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Dr Alexander Robert Lee Nichols

Contact

Department: School of Earth and Environment

Email: alex.nichols@canterbury.ac.nz

Direct Dial: +64 3 3694410

Office: Beatrice Tinsley Rm 214

Language: English

Understanding volatile behaviour from the source regions of magma deep in the Earth to eruptions at the surface.
About
Research / Creative works
Supervision
Networks
Projects
Methods & Equipment

Fields of Research

  • Volatile behaviour in magmatic systems
  • Generation and cross-arc variability of subduction zone magmas
  • Formation of continental crust
  • Generation of magmas in intraplate settings
  • Refining techniques to measure volatiles in silicates

Researcher Summary

My research encompasses igneous petrology, geochemistry and volcanology. I specialise in the use of in-situ micro-analytical techniques to measure the compositions of volcanic rocks, glass, minerals and inclusions of melt trapped inside minerals. I am particularly interested in quantifying volatiles to understand mantle volatile cycles and the role volatiles play in magmatic processes, from mantle melting through to eruption. I work with samples from a variety of tectonic settings ranging from basalt to rhyolite in composition. Samples are often collected from volcanoes that erupted under water or ice so that they retain magmatic volatiles. I am involved in the international scientific ocean drilling programme, having participated in two expeditions.

Subject Area: Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences: Geochemistry; Mineralogy; Petrology; Volcanology

