Sarah-Jane Barnes
Professor and CRC in Magmatic Metallogeny
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

My main research topics are the origin of mafic and ultramafic rocks and the ore deposits associated with them. Elements concentrated in these rocks types are Ni, Cu, PGE, Ti and V. These elements are normally collected from mafic magma by sulphide liquid or by oxide minerals.

The purpose of my research and that of my students is to try to resolve when and why the sulphide liquid or oxide minerals separates from the magma and where and why the sulphide liquid or oxide minerals with the metals collect. This implies fieldwork in order to gather rock samples and to draw maps of the region where the metal deposits occur. Rocks samples are collected and taken to the laboratory where they are cut and polished and then examined with a microscope. The rocks are also crushed and then their composition is determined by a variety of chemical methods. One of the important aspects of our research at Chicoutimi is that we have developed a technique to determine platinum-group elements and other trace metals at low concentrations in most types of rocks. Recently we have added experimental work in the systems Fe-S-Ni-Cu-PGE and Fe-Ti-P to our toolbox.

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