Year: 2015
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
Travel report by Rosalind Crossley
I am very grateful to Geoconferences (WA) Inc. for the JH Lord Travel grant which supported my attendance at Goldschmidt 2015 in Prague.
I gave an oral presentation that focused on the distribution of highly siderophile elements in high-pressure ultramafic rocks. I discussed the origin of platinum group elements (PGE) and Re anomalies in subduction-related sulphides, where briefly we proposed that sulphur addition and/or PGE alloy formation during subduction account for variably depleted Pt concentrations and Ru enrichment in the sulphides. The addition and retention of sulphur in subduction zones may have implications for S cycling on a global scale, whilst PGE alloy formation could reflect changes in conditions e.g. redox and sulphur fugacity during subduction, which remain poorly understood yet are vital to the oxidation state of sub-arc mantle and hence the formation of arc-related ore deposits. An improved understanding of the geochemical behaviour of PGE could also be applied in the exploration of ultramafic-hosted PGE and nickel sulphide deposits.
My talk was very well received and attracted a good amount of interest and I continued to discuss my work afterwards with other researchers in my field, where I received helpful feedback which will be highly beneficial to my PhD research. This is the first oral presentation I have given at an international conference, and therefore my participation at Goldschmidt greatly contributed towards my professional development. In addition I attended presentations and posters across many different sessions which provided me with the opportunity to learn about the latest findings in related fields of geochemical research. My attendance also allowed me to network and make new contacts, which will be invaluable to my future career as a geoscientist.