Dr. Fred Gaidies

Research
My research focuses on a better understanding of the mechanisms and rates of fundamental rock-forming processes such as nucleation, crystal growth and chemical diffusion and how they depend on changes of pressure, temperature and chemical environment with time during rock evolution. I am especially interested in the kinetics of these processes and how they contribute to the mineral content, mineral chemistry and texture of a rock. I study features such as chemical zoning of crystals or the size and spatial distribution of mineral grains in rocks and compare these findings with results obtained through numerical simulations.

There is currently a fully funded MSc position available on the timing and conditions of metamorphism near Dryden, Ontario. For more information please visit www.teamgar.net.

Teaching
I teach undergraduate classes on mineralogy and petrology, metamorphic petrology, and field geology and graduate courses on the kinetics and thermodynamics of mineral reactions.