Bruce Nelson is professor in Earth & Space Sciences, and adjunct professor in the School of Oceanography. He is PI of the Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory, which includes mass spectrometry for high-precision analyses of radiogenic and stable isotope ratios, and clean labs for sample processing.
Bruce’s research interests include origin and evolution of continental crust, seafloor hydrothermal processes, and geochemical evolution of the earth’s mantle. He measures variations in trace element concentrations and long-lived radiogenic isotopes (e.g., Pb, Nd, Sr, Hf) to investigate early earth evolution, and fractionation of non-traditional stable isotopes (e.g., Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg) to investigate low temperature geochemical and biological processes.
Past Students & Postdocs:
- Samantha Ewing
- Baptiste Journaux
Selected Publications
de Villiers S. and Nelson B.K. (1999) Detection of low-temperature hydrothermal fluxes by seawater Mg and Ca anomalies: Science, v. 285, p. 721-723.
Holcomb R.T., Nelson B.K., Reiners P.W. and Sawyer N.-L. (2000) Overlapping volcanoes: The origin of Hilo Ridge, Hawaii: Geology, v. 28, p. 547-550.
Gaffney A.M., Nelson B.K., Reisberg L. and Eiler J.M. (2005) Oxygen – osmium isotope systematics of West Maui lavas: A record of shallow-level magmatic processes: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 239, p. 122-139.
Gaffney A.M., Nelson B.K. and Blichert-Toft J. (2005) Melting in the Hawaiian plume at 1-2 Ma as recorded at Maui Nui: the role of eclogite, peridotite and source mixing: Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, v. 6, Q10L11, doi: 10.1029/2005GC000927.
Bosch D., Blichert-Toft J., Moynier F., Nelson B.K., Telouk P., Gillot P.-Y. and Albarède F. (2008) Pb, Hf and Nd isotope compositions of the two Réunion volcanoes (Indian Ocean): A tale of two small-scale mantle “blobs”?: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 265, p. 748-768.
Harkins S.A., Appold M.S., Nelson B.K., Brewer A.M. and Groves I.M. (2008) Lead isotope constraints on the origin of nonsulfide zinc and sulfide zinc-lead deposits in the Flinders Ranges, south Australia: Economic Geology, v. 103, p.353-364.