Mark D Barton

Interests

Teaching

My teaching interests span much of hard rock geology notably including quantitative chemical and physical approaches (analytical and theoretical) to addressing geologic problems, rigorous field approaches, and applications to problems of mineral and energy resources. My mission is to challenge geology students at all levels become better scientists: both through increased rigor and through a broader appreciation of the breadth and role of the geosciences in addressing societal challenges. I am also committed to broadening education related to use of earth materials (mineral resources among them) to a diverse audience from the general public and K-12 (through LIMR efforts) and through interdisciplinary courses, minors, and professional / continuing educations (including online) at all levels. Specifically, I have taught (and remain interested in teaching) both undergraduate and graduate courses. Undergraduate courses have included, introductory geology, physical geology, mineralogy, introductory petrology, economic geology, and field camp. Graduate courses have included advanced mapping (field course), advanced ore deposits (theory and applications), thermodynamics for geologists, and multiple topical courses including seminars. An important part of my teaching over the last 15 years has involved outreach to the professional community through our extended (10-day) short courses which combine teaching to industry professionals from around the world and our students (mostly graduate, but including a few undergraduate students). These courses, offered through the Lowell Program in Economic Geology (Eric Seedorff, Director), are one of the most geologically visible components of the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources – to date, there have been about 1,000 participants from several dozen countries and many companies representing 6 contintents.

Research

My research interests span the general areas of mass and energy transfer in the lithosphere, particularly those involving fluids be they aqueous or melts. These topics are fundamental to undertanding the nature of mineral and energy resources, and how we make the best decisions about how they might (or might not) be used. Given this breadth, my work has tended to follow the greatest demand, particularly where funding (USGS, NSF, industry) was available and driven in part by the interests / needs of my graduate students. My original focus (and continuing interest) is in the fundamental stability of minerals and fluids, beginning with their structural and thermodynamic properties, and with their phase equilbria and geochemistry. Experimental, theoretical, and observational studies have continued with a handful of students who have, for instance, worked on the crystal chemistry and petrology of the tourmaline group (Ana Collins), the geochemistry of thallium (Shelby Rader), and the geochemistry of arsenic (Jenny Dabbs). Similarly, my early (mainly at UCLA) field and petrology focus was on the evolution of magmatism and metamorphism in arcs (contact metamorphism, evolution of Cordilleran magmatism, mass transfer processes in subduction zones). A few recent students have continued with these themes (e.g., James Girardi on Mesozoic magmatism in SW N Am, and coastal Chile), however most UA grad students (and applicants, of which there have been 40-60 per year) have been keen on applications to ore deposit (ore-forming systems) and related geochemical topics. The major themes here have been multi-disciplinary approaches to the study of the geologic systems that generate ore deposits of multiple types. Among these are the evolution or arcs and magmatic hydrothermal systems (e.g., porphyry Cu/Mo/Au), brine-dominated hydrothermal systems (e.g., Fe-oxide copper-gold; sediment-hosted Cu-Co-Ag-U), and precious metal deposits (including Carlin-type Au). These topics allow combination of rigorous field-based research (which appeals to and is needed by many students) with quantitive analytical and theoretical approaches. A corollary of this observation-based approach to mineral resource topics has been the abundance of industry support – partly because they recognize the value of this "basic" research, but more importantly because they are keen to help support rigorous field-related education at the graduate level. The UA is one of very few schools world-wide that does this, and our success with industry and in attracting students reflects that.

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

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