Simon Turner

I am a geochemist and geochronologist. My research concerns the processes of partial melting and magma formation within the Earth. I approach this through the analysis of elemental concentrations and isotope ratios in silicate rocks and minerals. My particular strength lies in having worked on a much broader range of problems and having utilized a larger range of techniques that most of my peers. These include orogenic and post-orogenic granite petrogenesis, sediment provenance, crustal growth, continental flood basalts, potassic lavas associated with high plateau formation, ocean island basalts and island arc lavas. For the last 15 years, my research has largely concentrated on the application of short-lived, U-series isotopes to constraining the time scales of magma formation, transport and differentiation. This relatively new approach requires demanding analytical techniques but has been at the forefront of a revolution in our understanding of the physical processes of magma petrogenesis. I have published my findings in > 250 articles in academic journals including 16 in Nature and Science The body of work has been cited over 23,000 times. I have a Hirsch index of 73 (Google Scholar). I have been jointly responsible for generating over $7.5 million of external funding, have supervised 16 post-doctoral research assistants and 23 Ph.D. students.