Seminar - Characterizing Material Processes in the Earth Sciences with Correlative Microscopy

Abstract:

Materials science and Earth science are two disciplines that often overlook the fundamental similarities they share. At their core, both fields rely on material characterization to investigate small-scale, physico-chemical processes and to understand their effects on larger-scale material properties. Whether studying how grain boundary segregation in metallic alloys influences tensile strength for structural applications, or how strain hardening affects the mechanical failure of crustal rocks contributing to earthquake nucleation, both disciplines seek to link micro- to macroscale behaviour through detailed analysis of material structure and composition. This presentation will focus on the shared principles and approaches between these disciplines, highlight the material processes recorded in geological samples, and showcase studies where advanced characterization has revealed nanoscale features that deepen our understanding of tectonic-scale phenomena—from the formation of ore deposits and the rheology of magmas to the mechanisms of earthquake rupture.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Renelle Dubosq is a Principal’s Research Chair in Nanogeology and Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the UBC–Okanagan campus. She uses a suite of material characterization techniques—including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI), and atom probe tomography (APT)—to investigate the atomic structure and composition of natural geomaterials. Her research explores the feedbacks between element mobility, fluids, and structural defects in minerals, with the overarching goal of extrapolating micro- to nanoscale processes to better understand tectonic-scale phenomena. Dr. Dubosq is also affiliated with the Fipke Laboratory for Trace Element Research (FiLTER) at UBCO, which houses a range of analytical equipment for material characterization.