About Department of Geology and Mineralogy
The Department of Geology and Mineralogy focuses on the historical and material-based geosciences. We put importance on natural evidence of the earth’s evolutionary history and long time scale phenomena. Rocks, minerals, fossils and the strata bearing them are investigated through field surveys and indoor analyses and experiments. The educational curriculum is planned so as to systematically learn the advanced techniques of surveys and analyses.
Geotectonics
Geotectonics deals with solid earth phenomena on a global scale and the timescale of the earth’s history. Recent interests are radioactive dating, isotope analysis, and deformation mechanisms of fault rocks. The research methods are mainly observations and measurements during field work, indoor analyses and experiments using rock samples, employing modeling and theories to support them. Our research and education are at the forefront of the field of geotectonics. We aim to substantially clarify multiple aspects of geotectonic phenomena.
Material Science of the Earth
The petrology group focuses on metamorphic and igneous rocks, including mantle peridotite. By chemically analyzing rock-forming minerals and fluid inclusions, and through field work and theoretical studies, we aim to understand the correlation between temperature, pressure, time, deformation and fluid activity in the rocks formed at convergent plate boundaries in order to take on the challenge of understanding the magnificent dynamics of the solid earth.
The mineralogy group focuses on the properties and origins of rock-forming minerals as primary components of the earth and other planets. We aim to understand mineral forming processes and thermal/stress histories after their formation, based on observations, analysis, experimental and theoretical studies of crystal structure, chemical composition and microstructure of minerals.
Historical Geoscience of the Biosphere
Historical Geoscience of the Biosphere aims to understand the evolutionary history of the earth's biosphere, which includes organisms and their habitat---the shallow part and the surface of the planet. For this purpose, sedimentary rocks, which cover 90% of the earth’s surface, are important, because they yield fossils and are by themselves archives of historical records. This group deals with strata and fossils to understand specifically the evolutionary history of organisms (paleontology), deformations of the lithosphere (structural geology) and environmental changes (paleoenvironmentology), by means of geological field work, sample analysis, theoretical and experimental approaches.
Correlation Geochemistry
Geochemistry is one of the key research fields to derive the direct evidence of the growth history of the Earth and the Solar System. We are trying to understand the evolutionary sequence of the solar system, meteorites, planetary core, and the origin and evolution of life through elemental and isotopic data. To achieve this, we are developing state-of-the-art techniques for elemental analysis using the laser plasma mass. One newly developed analytical technique has blossomed to become a method of choice for many geochemists, chemists and biochemists because it is much more versatile, user friendly and efficient method for the elemental analysis of industrial and biochemical samples. Here you can find the solution.