Excited about a session I proposed at AGU this fall, New insights on igneous and metamorphic processes from non-traditional thermobarometers and geospeedometers. Co-conveners are Matt Kohn, Jay Thomas, And William Nachlas. Mark Ghiorso is an invited speaker. Consider submitting an abstract!

“Within the last decade, a variety of new techniques have emerged to better constrain the formation history of minerals and rocks from the shallow crust to the mantle. These approaches utilize experimentally- and empirically-determined thermodynamic, kinetic, and physical properties to retrieve information on the conditions and rates of igneous and metamorphic processes. The introduction of new techniques has necessitated a re-evaluation of results from conventional approaches and also opens the possibility to add new insights to previously-studied problems. We welcome presentations on the development and application of emerging techniques for quantifying the pressure, temperature, and/or temporal history of geologic events. Presentations on the development of such non-traditional thermobarometers and geospeedometers, and comparisons of results with more established techniques in both nature and experiment are especially welcome.”