Frank M. Richter
Frank Richter
PhD (year, institution): 1972 University of Chicago
Phone: 773 802-8118
Email: richter@geosci.uchicago.edu
Office #: HGS 549
Research interests:
The common theme to my recent research involves laboratory experiments to determine the degree of kinetic isotope fractionation associated with mass transport processes within a phase (i.e., chemical diffusion in a silicate melt or water) or between phases as in the case of mass transfer from a condensed phase to a gas (i.e., evaporation). The point is to find diagnostic isotopic fingerprints of particular transport processes, which would allow us to confirm and quantify their operation in a natural setting.
The degree of isotopic fractionation of lithium, calcium, magnesium and iron associated with the diffusion of these elements between molten basalt and rhyolite was found to be large compared to measure these fractionations [Richter F.M., Davis A.M., DePaolo D.J. and Watson E.B. (2003) Isotope fractionation by chemical diffusion between molten basalt and rhyolite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 67, 3905-3923; Richter F.M., Watson E.B., Mendybaev R.A., Teng F-Z., Janney, P.E. (2008) Magnesium isotope fractionation in silicate melts by chemical and thermal diffusion. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 72, 206-220]. These fractionations are being used by one of our graduate students to test whether the chemical gradients he has measured in the boundary between basalts intruding rhyolites from Maine are due to diffusion (which would have associated isotopic fractionations) or mechanical mixing (which would not fractionate isotopes).
We have also determined the isotopic fractionations associated with the diffusion of salts such as LiCl, KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 dissolved in water [Richter F.M., Mendybaev R.A., Christensen J.N., Hutcheon I.D., Williams R.W., Sturchio N.C. and Beloso Jr. A.D. (2006) Kinetic isotope fractionation during diffusion of ionic species in water. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 70, 277-289]. Except for potassium, these fractionations are much smaller than in a silicate melt reflecting the fact that water is a polar liquid that form hydration spheres around the dissolved ions. Molecular dynamics calculations by a postdoctoral fellow - Ian Bourg - have been remarkably successful at reproducing the experimentally observed isotopic fractionations of lithium and magnesium. The molecular calculations predicted that the isotopic fractionation of potassium would be found to be significantly larger that that of lithium, which is exactly what we found in a recent set of laboratory experiments motivated by the molecular calculations.
The laboratory experiments for measuring the isotopic fractionation of evaporation residues are motivated by the long known fact that the most primitive inclusions in meteorites dating back to the very start of our solar system (CAIS: calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions) often have correlated enrichments in the heavy isotopes of silicon and magnesium. We use vacuum evaporation experiment to demonstrate and quantify how evaporation of SiO2 and MgO from molten silicates of CAI-like composition produces residues with the same sort of isotopic fractionation seen in the actual CAIs. We recently published an extensive study of magnesium isotopic fractionation by evaporation [Richter F.M., Janney P.E., Mendybaev R.A., Davis A.M. and Wadhwa M. (2007) Elemental and isotopic fractionation of Type B CAI-like liquids by evaporation. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 5544-5564] and a companion paper involving silicon isotopes has been submitted [Knight K.B., Kita N.T., Mendybaev R.A., Richter F.M., Davis A.M. and Valley J.W. (2007) Silicon isotope fractionation in CAI-like evaporation residues. Submitted to Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta].
We are very excited by our recent results with another type of kinetic isotope fractionation involving isotope fractionation by a temperature gradient (i.e., isotope fractionation by thermal diffusion, also called Soret diffusion). Isotope fractionation by temperature differences across a gas have been known for a long time, but that similarly large effects occur in molten silicates came as a surprise - especially that the fractionation that we have measured in molten basalt are in some cases larger than what happens in a gas. In a recent paper [Richter F.M., Watson E.B., Mendybaev R.A., Teng F-Z., Janney, P.E. (2008) Magnesium isotope fractionation in silicate melts by chemical and thermal diffusion. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 72, 206-220] we reported extraordinarily large magnesium isotopic fractionations of 1% in the 26Mg/24Mg ratio by a temperature difference of only 100˚C. We have preliminary results showing that all the isotopes of all major elements of basalt are similarly fractionated by temperature differences. I expect these preliminary results will stimulate a broad range studies exploring the effect of temperature gradients on chemical and isotopic fractionations in both laboratory and natural settings.
