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Professor Marian Holness FRS specializes in Petrology, focusing on the textural development of high-temperature rocks. Her research aims to understand the processes involved in the melting and solidification of rocks, which includes the formation and segregation of crustal melts and the evolution of crystal mush that forms at the margins of cooling magma chambers. She employs petrographic techniques combined with geochemical analysis to decode the history of these rocks. Holness's current projects include studying layered mafic intrusions, with an emphasis on the microstructural records these intrusions hold. Her research group utilizes electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) to quantify the deformation extent of cumulates and analyze the cooling rates tied to these geological formations. They work on various intrusions, including Skaergaard, Rum, Bushveld, and Sept Iles. Additionally, Holness investigates fluid dynamical regimes during solidification and the behavior of magma convection and crystal settling. Her work recognizes the complex nature of crystalline systems and aims to redefine the understanding of large magma-bearing systems within the silicic crust.
University of Cambridge • Cambridge, United Kingdom
Teaching and researching in the field of earth sciences, especially petrology.
Standard postgraduate requirements for Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and related humanities departments.