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

我们的星球是一个复杂而充满活力的系统。例如，固体地球最薄的最外面的部分缓慢但持续地循环回到地球更深的部分，新的材料被带到地球表面。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上地幔转移到地球表面。我的研究与这些火山过程有关，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合并到这些岩浆中；(B)控制岩浆上升通过地壳并与地壳相互作用时成分变化的过程；以及(C)控制这些岩浆的最终产品和堆积的过程。我特别感兴趣的是导致铜、镍、金和铂等经济金属异常集中的过程，以及硫在这些过程中所起的作用。因为我们不能亲眼目睹这些过程，所以我用高压高温设备来模拟它们。这种方法使我们能够分离和研究多个变量，并通过将我们的实验结果与自然过程的结果进行比较来检验多个假设。这项研究的结果将进一步推进我们对这些异常集中是如何形成的理解，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.