This award supports U.S. - Chile cooperative research in mineralogical origins to be carried out by Gail Mahood of Stanford University and Miguel Angel Parada of the University of Chile. They propose to study compositional and mineralogical zoning possibly caused by crystallization and convective fractionation in liquid magmas. Chilean granites will be searched for evidence of predictive model features such as trapped boundary layers, banding indicating vertical magma flow, rock zones and horizontal layering reflecting convection cells. The La Gloria pluton (granitelike, crystalline rock formed far below the earth surface under high heat and pressure and slowly cooled) exhibits 2.5 km of vertical relief and extensive features of this formation history. Prof. Parada, well-trained and Chile's most active petrologist, knows the regional geologic relations. His expertise will complement Dr. Mahood's on mineralogical chemistry and, through the cooperation with Stanford, he will be able to use high quality analytical equipment and modern petrological programs. A Chilean graduate student, chosen competitively, will receive valuable training and will study at Stanford. Dr. Mahood will hold a NSF Visiting Professorship for Women at the University of Michigan during part of this study. All in all, the mix of talents and opportunities amply fulfill the goals of the Science in Developing Countries program.
