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SUMMARY:Taking the planet to the IMAX: Diving into the volcano and other s
 tories - Dr Katherine Dobson - Durham University
DTSTART:20181119T173000Z
DTEND:20181119T183000Z
UID:TALK109888@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Ben Johnson
DESCRIPTION:Geology is inherently dynamic\, and full understanding of the 
 geological system can only be achieved\nby considering the processes by wh
 ich change occurs. Analytical limitations mean that most of our\nknowledge
  has been developed from ex situ analyses of the products of geological ch
 ange\, rather\nthan by observing and measuring the processes themselves. M
 ost of what we do as geoscientists is\n“snap shot” sampling. From the 
 simplest thin section petrography analysis to the latest high\nresolution 
 crystal chemical stratigraphy methods\, we are capturing a 2D image of a s
 patially and\ntemporally variable system. Even with detailed experimental 
 work\, we can usually only analyse the\nsample before and after we have pe
 rformed the experiment\, as most routine analysis methods\nrequire us to c
 ut up our samples. Serial sectioning and experiments stopped at different 
 stages can\ngive some insight into the third and fourth dimension\, but th
 e true scaling of the processes from the\nlaboratory to the 4D geosphere i
 s still poorly understood.\n\n\nMicro computed tomography (XCT) can visual
 ise the internal structures and spatial associations\nwithin samples non-d
 estructively. With image resolutions down to 50 nanometres\, XCT has the\n
 ability to provide a detailed 3D textural information. Image analysis then
  lets us quantify mineral\nassociations\, porosity\, grain orientations\, 
 fracture alignments and many other features in 3D. This 3D\ndata gives us 
 much better understanding of the role of the complex geometries and associ
 ations\nwithin the samples\; but the challenge of capturing the processes 
 that generate these structures\nremains. Using synchrotron x-ray tomograph
 y to acquire a full 3D image in a fraction of a second\, we\ncan now take 
 quantification of geological processes into 4D. In this talk I will presen
 t how we have\nbeen pushing the experimental boundaries\, to perform in si
 tu experiments on geological materials –\nallowing us to visit magma cha
 mbers and follow eruptions as they happen\, and develop new\nquantitative 
 understand of many other dynamic geological processes.
LOCATION: Harker 1\, Department of Earth Sciences\, Downing Street
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