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Graduate course: Zircon as timekeeper, archive and environmental proxy of the Earth System.
Course Leader: Prof David Cornell, Gothenburg University. cornell@gvc.gu.se
The course will be given over two weeks. Max 15 students, Monday 17th November to
Friday 28th November 2008. Apply now, first come first served.
credits: 4 ECTS for attendance, 3.5 more for a submitted short project.
Textbook: Hanchar, J.M. & Hoskin, P. (eds) Zircon. Reviews in Mineralogy Vol 53, Mineralogical
Society of America, 2003, ISSN 1529-6466.
Planned Lecturers
David Cornell
Gothenburg University
John Hanchar
Memorial University Newfoundland Canada
Fernando Corfu
University of Oslo, Norway
Anders Schersten
Greenland and Danish Geological Survey
Martin Whitehouse Swedish Natural History Museum
Stefan Nicolescu
University of Arizona, USA
Preliminary program: 14 (40-minute) lectures, 8 (1-hour) practicals, 4 (1-hour) seminars, 2 half-day
field trips.
Planned Lecture Topics:
1. Crystallography of Zircon
2. Trace element Chemistry of igneous and metamorphic Zircon
3. Mineral and melt inclusions
4. Zircon thermometry
5. Diffusion in Zircon
6. History of zirconology
7. Conventional and Krogh-method geochronology
8. Ion probe SIMS geochronology
9. Laser Ablation geochronology
10. Detrital Zirconology
11. Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotopes in Zircon
12. Oxygen isotopes in zircon
13. Zircon imaging and interpretation
14. Low-temperature zircon geochronology
Practical topics
1. Zircon separation and mounting for microbeam imaging and analysis.
2. Zircon X-Ray Diffraction analysis.
3. Scanning Electron Microscope Backscattered and Cathodoluminescent imaging.
4. Scanning Electron Microscope Electron Backscattered diffraction of zircon.
5. Trace element zircon analysis by Laser Ablation ICPMS.
6. ISOPLOT treatment of conventional zircon dating.
7. Spot selection for microbeam dating.
8. ISOPLOT treatment of microbeam dating.
Seminars
Each participant will present a 10-minute seminar on a topic chosen in consultation with the course leader.
Support: Support for travel and accommodation costs can be obtained from the Nordic Mineralogical
Network (minnet@geo.ku.dk) or from David Cornell at Gothenburg University.