Publications:
Richter F.M., Watson E.B., Mendybaev R.A., Teng F-Z., Janney, P.E. (2008)
Magnesium isotope fractionation in silicate melts by chemical and thermal diffusion. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 72, 206-220.
Richter F.M., Janney P.E., Mendybaev R.A., Davis A.M. and Wadhwa M. (2007)
Elemental and isotopic fractionation of Type B CAI-like liquids by evaporation.
Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 5544-5564.
Davis A.M. and Richter F.M. (2007) Condensation and evaporation of solar system materials - revised, In Meteorites, Comets, and Planets (ed. A.M. Davis) Vol. 1 Treatise on Geochemistry, 1 (eds., H.D. Holland and K.K. Turekian), Elsevier-Pergamon, Oxford.
Richter F.M., Mendybaev R.A., Christensen J.N., Hutcheon I.D., Williams R.W., Sturchio N.C. and Beloso Jr. A.D. (2006) Kinetic isotope fractionation during diffusion of ionic species in water. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 70, 277-289.
Mendybaev R.A., Richter, F.M. and Davis A.M. (2006) Crystallization of melilite from CMAS liquids. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 70, 2622-2642.
Richter F.M., Mendybaev R.A., and Davis A.M. (2006) Conditions in the protoplanetary disk as seen by refractory inclusions in meteorites. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 41, 83-93.
Richter F.M. (2004) Timescales determining the degree of kinetic isotope fractionation by evaporation and condensation. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 68, 4971-4992.
Dauphas N., Janney P.E., Mendybaev R.A., Wadhwa M., Richter F.M., Davis A.M., van Zuilen A., Hines R., and Foley C.N. (2004) Chromatographic separation and multicollection-ICPMS anaysis of iron. Invstigating mass-dependent and -independent isotope effects. Anal. Chem. 76, 5855-5863
Richter F.M., Davis A.M., DePaolo D.J. and Watson E.B. (2003) Isotope fractionation by chemical diffusion between molten basalt and rhyolite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 67, 3905-3923.
Davis A.M. and Richter F.M. (2003) Condensation and evaporation of solar system materials, pp 407-430. In Meteorites, Comets, and Planets (ed. A.M. Davis) Vol. 1 Treatise on Geochemistry, 1 (eds., H.D. Holland and K.K. Turekian), Elsevier-Pergamon, Oxford.
Richter F.M., Davis A.M., Ebel D.S. and Hashimoto A. (2002) Elemental and isotopic fractionation of Type B CAIs: experiments, theoretical considerations, and constraints on their thermal history. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 66, 521-540.
Grossman L., Ebel D.S., Simon S.B., Davis A.M., Richter, F.M. and Parsad N.M. (2000) Major element chemical and isotopic composition of refractory inclusions in C3 chondrites: The separate roles of condensation and evaporation. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 64,2879-2894.
Waversik W.R. et al. (2000) Terrestrial sequestration of CO2: An assessment of research needs. Advances Geophys, 43, 97-177.
Richter F.M, Liang Y. and Davis A.M. (1999) Isotope fractionation by diffusion in molten oxides, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 63,2853-2861.
Richter F.M., Liang Y. and Minarik, W.G. (1998) Multicomponent diffusion and convection in moltem MgO-Al2O3-SiO2, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 62, 1985-1991.
Liang Y., Richter F.M. and Chamberlin L. (1997) Diffusion in slicate melts: III. Empirical models for multicomponent diffusion, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 61, 5295-5312.
Liang Y., Richter F.M. and Watson E.B. (1996) Diffusion in silicate melts: II. Multicomponent chemical diffusion in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 at 1500 ˚C and 1 GPa, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 60, 5021-5035 .
