Barbara Dutrow

Biography

Prof. Dutrow is a metamorphic petrologist and petrologic mineralogist with research interests spanning from continental scale tectonometamorphism to micrometer scale crystallochemical interactions in minerals. Her research involving time transient 3-D computational modeling of heat and mass transport unifies these approaches and relates the influence of heat, fluids, and fluid flow on the development of metamorphic terranes. In addition, she uses a variety of analytical instrumentation and was one of the first petrologists to use the ion microprobe to analyze the ‘forgotten’ light elements in minerals (Li, H). Her research combines geologic field mapping, geochemical and mineral chemical data, theoretical analyses and experimental work.She also serves as the Curator for the mineralogy and petrology collections of the Natural History Museum at LSU.

Research Interest

Deciphering the evolution of metamorphic rocks through a combination of field, experimental, theoretical and computational methods is a focus of my research. Research incorporates feedback effects associated with thermal-chemical-mechanical processes in complex systems during fluid-rock interactions, and the effects of fluids on mineral chemistry, phase relations, textures, and P-T-t-X paths; heat and mass transport in geothermal and contact metamorphic settings (and heterogeneous porous media); novel computational approaches to understanding mineral textural development in metamorphic rocks; and tectonic development of metamorphic terranes in Idaho and NW Maine and various tourmaline-bearing rocks around the world. Additional interests associated with research are teaching mineralogy and its relationship to public policy and 3-D visualization and spatial learning.