides me with the funds to undertake innovative research. This includes the origin of Earth's early crust, how this crust formed continents and mineral deposits, and how the collision and separation of continents influenced Earth's climate in the form of past glaciation events. The erosion of the continents produces both sediments and soils. The same geochemistry used to characterize the evolution of the continents can be used to characterise the soil and climate of a given growing region. This information is used to characterise agricultural terroirs in Quebec to support consumer confidence in the source of local produce and farmers in defining the uniqueness of their produce in the face of global competition.