Student Opportunities

GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FALL 2021

Laser ablation (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He dating of zircon and apatite (Graduate)
Seeking motivated Ph.D. students interested in noble gas geo-thermochronology and geochemistry to pursue project in method development and application of step-heating and laser ablation (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He thermochronometry. Our laboratory has a dedicated noble gas extraction line with a SFT magnetic sector noble gas mass spectrometer and dedicated Excimer Laser. The lab also houses two Element2 magnetic sector single collector ICP-MS instruments with a second Excimer laser as well as a state-of-the-art Bruker optical interferometric microscope. The project will develop laser ablation methodology to recover detailed thermal histories from apatite and zircon by laser ablation (U-Th)/He and 4He/3He dating as well as comparison to step-heating fractional loss experiments.

U-Pb & REE LA-ICP-MS depth profiling and mapping (Graduate)
Seeking motivated Ph.D. students interested in in-situ geochronology to pursue project in method development and application of laser ablation continuous mode or single-pulse U-Pb and REE LA-ICP-MS depth-profiling and mapping to constrain deformation and metamorphic histories of lower and middle crustal rocks. The UTChron Geo- and Thermochronometry laboratory houses two Element2 magnetic sector single collector ICP-MS instruments with a large-volume cell Excimer laser system, ideally suited for depth profiling and U-Pb and trace element split stream analysis and single grain mapping. The laboratory also houses a Bruker optical interferometric microscope to control laser ablation rates as well as a Raman system. The focus of applications is on method development and application to the exhumation of middle and lower crustal rocks in rifted margin settings and subduction settings.

Innovative Detrital Provenance Studies – Double Dating PLUS (Graduate)
A major thrust of my current research the development and application of more comprehensive isotopic detrital provenance tools. Detrital zircon (DZ) U-Pb dating has become a powerful work horse in provenance analysis, but there are limitations. We have extensively pursued double dating of DZ by U-Pb and He to glean insights into the thermal and tectonic history of the source terrane, beyond differences in crystallization ages. Our group has been working on Double Dating ++, combining zircon U-Pb-He dating with a variety of other geochemical proxies to more comprehensive understand detrital provenance, incl. Ti thermometry, REE fingerprinting, Hf isotopes, oxygen isotopes. More recently, we have started to also combined zircon with rutile and apatite U-Pb dating and TE analysis. Clearly, the sky is the limit in terms of how much can a single grain tell us? The project is a combination of combination of field and lab work, with possible provenance studies along rifted and passive continental margins such the Gulf of Mexico, the Alps, and Morocco.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES – NOW

Origin of Libyan glass (impact) – it’s really cool tektite glass from the Egyptian sand sea that I have collected. The origin and timing is debated and totally enigmatic. We want to use He and U-Pb dating as well as geochem to shed more light on the timing and what impact structure this glass might be related to. This project will also involve CT scanning and SEM characterization of impact glass, followed by geochronology.

Recent development of U-Pb dating of carbonate has made a lot of progress. We have been successfully dating Cenozoic oysters and other fossils. This projects focuses on carbonate veins within the Oman ophiolite. We have dated magnetite within the veins, but want to date the calcite. This will involve SEM mapping of veins, and cutting-edge LA-ICP-MS dating

OUTREACH – HELIO INTERNSHIPS SUMMER 2024

HeLIO (Helium Latin Internship and Outreach) Program

Internship and Outreach Program for Latin Undergraduate students in Tectonics and Geo- and Thermochronometry at the University of Texas at Austin. Goal of the HeLIO program is to offer exposure, training, and research opportunities for Lantin students through summer internships at the UTChron Laboratory. These summer HeLIO internships are 2-3 month in length and provide travel costs, on-campus accommodation, and monthly stipend as well as field and laboratory research experience and training. Laboratory and field training is supplemented by short courses. Each student also has a graduate student or postdoc mentor assigned during the internship. For more information please contact Dr. Daniel Stockli (stockli@jsg.utexas.edu)

Programa de pasantías y alcance para estudiantes Latinx en Tectónica y Geo-Termochronometría en la Universidad de Texas en Austin. El objetivo del programa HeLIO es ofrecer oportunidades de exposición, capacitación e investigación para los estudiantes Lantinx a través de pasantías de verano en el laboratorio UTChron. Las pasantías de verano tienen una duración de 2-3 meses e incluyen costos de viaje, alojamiento en el campus de UT y estipendio mensual, así como experiencia y capacitación para la investigación en laboratorio y campo. La formación dentro del laboratorio y en el campo es complementada con cursos cortos. A cada estudiante también se le asigna un estudiante de posgrado o un mentor de postdoctorado durante la pasantía. Para mayor información, favor de comunicarse con el Dr. Daniel Stockli (stockli@jsg.utexas.edu)

NOR-R-AM 1 and NOR-R-AM 2

Norwegian-Russian-North American collaboration in Arctic Research and Education

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

The Stockli research group is involved in a multi-national and multi-institutional Eduction and Research initiative in the Arctic with a focus of understand the tectonic and magmatic evolution of the Arctic and training the next generation of Arctic tectonicists. This initiative has offer the graduate students of the Stockli group numerous educational and research opportunities over the past few years. The group of scientists teaches annual short courses and courses through UNIS in Svalbard, as well as involved students and research in field research opportunities. The program is funded by the Norwegian NSF.

Recent activities and opportunities included, 2018 short course in Svalbard (Odlum & Kortyna), 2018 field work/trip to Verkhoyansk fold and thrust belt in E. Siberia (3 weeks, Flansburg and Robbins), 2019 Svalbard UNIS course (6 weeks, Poulaki and Ross), etc.

BLOG on Verkhoyansk trip by Megan Flansburg and Sam Robbins CLICK HERE

BLOG on 2018 Svalbard NOR-R-AM Short Course by Margo Odlum CLICK HERE