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Department of Earth Sciences

Staff and Postgraduate Students

Professor Robert N. Thompson

Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth Sciences

Contact Professor Robert N. Thompson (email at r.n.thompson@durham.ac.uk)

Research Interests

  • Genesis and evolution of igneous magmas
  • Genesis and tectonic significance of ultrapotassic and kimberlitic magmas
  • Tectonomagmatism

Selected Publications

Articles: magazine

Journal papers: academic

  • Thompson, R.N., Riches, A.J.V., Smith P.M., Pearson, D.G., Nowell, G.M., Ottley, C.J., Dickin, A.P., Hards, V.L., Nguno, A.K. & Niku-Paavola, V. (2007). Origin of CFB magmatism: Multi-tiered intracrustal picrite-rhyolite magmatic plumbing at Spitzkoppe, western Namibia, during early-Cretaceous Etendeka magmatism. Journal of Petrology 48(6): 1119-1154.
  • Gibson, S.A., Thompson, R.N. & Day, J.A. (2006). Timescales and mechanisms of plume–lithosphere interactions: 40Ar/39Ar geochronology and geochemistry of alkaline igneous rocks from the Paraná–Etendeka large igneous province. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 251(1-2): 1-17.
  • Gibson, S.A, Thompson, R.N, Day, J, Humphris, S.E & Dickin, A.P. (2005). Melt generation processes associated with the Tristan mantle plume: constraints on the origin of EM-1. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 237: 744-767.
  • Thompson, R.N, Ottley, C.J, Smith, P.M, Pearson, D.G, Dickin A.P, Morrison, M.A, Leat, P.T & Gibson, S.A (2005). Source of the quaternary alkalic basalts, picrites and basanites of the Potrillo Volcanic Field, New Mexico, USA: lithosphere or convecting mantle?. Journal of Petrology 46(8): 1603-1643.
  • Johnson, J.S, Gibson, S.A, Thompson, R.N & Nowell, G.M (2005). Volcanism in the Vitim Field, Baikal Rift Zone, Siberia: Geochemical Evidence for a Mantle Plume Beneath the Baikal Rift Zone. J. Petrol 46: 1309-1344.
  • Thompson, R.N, Smith, P.M, Gibson, S.A, Mattey, D.P & Dickin, A.P. (2002). Ankerite carbonatite from Swartbooisdrif, Namibia: the first evidence for magmatic ferrocarbonatite. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 146(3): 377-395.

Show all publications

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

  • The Earth: Rocks & natural forces: volcanic eruptions