This National Science Foundation Geosciences (CFDA 47.050) project grant award of $292,742 to the University of Houston System will fund collaborative research to re-evaluate magma storage depths and the origin of chemical variability in volcanic systems in the Cascade region. The key products of this 3-year project include:
Measuring the volatile contents, including CO2, in olivine-hosted melt inclusions to better constrain magma storage depths in the Cascade region and gain insights into related magmatic processes. This will involve in-situ heating experiments to account for CO2 and carbonate in vapor bubbles.
Analyzing trace element data from the melt inclusions to better understand assimilation and mixing processes affecting magma compositions and where these occur within the crust. Complementary helium isotope data will further constrain the contributions of crustal materials.
Developing open-source software tools to support data processing and modeling workflows for the volcanology research community.
The project will also provide hands-on training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as a virtual forum to share the experiences of academics with invisible disabilities related to field and laboratory work.