Behavior of chalcophile elements in subduction zone processes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Roman Botcharnikov, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2015 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 288061031

The main objective of this project is to propose a quantitative description of the chalcophile element geochemical behavior in the processes of subduction zone evolution by creating a quantitative link between dehydration/melting of the slab, partial melting of the mantle wedge, and magma evolution in the crust. This objective will be achieved by a combination of innovative approaches in geochemistry, experimental petrology and geochemical modelling. The innovative ways to progress in the understanding of subduction zones are required to overcome current challenges and lack of data in the investigations of natural materials and in the experimental simulations as well as to reassess and extend existing geochemical models. To achieve these goals, I propose a multidisciplinary approach which combines (1) the geochemical and petrological investigations of natural samples from arc systems, (2) the experimental determination of chalcophile element behavior at conditions simulating subduction zone environment as well as (3) the forward modelling of subduction zone processes. The outcome from these tasks will open a novel detailed view on the geochemistry of chalcophile elements in subduction zones covering a long-standing gap in our knowledge and will provide precise geochemical proxies needed for tracing contribution from different sources, interpreting subarc processes and estimating element budget and cycling.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants