SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME canberra 3 - 5 may 2006

New Fellows Seminar

Wednesday, 3 May 2006

Professor Roger Powell
Professorial Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne

Roger Powell was educated at Cranbrook School, the University of Durham, and the University of Oxford, completing his DPhil in 1973. Following teaching positions at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and the University of Leeds, UK, he came to The University of Melbourne in 1984, where he is currently an ARC Professorial Fellow. His research interests range widely in the application of equilibrium thermodynamics to study rocks with the aim of understanding Earth processes, particularly relating to the origin and evolution of mountain belts. Through these interests he is the most highly cited geoscientist in Australia. His other interests include wine, and Indian and western classical music.

A thermodynamic framework for modelling Earth processes

Equilibrium thermodynamics can be used to calculate the conditions of formation of rocks exhumed from within the Earth, and to predict the mineral assemblages in rocks that are still within the Earth. Roger Powell and Tim Holland, from the University of Cambridge, have pioneered the development of a complete range of tools for the use of equilibrium thermodynamics to do this. Aspects of this will be outlined, and some examples of applications will be used to show the power of the approach.