Nicholas Dewitt BarberUniversity of Cambridge | Cam · Department of Earth Sciences
Nicholas Dewitt Barber
BSc Geoscience
About
11
Publications
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Introduction
I am a 4th Year PhD Student based at the University of Cambridge, studying the magmatic controls on copper in arc magmas, specifically Java, Indonesia.
I employ a wide range of geochemical and computational methods in my PhD. I analyze melt inclusions, minerals, and whole rock samples using a combination of Raman, EPMA, SIMS, and LA-ICPMS. I integrate these original geochemical data with global compilations of arc tectonics and magma chemistry using data science techniques and GIS.
Additional affiliations
September 2018 - May 2020
Position
- PhD Student
Description
- Studying controls on copper (Cu) evolution in arc magmas, using melt inclusions, mineral chemistry, stable isotopes, and Big Data. Currently working on a global model of Cu in arc magmas, using open datasets, Python, and GIS.
September 2018 - September 2018
Position
- Volcanology Field Assistant
Description
- Assisted in field campaign to measure hydrothermal gas emissions from Yellowstone geothermal features. Helped to deployed OP-FTIR and kept geological and meteorological logs.
May 2017 - August 2017
Position
- Hollings Scholar
Description
- Conducted an independent research project modeling and visualizing the deformation of Axial seamount (seafloor volcano). Participated in Axial 2017 Expedition: deployed sampling equipment and logged videos. https://axial2017.blogspot.com
Education
October 2018 - April 2022
September 2013 - June 2018
Publications
Publications (11)
The Deccan Traps is a continental flood basalt province that covers large areas of the Indian peninsula, extending from southern India to the border of Pakistan. The province is composed of hundreds of individual lava flows and flow fields, largely emplaced over the course of 3 for the whole of the Malwa Plateau. This estimate is but a small fracti...
I provide a generic model of sulphur solubility, Sr/Y, density, and copper in MELTS models of arc magmas. This is aimed towards constraining what conditions in the crust favor the formation of porphyry deposits.
The distribution of Cu in the Earth's crust is closely linked to the occurrence and chemistry of arc magmas [1]. There remains much debate over which magmatic parameters control upper-crustal Cu contents. Leading theories hold that the fractionation and subsequent remobilization of a sulphide-bearing cumulate play an important role in regulating Cu...
Copper, sourced from porphyry deposits formed in arc settings, is a critical resource, and is primarily sourced from magmas. However, the processes that shape the copper contents of arc magmas are up for debate. Existing models place emphasis on different petrological agents that explain large-scale trends in copper systematics. Previous studies ha...
Wall-rock assimilation can cause effective sulfide saturation in magmas and lead to the formation of base and precious metal sulfide deposits. Detailed assessments of how assimilation affects the sulfur content at sulfide saturation (SCSS) in magmas have been scarce because of the lack of suitable thermodynamic modeling tools. The Magma Chamber Sim...
Copper, sourced from porphyry deposits formed in arc settings, is a critical resource, and is primarily sourced from magmas. However, the processes that shape the copper contents of arc magmas are up for debate. Existing models place emphasis on different petrological agents that explain large-scale trends in copper systematics. Previous studies ha...
Magmas associated with copper porphyries:
• Occur in thick crust environments (e.g. continental arcs)
• Have garnet in their melting source region
• Follow calc-alkaline differentiation trends
• Must saturate in sulphide early in their liquid line of descent
• Fractionate extensive amphibole
The Deccan Traps are a continental Large Igneous Province covering large swaths of west-central India, with onshore erupted lava volumes that may have exceeded one million cubic kilometers. Although the total duration of magmatism is a matter of debate, recent geochronological work has demonstrated that the vast majority of volcanism occurred in a...
The Deccan Traps are a continental Large Igneous Province covering large swaths of west-central India, with onshore erupted lava volumes that may have exceeded one million cubic kilometers. Although the total duration of magmatism is a matter of debate, recent geochronological work has demonstrated that the vast majority of volcanism occurred in a...
Projects
Projects (5)
We aim to understand metal cycling in arc systems and the relative importance of sulphide and vapor saturation, outgasing, and magmatic sequestration on metal fertility in magmas. We plan to conduct a 6 week field campaign in Central and East java, in collaboration between the University of Cambridge (UK), The Open University (UK), and Univesitas Gadjah Mada (ID). Samples will be obtained from active volcanoes in Java, then prepared and analyzed at Cambridge and the OU.
Our goal is to use Big Data principles to analyze the systematics of Cu with respect to arc magma differentiation processes. We do this using a novel combination of global datasets, Python, and QGIS, applied towards recognizing the patterns in geophysics, tectonics, and chemistry that lead to "ore-fertile," or high Sr/Y, arc magmas. We hope this will provide a general model driving future investigation into volcanic links to ore formation.
The chemostratigraphy of the main province of the Deccan Traps, West India, has been a useful framework for understanding the chemical and temporal evolution of the large igneous province (LIP). However, we hope to apply modern tools like relational databases and machine learning algorithms to develop a more accurate stratigraphy that can be applied outside the Main province.
