Lisa Zieman

I am a geochemist and petrologist interested in the mechanisms that form and recycle the continental crust. My PhD research is focused in the Northern Volcanic Zone of the Andes, a modern continental arc. I use a variety of geochemical tools, including lava geochemistry, U-Pb zircon geochronology, thermobarometry, stable isotopes (O), and radiogenic isotope systems (Re-Os and Sm-Nd), to investigate magmas and (ultra)mafic igneous cumulates erupted from the Colombian lower crust and mantle for clues about the timing and nature of crustal differentiation and recycling at the base of continental arcs.

I have mutual love for being in field and experimenting in the clean lab, developing wet chemistry analytical procedures and calibrating ion-exchange chromatography. A lot of my clean lab-based research has been focused on emerging heavy stable isotopes, especially zirconium stable isotope systematics.

Before diving into my graduate research, I did undergraduate research in Precambrian tectonics, focused on the Snowbird Tectonic Zone and mafic dike swarms in the western Canadian Shield.

I also have strong interest in mineral resources for modern technology and the social and environmental challenges related to mining “critical minerals”. Aside from science, I enjoy camping, skiing, and distance running on the track, road, or trail.