- B526 Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584551
- michelle.harris@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Dr Michelle Harris
Lecturer in Earth Sciences
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
Lecturer in Earth Sciences
Lead of Centre for Research in Earth Sciences (CRES)
Marine Institute Strategy Board Member
Qualifications
Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Geochemistry (2011) University of Southampton, "The accretion of lower oceanic crust"M.Geol. in Geological Sciences (International) (2006) University of Leeds
Previous Roles:
Teaching Fellow (2014-2015) University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science
Post Doctoral Researcher (2011-2014) University of Southampton, Ocean and Earth Science. NERC funded project "Ocean basement calcium carbonate veins as recorders of past ocean chemistry and the global carbon cycle"
Awards:
2013 Deans Prize for Early Career Researchers, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton
2008 InterRidge Student Fellowship
Professional membership
American Geophysical Union
European Association of Geochemistry
Key publications
2015 'Channelling of hydrothermal fluids during the accretion and evolution of the upper oceanic crust: Sr isotope evidence from ODP Hole 1256D' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 416, 56-66 , DOI Open access
2017 'Hydrothermal cooling of the ocean crust: Insights from ODP Hole 1256D' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 462, 110-121 , DOI Open access
Teaching interests
GEOL 1001 The Dynamic Earth
GEOL 1003 Geosystems
GEOL1006 Fieldwork and Key Skills
GEOL 2011 Petrology and Volcanology
GEOL 2006 Geological Fieldwork
GEOL 3001 Geological Mapping Research Project and Professional Skills
GEOL 3007 Igneous and Volcanic Processes
GEOL 5004 MGeol Project
MAR 514 Marine Science
Research interests
Research Interests:
Geochemistry techniques:
- Whole rock and mineral trace elements by ICP-MS
- Whole rock major elements by XRF
- Isotope geochemistry (Sr, O)
- Laser-ablation U/Pb geochronology
- Electron microprobe
Research Cruises:
IODP Expedition 357 Atlantis Massif Seafloor Processes: Serpentinization and Life, Metamorphic Petrologist
IODP Expedition 335 Superfast Spreading Rate Crust 4, Metamorphic Petrologist
IODP Expedition 327 Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank Hydrogeology, Petrologist (Group Leader)
JC21 Hess Deep Rift
JC7 Mid Atlantic Ridge 13N Oceanic Core Complexes
Research Projects:
ICDP Oman Drilling Project:
- I have been involved in establishing the onsite core protocols and was onsite in Oman for a total of 6 weeks during Phase 1 drilling operations.
- I had multiple roles during the core characterisation program for Phase 1 cores that took place onboard DV Chikyu July-September 2017.
- Co-chief scientist Hole GT3A Sheeted/dike gabbro transition
- Alteration team leader Holes GT1A Hydrothermal fault zones in layered gabbros and Hole GT2A foliated-layered gabbro transition
- Staff Scientist Hole BT1B Listvenite-Basal Thrust.
Ph.D. supervision:
Ms Marta Grabowska "Deciphering the signal of fluid/rock reaction in the lower oceanic crust: The Oman ophiolite analogue"
Dr. Jennifer Rutter "Characterising low temperature alteration and oxidation of the upper oceanic crust", University of Southampton, completed 2015
Ms Louise Koornneef "The sheeted dyke-gabbro transition zone: the key to unravelling the paleomagnetic record of the Oman ophiolite" Plymouth University
Key publications
2015 'Channelling of hydrothermal fluids during the accretion and evolution of the upper oceanic crust: Sr isotope evidence from ODP Hole 1256D' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 416, 56-66 , DOI Open access
2017 'Hydrothermal cooling of the ocean crust: Insights from ODP Hole 1256D' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 462, 110-121 , DOI Open access
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2018 'Magmatism, serpentinization and life: Insights through drilling the Atlantis Massif (IODP Expedition 357)' Lithos 323, 137-155 , DOI Open access
2018 'Alteration Heterogeneities in Peridotites Exhumed on the Southern Wall of the Atlantis Massif (IODP Expedition 357)' Journal of Petrology 59, (7) 1329-1358 , DOI
2017 'Hydrothermal cooling of the ocean crust: Insights from ODP Hole 1256D' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 462, 110-121 , DOI Open access
2016 'Hydrothermal contributions to global biogeochemical cycles: Insights from
the Macquarie Island ophiolite' Lithos 264, 329-347 , DOI Open access
2016 'Sulphide mineral evolution and metal mobility during alteration of the oceanic crust: Insights from ODP Hole 1256D' Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 193, 132-159 , DOI Open access
2015 'Mobility of Au and related elements during the hydrothermal alteration of the oceanic crust: implications for the sources of metals in VMS deposits' Mineralium Deposita 51, (2) 179-200 , DOI
2015 'Channelling of hydrothermal fluids during the accretion and evolution of the upper oceanic crust: Sr isotope evidence from ODP Hole 1256D' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 416, 56-66 , DOI Open access
2012 'Downhole variation of lithium and oxygen isotopic compositions of oceanic crust at East Pacific Rise, ODP Site 1256' Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 13, (10) n/a-n/a , DOI
2012 'Hydrothermal circulation and the dike-gabbro transition in the detachment mode of slow seafloor spreading' Geology 40, (4) 367-370 , DOI
2010 'Subsurface structure of a submarine hydrothermal system in ocean crust formed at the East Pacific Rise, ODP/IODP Site 1256' Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 11, (10) n/a-n/a , DOI
2009 'Life cycle of oceanic core complexes' Earth and Planetary Science Letters 287, (3-4) 333-344 , DOI
Conference Papers
2018 'In situ carbon mineralization in ultramafic rocks: Natural processes and possible engineered methods' Elsevier BV 92-102 , DOI
2015 'Mobility of Au and Related Elements during the Hydrothermal Alteration of the Oceanic Crust: Implications for the Sources of Metals in VMS Deposits' 2075-2078