Nicholas Barber

Professor Barber teaches general geology and earth materials. His research interests lie in the formation, evolution, and environmental effects of volcanism.

Nicholas Barber

Nicholas Barber

Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience

Education

  • 2022: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge (UK).
    • Thesis title: Data-driven approaches towards understanding trace metal and magmatic processes in arc volcanoes, with applications to Java, Indonesia. Supervisors: Prof. Marie Edmonds, Prof. Helen Williams, and Dr. Frances Jenner.
  • 2018: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Geoscience, Minor in Chemistry, Drexel University (Philadelphia), summa cum laude. Research supervisor: Prof. Loÿc Vanderkluysen.

Research

My research primarily aims to understand how and why volcanoes erupt, with the hope of mitigating the impact of eruptions on populations. This research is focused on Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia. I am also interested in the geochemical behavior of the chalcophile metals in magmas: how do they go on to make mineralized ore deposits? and during eruptions, how do they impact human health and the environment? My long-term goal is to build vibrant volcanology and igneous petrology community within and beyond our department, which combines cutting edge field, lab, and computational approaches to understanding volcanic systems.

Teaching

  • EEG 211: Earth Materials

Selected Publications

  • Klöcking, M., Wyborn, L., Lehnert, K.A., Ware, B., Prent, A.M., Profeta, L., Kohlmann, F., Noble, W., Bruno, I., Lambart, S. Ananuer, H., and Barber, N.D. et al. 2023. Community recommendations for geochemical data, services and analytical capabilities in the 21st century. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.04.024

  • Handini, E., Hasenaka, T., Barber, N.D., Shibata, T., Mori, Y. and Warmada, I.W., 2022. Geochemistry of shield stage basalts from Baluran volcano, East Java, Sunda arc. Journal of Applied Geology, 7(2), pp.64-82. doi: https://doi.org/10.22146/jag.73697 

  • Barber, N.D., Edmonds, M., Jenner, F. and Williams, H., 2022. Global Ba/Nb systematics in arc magmas reflect the depths of mineral dehydration in subducted slabs. Geology, 50(12), pp.1438-1442. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G50447.1 

  • Virtanen, V.J., Heinonen, J.S., Barber, N.D. and Molnár, F., 2022. Complex effects of assimilation on sulfide saturation revealed by modeling with the Magma Chamber Simulator: A case study on the Duluth Complex, Minnesota, USA. Economic Geology, 117(8), pp.1881-1899. doi: https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.4917 

  • Barber, N.D., Edmonds, M., Jenner, F., Audétat, A. and Williams, H., 2021. Amphibole control on copper systematics in arcs: Insights from the analysis of global datasets. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 307, pp.192-211. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.05.034