Full version, lower resolution, 3.25MB - InterRidge

Student Fellows
as well as the thorough evaluations by all reviewers.
Michelle Harris - The title of Harris's project is "An oxygen
isotope investigation of an intact section of upper ocean crust."
Harris will analyze samples obtained at ODP/IODP Hole
1256D on the flank of the East Pacific Rise. These data will
supplement existing whole rock oxygen data and be combined
with strontium isotope data from the same samples to quantify
fluid flow in the Site 1256 upper crust. Harris is advised by
Prof. Damon Teagle and Dr. Tim Henstock at NOC, and the
fellowship will be conducted with Dr. Neil Banerjee at University
of Western Ontario, Canada.
Harris received an undergraduate degree in Geology at University
of Leeds, UK. As part of her degree, she studied at the University
of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Harris writes,
“It was during my time at UCSB that I became interested in
marine geology and hydrothermal systems and on my return
to Leeds worked on some gabbro samples from IODP Hole
1309B with Dr A. McCaig for my Masters project.” She decided
to apply for a Ph.D. program because of her strong interest
in mid-ocean ridges and their hydrothermal systems. Her
thesis is investigating the role of hydrothermal fluids during
the accretion of fast spread ocean crust using isotopes as tracers
of fluids and diffusion modeling to determine cooling rates for
samples from ODP Hole 1256D and also from Hess Deep. She
will integrate these results into thermal models of crustal accretion
to test potential geometries of crustal accretion.
Kerry Howard - The title of Howard's proposal is "Accretion
of fast-spread lower oceanic crust at Hess Deep." On the walls
of the Hess Deep rift valley, a section of crust from the East Pacific
Rise is exposed. Howard will conduct petrographic analyses,
including electron backscatter diffraction measurements of
crystal lattice-preferred orientations, for samples obtained with
ROV Isis in 2008. Howard is advised by Dr. Chris MacLeod
and Prof. Julian Pearce at Cardiff University, and the fellowship
will be conducted with Dr. Benoît Ildefonse at Université
Montpellier II, France.
Howard writes, “I developed an interest in geoscience somewhat
later in life than many, but was so intrigued by it that
I abandoned my ‘normal’ life to become an undergraduate
at Leicester University.” She developed an interest in igneous
petrogenesis and geochemistry, and after receiving her undergraduate
degree worked as research assistant to Dr. Laurence
Coogan (University of Victoria, Canada), analyzing samples
from the Oman ophiolite in order to investigate focused fluid
flow at fast-spread mid-ocean ridges. After a short break from
geology, she commenced a Ph.D. studentship at Cardiff University,
investigating lower crustal accretion mechanisms at
fast-spread mid-ocean ridges. Regarding her samples from the
RRS James Cook JC21 research cruise to Hess Deep, Howard
continues, “I am now looking forward to analysing these
samples in a variety of ways, including the use of EBSD that
has been made possible by this award. My current interests are
mid-ocean ridges and ophiolites, and how insights into magmatic
processes can be gained by combining fabric analyses
with geochemistry.”
Michelle Harris: holding a gabbro sample recovered
from Hess Deep using the ROV Isis on RRS James
Cook Cruise JC 21 in Jan. - Feb. 2008.
Kerry Howard: at the University of Bergen in June 2008 using an electron
probe to analyze olivines, pyroxenes, and plagioclase in samples recovered
from the Hess Deep.
InterRidge News 6 Vol. 17, 2008