EES Departmental Seminar: Reading the Mineral Record: From Carbon Release to Crustal Exhumation and Element Enrichment

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT

Dr. Zhenhao Zhou
Assistant Professor
Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University

Title: Reading the Mineral Record: From Carbon Release to Crustal Exhumation and Element Enrichment

Abstract: Minerals preserve important records of geological processes, such as volatile release, mass transfer, thermal and tectonic evolution of Earth's crust. However, translating mineral-scale observations into quantitative constraints on these processes remains challenging. The seminar talk will present two case studies illustrating how mineral-scale information is used to quantify metamorphic decarbonation and reconstruct exhumation in continental arcs. In the Gangdese arc of the southern Tibet, magmatic intrusions triggered decarbonation reactions in carbonate country rocks. Diffusion chronometry, thermodynamic modeling, and mass balance calculations constrain the magnitude, timescale and flux of metamorphic CO₂ release, with implications on long-term global carbon cycling (Figure [1]). I will also introduce the possible factors controlling the extent of metamorphic decarbonation (Figure [2]). The case study in Sierra Nevada continental arc combines mineral lamellae and thermodynamic modeling to reconstruct the pressure-temperature evolution of deep-seated crustal rocks, linking mineral-scale observations to regional tectonic processes (Figure [3]). Looking forward, this presentation will introduce ongoing research on REE mineralization in peralkaline granitic systems (Figure [4]). This work integrates replacement textures, mineral-scale mass balance, geochronology, and in-situ stable isotope analysis, aiming to quantify element redistribution, timing of metasomatism, and sources of the involving fluids. Together, these studies will demonstrate how minerals can be used to quantify the physical and chemical processes that shape Earth’s crust.

Speaker: Dr. Zhenhao Zhou joined Acadia University in 2025 as an assistant professor in igneous and metamorphic petrology. He received his BSc from China University of Geosciences, MSc from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and PhD from the University of Toronto. Before joining Acadia, he spent nearly two years as a postdoctoral researcher at Florida State University. His work has primarily focused on metamorphic decarbonation and carbon cycling in continental arcs, and he has recently expanded into the peralkaline granite systems. His research has been funded by the U.S. NSF and NSERC.

EES Departmental Seminar: Marine Geology in Real Time: Lessons from Monitoring Marine Geohazards in Eastern and Arctic Canada

Fri, 27 Nov 2026 03:30:00 GMT

Dr. Alexandre Normandeau
Research Scientist
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada

Title: Marine Geology in Real Time: Lessons from Monitoring Marine Geohazards in Eastern and Arctic Canada

Abstract: Marine geohazards are seafloor conditions or processes that, if unrecognized, can lead to dangerous or catastrophic events with risks to life, infrastructure, and economic activities. As coastal communities in eastern and Arctic Canada continue to develop marine infrastructure, Natural Resources Canada has a mandate to provide science-based evidence of geological hazards and hazardous conditions to enhance public safety and inform decision-making for natural resource development. Historically, marine geohazard research has relied on a traditional geological approach focused on interpreting evidence preserved in seafloor sediments. Over the last decade, however, advances in real-time monitoring using instrumented moorings, coupled with repeat seafloor mapping, have led to a shift in our understanding of marine geological processes in eastern and Arctic Canada. Processes once thought to be rare or absent are now being observed directly and, in some cases, found to occur more frequently than previously recognized. This presentation will highlight evidence for such marine geological hazards, including modern turbidity currents within submarine canyons of eastern Canada, contemporary submarine landslides in Arctic fjords, and active subsea permafrost degradation in sub-Arctic bays and marine-terminating glacial environments. In many cases, these processes were observed through monitoring, but their magnitude and frequency could not be assessed from marine sediment cores, highlighting the limitations of traditional approaches. These findings demonstrate that, just as the advent of continuous satellite observations revolutionized our understanding of processes operating at Earth's surface, marine geology requires a similar step change to address today's challenges in the marine environment. Such monitoring approaches are increasingly necessary to reduce risk to offshore marine infrastructure and to understand how the seafloor will respond to ongoing environmental change.

Speaker: Alexandre Normandeau is a marine geoscientist with the Geological Survey of Canada (Natural Resources Canada) at the Bedford institute of Oceanography. His work focuses on modern and historical marine geological hazards on glaciated margins. He has worked across the Canadian Arctic, the Atlantic continental margin, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Dal Events

EES Departmental Seminar: Reading the Mineral Record: From Carbon Release to Crustal Exhumation and Element Enrichment

EES Departmental Seminar: Marine Geology in Real Time: Lessons from Monitoring Marine Geohazards in Eastern and Arctic Canada