Institut für Geowissenschaften - Allgemeine Geologie Link zum Institut für Geowissenschaften Uni Mainz
                                                                                     
The group of General and Regional Geology of the Institute of Geosciences addresses processes concerning the origin and evolution of oceanic and continental rocks as well as reconstruction of their geodynamic environment.

 

Our focus is on magmatic and metamorphic rocks from various tectonic settings such as mid-ocean ridges and oceanic islands, active continental margins, folded mountain ranges and the Precambrian cratons .

 

Recent regional fields of activity extent from high North Atlantic latitudes via rock formations in central and southeastern Europe to Central, South and East Asia, southern and eastern Africa as well as South America and the Caribbean.

 

In order to decipher the geological history of rocks we undertake detailed field work, followed by analytical methods used in geochronology as well as isotope and elemental geochemistry. These laboratory data, together with the field relationships, provide the basis for geochemical characterization as well as for modeling purposes and are evaluated together with the results from field work. Aim of our approach is to achieve integrated evidence on the origin and the geodynamic setting of the rocks.

 

Rift valley on Iceland as part of the subaerial mid-Atlantic spreading ridge axis.

 

Cotopaxi (5,897 m, Ecuador), an active volcano of the subduction-related volcanism of the Andes.

 

Granitic veins intruding proterozoic metamorphic rocks (Namibia) are being examined in order to investigate mechanisms on how supercontinents were formed.

 

Discussion and detailed knowledge of the setting of rocks are indispensable for the interpretation of the analytical data.

 

Detailed field examination of a diamond-bearing gneiss (Norway).

 

Isotope ratios are measured with high precision using a mass spectrometer (Analytical equipment of our scientific co-operation partner Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz).

 

Argon ion laser degassing minerals (Analytical equipment of our scientific co-operation partner Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, California).

 

Ion chamber and sample supply of a high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP II) for isotope measurements in the range of some tens of µm (Analytical equipment of our scientific co-operation partner Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing).

 

Modeling on the basis of geochemical parameter (major and trace elements, isotope ratios) can be used for quantification of pre-intrusive mixing and assimilation processes.

 

Modeling by means of normalized trace element patterns can explain processes related to the petrogenetic evolution of magmatic rocks.

Last update: October 5, 2008
Aktuell: "Earth System Cycles"
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