Geochemistry and Mineral Resources

The group's research is focused on using the geochemistry, mineralogy and petrology of rocks to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth’s crust, mantle, atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere, how and why these reservoirs have changed, and which geological and tectonic processes have shaped our planet over geological time.

In addition, the interface to material science is also of interest and a part of research is directed towards the mineral-related materials used in industry.

The research is heavily focused on geochemical and mineralogical analytical work, in laboratories based at IGN (Microprobe, XRD, TIMS, ICPMS) and also carried out in collaboration with laboratories and facilities hosted by external international partners. The group also contributes a broad range of petrological, mineralogical and geochemical courses in the Department, ranging from introductory level to advanced Master’s levels courses.

 

 

Future student projects

 

Contact [Robert Frei], [Tod Waight], or [Pedro Waterton] for more information or similar projects.

  • Orbicules in komatiites: how hot and wet are the hottest lavas on Earth? PW
  • Ca contents in chromite: do exsolved diopsides imply ultra-high pressure metamorphism? PW
  • Can chromite trace element compositions identify their host rock types? (3 projects available) PW
    • Chromite trace element variations in lavas
    • Chromite trace element variations in layered intrusions
    • Chromite trace element variations in mantle samples
  • Martian Meteorite NWA6963: a volcanic feeder, magma chamber, or giant lava flow? PW
  • The mantle lithosphere beneath Scandinavia: evidence from Central Skåne Volcanic Province xenoliths. PW
  • Detrital chromite from the western Superior Craton - implications for continental crustal growth. PW
  • The Garner Lake Intrusive Complex - a ~2.9 Ga gabbro-pegmatite bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusion. PW
  • ~3 Ga Komatiites of the Rice Lake Belt, ancient, ultra-hot lavas? PW
  • Geothermobarometery of Southern Greenland metasedimentary gneisses TW
  • Petrography and mineral chemistry of xenoliths in Bornholm Granites TW
  • Magma Chamber Simulator modelling of Ruapehu Volcano New Zealand TW
  • Trace element chemistry of zircon TW & PW
  • Zircon provenance of the Nexsø sandstone, Bornholm TW

 

Or come by our offices and talk to us about your ideas

Previous student projects

 

  • Laurits Keller & Anders Nielsen (2024) Analysis of mantle xenoliths from Central
  • Scanian volcanoes with focus on spinel-pyroxene symplectites
  • Cathrine Louise Lystager Hessner (2024) Origins of Martian Meteorite Northwest Africa 6963
  • Katrin Adalbjörg Alfredsdottir (2023) Mineralogical and petrological descriptions of xenoliths from Midfell. Supervised by Tod Waight and Maja Bar Rasmussen
  • Philip Hedenborg (2023) Petrological analyses of the Hohonu dike Swarm in New Zealands Western Province. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Patricia Emilie Eriksen and Sarah Wille Sligting Stannius (2023) Petrologisk og geokemisk undersøgelse af lyse og mørke andesitiske striber i Cabo de Gata Volcanic Zone, Spanien. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Sebastian S. Lodal (2023) A petrological investigation of metamorphic rocks from South Greenland and assessing the time and temperature of peak metamorphism of the Ketilidian orogen. Supervised by Tod Waight and Sampriti Basak.
  • Tue Leffland Lundtorp (2023) Clinopyroxene cores in amphiboles of Rønne and Mægård granites. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Ida M. Clausen (2023) Indsamling af strukturgeologiske data fra skråbilleder vha. fotogrammetri fra Hudsonland, Nordøst Grønland. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Benjamin Linnebjerg (2019) A petrographic study of Ni-sulphide mineralization in the Maniitsoq region of SW Greenland. Supervised by Kristoffer Szilas and Pedro Waterton

 

 

  • Jonathan J. S. Runge (2024) Geochemistry of mafic intrusions in central Spitsbergen: The petrology, geochemistry and isotope geochemical influence of the sedimentary host rock on the intrusions. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Emil Soltau (2023) Provenance analysis and U-Pb geochronology of detrital zircon in lower Paleozoic Franklinian Basin North Greenland – implications for the Caledonian Orogeny. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Martin Larsen (2022) Eoarchean ultramafic rocks from South of Isua Supracrustal Belt: Indicators for cumulate petrogenesis. Supervised by Kristoffer Szilas and Pedro Waterton
  • Louise Kjære Knudsen (2022) The Julianehåb Igneous Complex, a petrographic study coupled with electron microprobe analysis of amphiboles. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Nima Hajir Azad (2022) Petrographic and geochemical characterization of layered mafic intrusion from the Nissedal Complex, South Norway - Investigating relict pyroxene to suggest original melt composition. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Krestine Hofstedt Rasmussen (2022) High temperature stability of stone wool fibres and the influence of ferric iron. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Martin Larsen (2022) Eoarchean ultramafic rocks from South of Isua Supracrustal Belt: Indicators for cumulate petrogenesis. Supervised by Kristoffer Szilas and Pedro Waterton
  • William Hyde (2020) Petrogenesis of the Maniitsoq norite belt, SW Greenland. Supervised by Kristoffer Szilas and Pedro Waterton

