Frances Jenner arrived at DTM today following a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Japan.  Frances received her Ph.D. in Geochemistry in 2007 from the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University.  Her thesis was entitled “Geochemistry and Petrogenesis of Archaean Mafic and Ultramafic Rocks, Southern West Greenland.”

Prior to her fellowship in Japan, Frances was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Petrochemistry and Experimental Petrology Group, Research School of Earth Sciences, at ANU.  While there, Frances used laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) techniques to investigate the behavior of major and trace elements in more than 700 volcanic glasses from a global selection of mid-ocean ridges, seamounts, fracture zones, and back-arc basins. In particular, Frances focused on the use of chalcophile elements, such as Se, Cu, Ag, and Au, for identifying the onset of sulfide saturation in evolving magmas.

With Erik Hauri and Charles Mandeville (Associate Program Coordinator for Volcanic Hazards at the USGS), Frances aims to develop a link between chalcophile element systematics and variations in S isotopes. These findings will be used to improve methods for predicting volcanic hazards, by advancing our understanding of the controls on S behavior prior to volcanic eruptions and degassing.