David R Mole

My expertise primarily lies in using isotope geochemistry (particularly radiogenic isotopes) and U-Pb geochronology to understand the 4D evolution of crustal terranes. Specifically, Sm-Nd and Lu-Hf isotopic datasets are used, in combination with precise U-Pb dating, to investigate crustal evolution and lithospheric architecture through time. I also work to apply this 4D lithospheric understanding to the evolution of multiple geological systems within a given terrane, such as structural regimes, volcanism, sedimentary facies and mineral systems.

In addition to the development of the continental crust, I am interested in the evolution of the primordial Earth (4.5-2.4 billion years ago) and how different Earth systems such as the surface (atmosphere, oceans, crust) and internal (core-mantle) environments were affected by major temporal changes in tectonic and crustal evolution. Furthermore, how these events shaped the establishment of a habitable planet and the development of life is of particular interest.

Within the above fields, I fundamentally remain an igneous petrologist with an avid interest in igneous processes, including the physical emplacement of magmas, their geochemistry and volcanology, as well as the internal architecture of igneous systems and its influence on orthomagmatic mineralisation.