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Diamonds
Welcome to the Diamond Exploration Laboratory
Our Research
The Diamond Exploration Lab carries out petrological and mineralogical studies of kimberlites, mantle xenoliths and diamonds. The research focuses on the Slave and Superior cratons and aims to uncover the structure, thermal regime and bulk composition of the diamondiferous upper mantle. The Lab also studies petrology and volcanology of Canadian kimberlites and other primary diamondiferous rocks. Our fundamental research in mantle petrology has very practical implications for the methodology of diamond exploration. All of our past graduate students are employed by diamond exploration companies or continue with academic studies in geology.
Our current research includes projects on "Origin of fibrous diamonds", "Diamonds and conglomerates of the Archean Michipicoten Greenstone Belt" and "Eclogite and granulite xenoliths of the Slave craton".
Potential Graduate Students
We are looking for new graduate students who would like to take on the following project:
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Seismic properties of the Slave upper mantle
The project predicts seismic velocities and anisotropy of the Slave mantle based on the mineralogy of mantle xenoliths and a preferred orientation of minerals. The study would compare mantle domains below various parts of the Slave craton The student will use electron back-scattered diffraction to analyze lattice-orientation of minerals, modelling, and experimental techniques for Vp-Vs measurements in xenoliths.