Research/Scholarly/Creative Works

(Displaying research/scholarly/creative work for last six years)
  • Bouvier AS., Rose-Koga EF., Nichols ARL. and Le Lay C. (2022) Melt inclusion formation during olivine recrystallization: Evidence from stable isotopes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 592 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117638. (Journal Articles)
  • Collins N., Rowe MC., Kilgour G., Nichols ARL., Schipper CI., Tari D. and Garaebiti E. (2022) A Petrologic Insight into Transitioning Eruption Styles from the Devil's Rock Region, Ambae, Vanuatu. Journal of Petrology 63(7): 517-529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egac050. (Journal Articles)
  • McIntosh IM., Tani K., Nichols ARL., Chang Q. and Kimura JI. (2022) Past eruptions of a newly discovered active, shallow, silicic submarine volcano near Tokyo Bay, Japan. Geology 50(10): 1111-1115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/G50148.1. (Journal Articles)
  • Qian S., Salters V., McCoy-West AJ., Wu J., Rose-Koga EF., Nichols ARL., Zhang L. and Zhou H. (2022) Highly heterogeneous mantle caused by recycling of oceanic lithosphere from the mantle transition zone. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 593 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117679. (Journal Articles)
  • Seropian G., Kennedy BM., Kendrick JE., Lavallée Y., Nichols ARL., von Aulock FW., Dingwell DB., Hess KU., Lamur A. and Schauroth J. (2022) Vesiculation of Rhyolitic Melts Under Oscillatory Pressure. Frontiers in Earth Science 10 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.812311. (Journal Articles)
  • Tamura Y., Rospabé M., Fujie G., Ohira A., Kaneda K., Nichols ARL., Ceuleneer G., Sato T., Kodaira S. and Miura S. (2022) The nature of the Moho beneath fast-spreading centers: Evidence from the Pacific plate and Oman ophiolite. Island Arc 31(1) http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/iar.12460. (Journal Articles)
  • Ou Q., Nichols ARL., Carvalho BB., Zi F., Wang K., Li J., Zhang L. and Liu JY. (2021) The role of axial discontinuities in oceanic crustal evolution: Evidence from elemental and Mo[sbnd]Sr[sbnd]Nd[sbnd]Pb[sbnd]Hf isotopic compositions of rock suites from the Southwest Indian Ridge (42°–53°E). Marine Geology 442 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2021.106626. (Journal Articles)
  • Qian S., Gazel E., Nichols ARL., Cheng H., Zhang L., Salters VJ., Li J., Xia X. and Zhou H. (2021) The Origin of Late Cenozoic Magmatism in the South China Sea and Southeast Asia. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 22(8) http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021GC009686. (Journal Articles)
  • Qian S., Zhang X., Wu J., Lallemand S., Nichols ARL., Huang C., Miggins DP. and Zhou H. (2021) First identification of a Cathaysian continental fragment beneath the Gagua Ridge, Philippine Sea, and its tectonic implications. Geology 49(11): 1332-1336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/G48956.1. (Journal Articles)
  • Rose-Koga EF., Bouvier AS., Gaetani GA., Wallace PJ., Allison CM., Andrys JA., Angeles de la Torre CA., Barth A., Bodnar RJ. and Bracco Gartner AJJ. (2021) Silicate melt inclusions in the new millennium: A review of recommended practices for preparation, analysis, and data presentation. Chemical Geology 570 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120145. (Journal Articles)
  • Saubin E., Kennedy B., Tuffen H., Nichols ARL., Villeneuve M., Bindeman I., Mortensen A., Schipper CI., Wadsworth FB. and Watson T. (2021) Textural and geochemical window into the IDDP-1 rhyolitic melt, Krafla, Iceland, and its reaction to drilling. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 133(9-10): 1815-1830. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/B35598.1. (Journal Articles)
  • Qian SP., Nichols ARL., Zhang L., Xu YG., Li J., Guo YL. and Ren ZY. (2020) The Mantle Transition Zone Hosts the Missing HIMU Reservoir Beneath Eastern China. Geophysical Research Letters 47(9) http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2020GL087260. (Journal Articles)
  • Smithies SL., Bassett KN., Browne GH. and Nichols ARL. (2020) Provenance of the Pakawau Group and Farewell Formation (Late Cretaceous–Paleocene), Taranaki Basin, northwest Nelson, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 63(1): 1-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2019.1603164. (Journal Articles)
  • Bouvier A-S., Manzini M., Rose-Koga E., Nichols ARL. and Baumgartner L. (2019) Tracing of Cl input into the sub-arc mantle through the combined analysis of B, O and Cl isotopes in melt inclusions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 507: 30-39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.11.036. (Journal Articles)
  • Fiske RS., Rose TR., Swanson DA., Andrews BJ. and Nichols ARL. (2019) The Kulanaokuaiki-3 tephra, 900 CE: Products of a remarkably energetic pyroclastic eruption at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, USA. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 131(9-10): 1537-1554. http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/B35063.1. (Journal Articles)
  • Tamura Y., Ishizuka O., Sato T. and Nichols ARL. (2019) Nishinoshima volcano in the Ogasawara Arc: New continent from the ocean? Island Arc 28(1) http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/iar.12285. (Journal Articles)
  • Hui H., Hess KU., Zhang Y., Nichols ARL., Peslier AH., Lange RA., Dingwell DB. and Neal CR. (2018) Cooling rates of lunar orange glass beads. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 503: 88-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.09.019. (Journal Articles)
  • Busby CJ., Tamura Y., Blum P., Guèrin G., Andrews GDM., Barker AK., Berger JLR., Bongiolo EM., Bordiga M. and DeBari SM. (2017) The missing half of the subduction factory: shipboard results from the Izu rear arc, IODP Expedition 350. International Geology Review 59(13): 1677-1708. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00206814.2017.1292469. (Journal Articles)
  • McIntosh IM., Nichols ARL., Tani K. and Llewellin EW. (2017) Accounting for the species-dependence of the 3500 cm(-1) H2Ot infrared molar absorptivity coefficient: Implications for hydrated volcanic glasses. American Mineralogist 102(8): 1677-1689. http://dx.doi.org/10.2138/am-2017-5952CCBY. (Journal Articles)
  • Ren ZY., Wu YD., Zhang L., Nichols ARL., Hong LB., Zhang YH., Zhang Y., Liu JQ. and Xu YG. (2017) Primary magmas and mantle sources of Emeishan basalts constrained from major element, trace element and Pb isotope compositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 208: 63-85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2017.01.054. (Journal Articles)

Student Supervision

Displaying all items.
    Completed
  • Masters - Smithies S: Provenance of Late Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments of the Pakawau Sub-basin, northwest Nelson, New Zealand (2018)
  • Masters - Watson T: Evolution of magmatic volatiles during drilling into a magma body, Krafla Iceland (2018)

Affiliations

  • American Geophysical Union (AGU) (Professional Organisation): Member
  • Geochemical Society (USA) (Professional Organisation): Member
  • Geoscience Society of New Zealand (GSNZ) (Professional Organisation): Member and Committee Member

Future Research

  • Use of Raman spectroscopy to analyse volatiles in bubbles
  • Measuring water contents of nominally anhydrous minerals
  • Generation of magma in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (New Zealand)
  • Olivine occurrence and composition on the South Island (New Zealand)
  • Using olivine to manufacture cement
  • Geochemistry of Banks Peninsula, Canterbury (New Zealand)

Key Methodologies

  • Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to measure water and carbon dioxide in silicates
  • Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) to measure major elements in glass and minerals
  • Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to measure trace elements in glass and minerals
  • Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
  • Transmitted and reflected light microscopy
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