Cross-polarized light (top) and backscattered electron (bottom) images of basalts from the Early Cretaceous Rajmahal Traps, Eastern India, showing phenocrysts and microphenocrysts of clinopyroxene (Cpx), olivine (Ol) and plagioclase (Pl) surrounded by a fine-grained groundmass comprising clinopyroxene, plagioclase, ilmenite (Ilm) and hematite (Hem).
I am an igneous and metamorphic petrologist. I use major element modeling and thermobarometric techniques to study the origin and evolution of mantle-derived melts (basaltic primary magmas) that interact with wall rock and undergo fractional crystallization while ascending through the upper mantle and crust. I also study high pressure-temperature (P-T) metamorphism of rocks to understand the tectonic evolution of mountain belts by calculating P-T-time paths using thermodynamics, phase equilibria, and monazite chemical dating. The primary analytical tool I use is the electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) that provides high-resolution images, elemental maps, and complete chemical analysis at the micrometer-scale resolution. Following are my research highlights:
|
|