 

  • Marie Katrine Traun (2023) Explosive silicic volcanism in the Loicas Trough, Southern Andes. Supervised by Tod Waight, Nina Søager, Pedro Waterton
  • Rikke Vestergaard (2023) Making and shaping South Greenland: Assessing crustal growth and evolution of the Ketilidian Orogen through the lens of U-Pb-O-Hf isotopes in zircon. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Anouk Borst (2016) Mineralogy and geochemistry of REE-Zr-Nb mineralized nepheline syenites in the peralkaline Ilimaussaq Complex, South Greenland. Supervised by Tod Waight, Troels Nielsen, Henrik Friis.
  • Robin-Marie Bell (2016) Gold mineralization in the Nanulak region, S Greenland. Supervised by Tod Waight
  • Quinten van der Meer (2015) The timing, source and origin of intraplate magmatism during and following breakup in southern New Zealand. Supervised by Tod Waight.

 

Research Projects

  • 2023–2028: The chromite record of mafic crustal growth, Pedro Waterton PI (funded by the EU through an ERC starting grant)
  • 2023–2026: Why did Earth’s first ultra-high-pressure subduction precede global tectonic stagnation and the “Boring Billion”?, Kristoffer Szilas PI (funded by the Villum Foundation through a Young Investigator Plus grant)
  • 2023–2026: Potential for long-term CO2 storage through enhanced weathering of Ca-silicate minerals and materials, Maja Bar Rasmussen PI (funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark through a Green Transition Theme grant)
  • 2022–2025: Bioproductivity and water colomn redox - linking cadmium and chromium isotopes in marine sedimentary archives to reconstruct climate change, Robert Frei PI (funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark through a Research Project 2 grant)
  • 2021–2025: Reassessing the existence of plate tectonics on the early Earth, Kristoffer Szilas PI (funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark through a Sapere Aude grant)
  • 2021–2024: Enhanced weathering and carbonation of olivine, Kristoffer Szilas PI (funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark through a Green Transition Theme grant)
  • 2020–2024: Assessing the periodicity and mechanisms of continental crustal growth (funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark through a Research Project 2 grant)
  • 2018–2023: A partial cumulate origin of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle?, Kristoffer Szilas PI (funded by the Villum Foundation through a Young Investigator grant)
  • 2019–2022: The Oldest Rocks on Earth, Kristoffer Szilas PI (funded by the Carlsberg Foundation through a Distinguished Fellowship)
  • 2018–2021: Evaluation of cadmium isotopes as tracers of marine bioproductivity Robert Frei PI (funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark through a Research Project 1 grant)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the Research Group

Name Title Phone E-mail
Search in Name Search in Title Search in Phone
Benjamin Linnebjerg PhD Fellow +4535324510 E-mail
Cara Alice Mallon PhD Fellow +4535334804 E-mail
Emil Akseli Koskinen Tonboe PhD Fellow +4535324873 E-mail
Maja Bar Rasmussen Postdoc +4535328887 E-mail
Paul Martin Holm Associate Professor Emeritus +4535322426 E-mail
Pedro Waterton Assistant Professor - Tenure Track +4535326223 E-mail
Robert Frei Professor +4535322450 E-mail
Samantha Renee Walker Research Assistant +4535336037 E-mail
Shreya Mukherjee Postdoc +4535324342 E-mail
Tod Waight Professor +4535322482 E-mail
Tonci Balic Zunic Associate Professor Emeritus +4535322337 E-mail

Head of Research Group

Pedro WatertonPedro Waterton
Assistant Professor



E-mail:  pw@ign.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35326223
Mobile: +45 50296053

Associated laboratories

Electron microprobe laboratory

LA-ICP-MS laboratory

Radiogenic and non-traditional isotopes geochemistry laboratory

X-ray laboratory

The Sleeping Giant

DENMARK'S OLDEST ROCKS

- A NEW LOOK AT BORNHOLM'S UNDERGROUND

DENMARK'S OLDEST ROCKS - A NEW LOOK AT BORNHOLM'S UNDERGROUNDDENMARK'S OLDEST ROCKS - A NEW LOOK AT BORNHOLM'S UNDERGROUND

THE OLDEST ROCKS ON EARTH