Anton R. Chakhmouradian

GEOL 2500 - Introduction to Mineralogy
GEOL 2800 - Optics and Spectroscopy of Minerals
GEOL 3140 - Gemology
GEOL 7740 - Mantle-derived Rocks
GEOL 7750 - Characterization of Geological Materials

I study the petrogenesis, geodynamic significance and economic potential of exotic alkali- and carbonate-rich rocks derived from the Earth's mantle (carbonatites, kimberlites, nephelinites, etc.). These rocks are one of the most fascinating things created by Nature because they consist of minerals one would not find in common rocks (such as granites), and also because they contain concentrated occurrences of many industrially important elements, including neodymium, niobium and many other critical metals. Using mineralogical, petrological and geochemical research tools, my students, research associates and I explore the sources and evolutionary pathways of these rocks and their parental magms. We then use this information to place alkali- and carbonate-rich rocks in the context of lithospheric evolution and to provide mineral exploration with a better understanding of where critical-metal deposits can be found. Current projects include carbonatites and associated mineral deposits in Manitoba, British Columbia, Ontario, Russia, China, Morocco and Tanzania. As a "research hobby", I am also interested in gemstones and rocks historically used in art and architecture (especially, marble and calc-silicates).

Chakhmouradian, A.R. &  Dahlgren, S. (2021) Primary inclusions of burbankite in carbonatites from the Fen complex, southern Norway. Mineral. Petrol., 115, 161-171.
Chakhmouradian, A.R., Cooper, M.A., Reguir, E.P. & Moore, M.A. (2017) Carbocernaite from the Bear Lodge carbonatite, Wyoming: revised structure, zoning and rare-earth fractionation on a microscale. Am. Mineral., 102, 1340-1352.

Chakhmouradian, A.R., Reguir, E.P., Zaitsev, A.N., Couëslan, C., Xu, C., Kynicky, J., Mumin, A.H. & Yang, P. (2017) Apatite in carbonatitic rocks: Compositional variation, zoning, element partitioning and petrogenetic significance. Lithos, 274-275, 188-213.

Chakhmouradian, A.R., Reguir, E.P. & Zaitsev, A.N. (2016) Calcite and dolomite in intrusive carbonatites. I. Textural variations. Mineral. Petrol., 110, 333-360.

Chakhmouradian, A.R., Reguir, E.P., Kamenetsky, V.S., Sharygin, V.V. & Golovin, A.V. (2013) Trace-element partitioning in perovskite: implications for the geochemistry of kimberlites and other mantle-derived undersaturated rocks. Chem. Geol., 353, 112-131.