Mon

25 May

Thomas Gore, congrats to your MSc Geology success!

We proudly announce the successful thesis defence by Thomas E. Gore this week. Thomas has concluded his mineralogical research in his MSc Geology thesis titled "A Study of Millerite from Cu-Ni-PGE Footwall Veins, Sudbury, ON: Crystal-Chemistry, Morphology & Geological Implications". This project on the morphology of millerite was supervised by mineralogy professor Dr. Andy McDonald. Specifically, the goal was to determine which factors cause millerite in magmatic sulphide deposits such as those in Sudbury and a few other localities worldwide to exhibit a platy morphology, whereas the majority of hydrothermal occurrences of millerite show an acicular morphology.

In 2017, Thomas completed his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Earth Sciences at Laurentian University. For his Honours thesis, he characterized two new minerals from Mont St. Hilaire, also under the supervision of Dr. Andy McDonald. Both new minerals have been accepted by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) and are now known as Esdanaite-(Ce) and Melansonite.

Thomas is appreciative of the following awards and experiences which helped support his postsecondary research over the years:

• Mineralogical Association of Canada Undergraduate Student of the Year - 2015

• S-IMEW alumnus – 2016

• David Beilhartz Award for best undergraduate thesis presentation (LU) – 2017

• 1st runner-up Jérôme H. Remick III Student Poster Award (GAC-MAC) – 2018

• Walker Mineralogical Club Peacock Prize - 2019

We wish Thomas the best of success in his career as a mineralogist!

The photograph was taken at L’Aiguille de Midi, Chamonix, France.

 

"I have always been fascinated by the scale that geology encompasses, ranging from gargantuan planetary interactions all the way down to the atomic behaviour. I believe that in order to have a complete understanding of what takes place on a grand scale, it’s necessary to have an understanding of what is happening at the atomic level. There is an inherent link between the micro- and macroscopic realms, and understanding one allows for a more complete explanation of the other. Mineralogy is the study of the building blocks that compose our natural world, from structure to chemistry, and the impact these factors have on larger scale interaction is astonishing. It is truly incredible how much more you are able to see if you take the time to look."

– Thomas E. Gore.