Kristoffer Szilas
Kristoffer Szilas

Assistant professor

ORCID: 0000-0002-5541-306X

2018 → Present: Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

2017: Postdoc, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Denmark  

2014 → 2016: Postdoc, Stanford University, California, USA        

2012 → 2014: Postdoc, Columbia University, New York, USA

2003 → 2012: PhD, Copenhagen University, Denmark

 

My research focuses on the petrology and geochemistry of Archaean (older than 2500 million years old) rocks from Greenland, where I have conducted fieldwork every summer for the past ten years. The research aims at modelling the relations between ultramafic and mafic-andesitic rock associations in order to better constrain the evolution of the North Atlantic Craton.
See more about my research at www.kristofferszilas.com

Current research

I'm currently working on determining the origin of enigmatic peridotite enclaves, which are found within TTG-suite orthogneiss in the Fiskefjord region. These refractory peridotite cumulates were likely co-magmatic with the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). This research project is supported by the Villum Foundation through a "Young Investigator Grant" that runs from 2018 to 2022, and is mentioned HERE.

Another research project that I have just initiated is a study of the oldest rocks on Earth, which are located in SW Greenland. The aim is to contribute with new insights into Earth's earliest crustal evolution. By applying a palette of isotope systems (including various non-traditional) on these ancient rocks, we hope to pin-point the specific class of meteorites that represents the building blocks of Earth. This project is supported by the Carlsberg Foundation through a "Distinguished Fellowship" that runs from 2019 to 2022, and is mentioned HERE.

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Below are a few M.Sc. and B.Sc. projects that I can offer students:
 
-Petrogenesis of ruby in metasomatised ultramafic and metapelitic rocks from SW Greenland.
 
-Application of LA-ICP-MS to distinguish magmatic vs. metamorphic amphiboles and pyroxenes in Archaean ultramafic rocks from Greenland. Potential to do Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope analysis.
 
-The petrology and geochemistry of noritic-peridotitic rocks from the Miaggoq Ultramafic Complex, SW Greenland. Application of EMPA and LA-ICP-MS methods. Potential to do Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope analysis.

-Petrology of chromitites from the Seqi Ultramafic Complex. Identification of PGE-hosts using SEM and LA-ICP-MS.

-Petrology of 3700 Ma Isua dunite/serpentinite, SW Greenland. Application of EMPA and LA-ICP-MS methods.
 
-Petrology of +4000 Ma peridotite and chromitite from the Itsaq Gneiss Complex, SW Greenland. Opportunity to measure Pt-Os istopes at the University of Edmonton, Canada (in collaboration with Graham Pearson).
 
-Mineralogical and isotope geochemical study of metasomatic processes at the interface between dunite and granite during high-grade metamorphism (in collaboration with Tonci Balic Zunic).
 
-Petrogenesis of Mesoarchaean andesitic rocks from SW Greenland using Lu-Hf isotope systematics (in collaboration with Martin Klausen). Labwork at Cologne University required.
 

All of the above projects have the potential to become journal publications, if the student is ambitious and is willing to put in the effort it would take.
Feel free to contact me at krsz@ign.ku.dk if you have any questions.

Teaching

I teach courses in Economic Geology, Structural Geology, Arctic Geoscience, Mineralogy and Metamorphic Petrology.

ID: 40444392