Dr. James Mungall

Research

I am an igneous petrologist with interests in the physics and chemistry of magmatic processes, particularly those leading to the genesis of magmatic ore deposits. I am currently the Director of the Master of Mineral Exploration and Resource Management in the Earth Sciences Department at Carleton.  Our goal is to train early to mid-career geoscientists in the exploration and mining industry to see beyond their base of technical training and understand how to make decisions and become a leader in the exploration and mining industry.  The topics span mineral systems, exploration methods, resource estimation, mining and ore dressing as well as waste treatment, ethics and management, finance and economics, and how to bring all of these threads together to plan and execute mineral resource projects.

My research continues to question the origins of igneous rocks, and to elucidate the nature of mantle reservoirs for magmatic ore-forming systems using field investigations and thermodynamic modeling. 

Selected Publications

Metagabbroic intrusions are sources of Cu, Co, Zn, and Ni in the Zambian Copperbelt: Bacha, Rafael RB; Mungall, James E.; Ernst, Richard E.; McFarlane, Chris RM.; ECONOMIC GEOLOGY Published OCTOBER 2026

Olivine compositions reveal an andesitic parent magma for the Archean palladium-mineralized Lac des Iles Complex of Ontario, Canada: Smith William D., Fay, Y.; Mungall James E,; Shahabi Far, Maryam; Djon, Lionnel; MINERALIUM DEPOSITA https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-024-01257-4 Published May 2025

Magmatic sulfide oxidation drives crustal PGE mobilization: Implications for hydrothermal PGE mineralization: Li, Zhenggang; Mungall, James E.; Georgatou, Ariadni A.; Wang, Hao; Dong, Yanhui; Shi, Guangyu; Chen, Ling; Chu, Fengyou; Li, Xiaohu; GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.06.023 Published June 2024

Shape and size distribution of sulfide globules in the Raglan magmatic sulfide deposit: Implications for deposition and exploration of massive sulfide orebodies:  Li, Yingzhou; Mungall, James E; ECONOMIC GEOLOGY doi:10.5382/econgeo.5104  Published JUNE 2024

Osmium isotope heterogeneity of the upper mantle: Evidence from the Bay of Islands ophiolite complex, Newfoundland: Wang, Yujian; Mungall, James E,; Liu, Jingao; JGR SOLID EARTH https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB026789 Published October 2023

Platinum-group elements (PGE) in the New Afton alkalic Cu-Au porphyry deposit, Canadian Cordillera, II: PGE distribution and models for the hydrothermal coprecipitation of Co-Ni-Pd-Pt in pyrite: Robb, Samuel J.; Boucher, Brandon M.; Mungall James E.; Hanley  Jacob J,; FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE DOI 10.3389/feart.2023.819109 Published AUGUST 2023

Magnetite layer formation in the Bushveld Complex of South Africa: Yao, Zhuosen; Mungall, James E.; NATURE COMMUNICATIONS https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28000-9 Published JANUARY 2022

The Rustenburg Layered Suite formed as a stack of mush with transient magma chambers: Yao, Zuosen; Mungall, James E.; Jenkins, M. Christopher: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20778-w Published JANUARY 2021

Upgrading of magmatic sulfides, revisited: Mungall, James E.; Jenkins M. Christopher; Robb, Samuel J.; Yao, Zhuosen; Brenan, James M.: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 115, 1827-1833. doi:10.5382/econgeo.4775 Published 2020

Testing emplacement models for the Rustenburg Layered Suite of the Bushveld Complex with numerical heat flow models and plagioclase geospeedometry:  Robb, Samuel J.; Mungall James E.; EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS  

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116084 Published JANUARY 2020

Abundance of highly siderophile elements in lunar basalts controlled by iron sulfide melt: Brenan, James M.; Mungall, James E.; Bennet, Neil R.; NATURE GEOSCIENCE doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0426-3   Published: AUGUST 2019

Immiscible shoshonitic and Fe-P-oxide melts preserved in unconsolidated tephra at El Laco volcano, Chile: Mungall, J. E.; Long, K.; Brenan, J. M.; et al.; GEOLOGY Volume: 46   Issue: 3   Pages: 255-258   Published: MAR 2018

Role of degassing of the Noril'sk nickel deposits in the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event: Le Vaillant, Margaux; Barnes, Stephen J.; Mungall, James E.; et al.; PNAS Volume: 114   Issue: 10   Pages: 2485-2490   Published: MAR 7 2017

U-Pb geochronology documents out-of-sequence emplacement of ultramafic layers in the Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa: Mungall, James E.; Kamo, Sandra L.; McQuade, Stewart; NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Volume: 7 Article Number: 13385 Published: NOV 14 2016

Crystallization of platinum-group minerals from silicate melts: Evidence from Cr-spinel-hosted inclusions in volcanic rocks: Kamenetsky, Vadim S.; Park, Jung-Woo; Mungall, James E.; et al.; GEOLOGY   Volume: 43   Issue: 10   Pages: 903-906   Published: OCT 2015

Transport of metals and sulphur in magmas by flotation of sulphide melt on vapour bubbles: Mungall, J. E.; Brenan, J. M.; Godel, B.; et al.; NATURE GEOSCIENCE Volume: 8   Issue: 3   Pages: 216-219   Published: MAR 2015

Partitioning of platinum-group elements and Au between sulfide liquid and basalt and the origins of mantle-crust fractionation of the chalcophile elements: Mungall, James E.; Brenan, James M.; GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA Volume: 125   Pages: 265-289   Published: JAN 15 2014

Ore deposits of the platinum-group elements: Mungall, James E.; Naldrett, Anthony J.; ELEMENTS   Volume: 4   Issue: 4   Pages: 253-258   Published: AUG 2008

Evidence from meimechites and other low-degree mantle melts for redox controls on mantle-crust fractionation of platinum-group elements: Mungall, James E.; Hanley, Jacob J.; Arndt, Nicholas T.; et al.; PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA   Volume: 103   Issue: 34   Pages: 12695-12700   Published: AUG 22 2006

Geochemical evidence from the Sudbury structure for crustal redistribution by large bolide impacts: Mungall, JE; Ames, DE; Hanley, JJ; NATURE Volume: 429   Issue: 6991   Pages: 546-548   Published: JUN 3 2004

Roasting the mantle: Slab melting and the genesis of major Au and Au-rich Cu deposits: Mungall, JE; GEOLOGY Volume: 30 Issue: 10 Pages: 915-918 Published: OCT 2002

Interfacial tension in miscible 2-fluid systems with linear viscoelastic rheology: Mungall, JE; PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS   Volume: 73   Issue: 2   Pages: 288-291   Published: JUL 11 1994