Kristoffer Szilas

Kristoffer Szilas

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5541-306X

  • Øster Voldgade 10

    1350 København K

20072019

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Short presentation

2018 → Present: Assistant Professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

2017: Postdoc, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Denmark  

2014 → 2016: Postdoc, Stanford University, California, USA        

2012 → 2014: Postdoc, Columbia University, New York, USA

2003 → 2012: PhD, Copenhagen University, Denmark

 

My research focuses on the petrology and geochemistry of Archaean (older than 2500 million years old) rocks from Greenland, where I have conducted fieldwork every summer for the past ten years. The research aims at modelling the relations between ultramafic and mafic-andesitic rock associations in order to better constrain the evolution of the North Atlantic Craton.
See more about my research at www.kristofferszilas.com

Current research

I'm currently working on determining the origin of enigmatic peridotite enclaves, which are found within TTG-suite orthogneiss in the Fiskefjord region. These refractory peridotite cumulates were likely co-magmatic with the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). This research project is supported by the Villum Foundation through a "Young Investigator Grant" that runs from 2018 to 2022, and is mentioned HERE.

Another research project that I have just initiated is a study of the oldest rocks on Earth, which are located in SW Greenland. The aim is to contribute with new insights into Earth's earliest crustal evolution. By applying a palette of isotope systems (including various non-traditional) on these ancient rocks, we hope to pin-point the specific class of meteorites that represents the building blocks of Earth. This project is supported by the Carlsberg Foundation through a "Distinguished Fellowship" that runs from 2019 to 2022, and is mentioned HERE.

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Below are a few M.Sc. and B.Sc. projects that I can offer students:
 
-Broad geochemical and petrological study of metamorphic supracrustal rocks from SE Greenland, including amphibolite, metapelite and marble.
 
-Petrogenesis of ruby in metasomatised ultramafic and metapelitic rocks from SW Greenland.
 
-Petrology and geochemistry of Ni-mineralized noritic/dioritic intrusive rocks from the Maniitsoq region, SW Greenland. Implications for ore-formation and testing of the Finnefjeld impact hypothesis.
 
-Application of LA-ICP-MS to distinguish magmatic vs. metamorphic amphiboles and pyroxenes in Archaean ultramafic rocks from Greenland. Potential to do Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope analysis.
 
-The petrology and geochemistry of noritic-peridotitic rocks from the Miaggoq Ultramafic Complex, SW Greenland. Application of EMPA and LA-ICP-MS methods. Potential to do Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope analysis.

-Petrology of chromitites from the Seqi Ultramafic Complex. Identification of PGE-hosts using SEM and LA-ICP-MS.

-Petrology of 3700 Ma Isua dunite/serpentinite, SW Greenland. Application of EMPA and LA-ICP-MS methods.
 
-Using Cr-isotopes to test hydrothermal/weathering/metamorphic effects on Archaean rocks from SW Greenland (in collaboration with Robert Frei).

-Petrology of +4000 Ma peridotite and chromitite from the Itsaq Gneiss Complex, SW Greenland. Opportunity to measure Pt-Os istopes at the University of Edmonton, Canada (in collaboration with Graham Pearson).
 
-Mineralogical and isotope geochemical study of metasomatic processes at the interface between dunite and granite during high-grade metamorphism (in collaboration with Tonci Balic Zunic).
 
-Literature study on the emergence of plate tectonics from a geochemical and a geophysical perspective (in collaboration with Giampiero Iaffaldano).
 
-GIS-based carbonatite-hosted critical metals assessment for Greenland or Namibia (in collaboration with Graham Banks at GEUS).
 
-Geochemical modelling of Archaean basaltic to andesitic metavolcanic transitions in Greenland using Lu-Hf isotopes (in collaboration with Thomas Kokfelt at GEUS). Labwork at Cologne University required.
 
-Petrogenesis of Mesoarchaean andesitic rocks from SW Greenland using Lu-Hf isotope systematics (in collaboration with Martin Klausen). Labwork at Cologne University required.
 
-Nickel-sulfide mineralization in the Råna Intrusion, northern Norway. A petrographic and electron probe study of sulfide-rich gabbronorites and troctolites (in collaboration with Jeroen van Gool).
 
-A study of vanadium mineralization in the Bjerkreim Intrusion of southern Norway (in collaboration with Jeroen van Gool).
 

All of the above projects have the potential to become journal publications, if the student is ambitious and is willing to put in the effort it would take.
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Teaching

I teach courses in Economic Geology, Structural Geology, Arctic Geoscience, Mineralogy and Metamorphic Petrology.

External positions

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)

Jan 2017 → Dec 2017

Stanford University

Sept 2014 → Dec 2016

Columbia University

Sept 2012 → Aug 2014

Keywords

  • Faculty of Science
  • Geology
  • Geoscience
  • Geochemistry
  • Petrology
  • Mineralogy
  • Greenland
  • Ore Geology
  • Mineralefterforskning
  • Geologi
  • Geovidenskab
  • Geokemi
  • Geokronologi
  • Mineralogi
  • Petrologi
  • Grønland
  • Arctic Geoscience
  • Arktis
  • Metamorfose
  • Økonomisk geologi

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