The goals of this research are to (1) predict on a thermodynamic basis the conditions of stability of various rock forming minerals, (2) discover fundamental principles of mineral behavior, and (3) learn how various geologic processes utilize the heat budget of the earth. Pertinent to these aims, multiple solution calorimetric studies will be conducted on zeolite minerals to examine the energetic effects of chemical substitution and order-disorder in these minerals. Research also will be conducted on the energetic effects of chlorine-fluorine substitution in apatite. Solution calorimetric measurements will be made on hydrous andesitic and haplogranitic glasses in order to measure compositional effects on H2O and alkali mixing energetics, as well as the effects of polymerization on H2O-silicate mixing in magmas; this work is pertinent to the expulsion of H2O during volcanic eruptions. High-pressure sodium aluminosilicate compositions also will be examined to explore the energetics of glass/liquid structure. Several projects on the thermal expansion of minerals, designed specifically for undergraduate participation, will be accomplished through high-temperature X-ray measurements. These projects will give information critical to understanding how minerals behave at depth in the earth.
The principal role of this solution calorimetry laboratory is the collection of fundamental thermodynamic data on geologically important materials. In some cases data apply to conditions that are otherwise inaccessible through other types of experimentation. Research projects have been chosen on the basis of processes, not just the materials themselves. This laboratory constitutes a unique research facility in the United States and is committed to disseminate results through peer reviewed articles and presentations at professional meetings. It also serves the scientific community through cooperative relationships with other individuals and laboratories.
Beyond the scientific value of the studies to be undertaken, projects developed specifically for undergraduate participation are worthwhile because they teach students how research is conducted and why the results are important. Research involvement also is important to the retention of students in science.