Liang Y., Richter F.M., Davis A., and Watson E.B. (1996) Diffusion in silicate melts: I. Self diffusion in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 at 1500 ˚C and 10 kbar, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 60, 4353-4367.
Richter F.M. (1996) Models for the coupled Sr and sulfate budget in deep-sea carbonates, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 141, 199-211.
Shrag D., DePaolo D. and Richter, F.M. (1995) Reconstructing past sea surface temperatures: Correcting for diagenesis of bulk marine carbonates, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 59, 2265-2278.
Liang Y., Richter F.M. and Watson E.B. (1994) Convection in multicomponent silicate melts driven by coupled diffsion, Nature 369, 390-392.
Ingram B.L., Coccioni R., Montanari A. and Richter F.M. (1994) Strontium isotopic composition of Mid-Cretaceous seawater, Science 264, 546-550
Richter F.M. (1993) A method for determining activity-composition relations using chemical diffusion in silicate melts, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 57, 1-14.
Richter F.M. (1993) Fluid flow in deep-sea carbonates: Estimates based on porewater Sr, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 119, 133-141.
Richter F.M. and Liang Y. (1993) The rate and consequences of Sr diagenesis in deep-sea carbonates, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 117, 553-565.
Richter F.M. and Turekian K.K. (1993) Simple models for the geochemical response of the ocean to climatic and tectonic forcing, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 119, 121-131.
Schrag D.P., Depaolo D.J. and Richter F.M. (1992) Oxygen isotope exchange in a two-layer model of the oceanic crust, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 111, 305-317.
Richter, F.M., Rowley, D.B and DePaolo, D. (1992) Sr evolution of sea water: The role of tectonics. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 109, 11-23.
Richter, F.M., Lovera, O., Harrison, T.M. and Copeland, P. (1991) Tibetan tectonics from 40Ar/39Ar analysis of a single K-feldspar sample. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 105, 266-278.
Lovera, O., Richter, F.M. and Harrison, T.M. (1991) Diffusion domains determined by 39Ar released during step heating. J. Geophys. Res. 96, 2057-2069.
Riley, R., Kohlstedt, D.L. and Richter, F.M. (1990) Melt migration in a silicate liquid-olivine system: An experimental test of compaction theory. Geophys. Res. Lett. 17, 2101-2104.
Lovera, O., Richter, F.M. and Harrison, T.M. (1989) 40Ar/39Ar thermochronometry for slowly cooled samples having a distribution of diffusion domain sizes. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 17,917-17,935.
Holness, M. and Richter, F.M. (1989) Possible effects of spreading rate on MORB isotopic and rare earth composition arising from melting of a heterogeneous source.
J. Geology 97, 247-260.
Richter, F.M. and Daly, S.F. (1989) Dynamical and chemical effects of melting a hetero¬geneous source. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 12,499-12,510.
Richter, F.M. and DePaolo, D. (1988) Diagenesis and Sr isotopic evolution of seawater using data from DSDP 590B and 575. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 90, 382-394.
Daines, M. and Richter, F.M. (1988) An experimental method for directly determining the interconnectivity in a partially molten system. Geophys. Res. Lett. 15, 1459-1462.
Richter, F.M. (1988) A major change in the thermal state of the Earth at the Archean-Proterozoic boundary: Consequences for the nature and preservation of continental lithosphere. J. Petrol. Special Lithosphere Issue, 39-52.
Richter, F.M. and DePaolo, D.J. (1987) Numerical models for diagenesis and the Neogene Sr isotopic evolution of seawater from DSDP Site 590B. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 83, 27-38.
Richter, F.M. (1986) Simple model for trace element fractionation during melt segrega¬tion. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 77, 333-344.
Richter, F.M. (1986) Kelvin and the age of the Earth. J. Geol. 94, 395-401.
Barcilon, V. and Richter, F.M. (1986) Nonlinear waves in compacting media. J. Fluid. Mech. 164, 429-448.
Richter, F.M. (1986) Nonlinear behavior. In Metatheory in Social Science (D.W. Fiske and R.A. Shweder, eds.), pp. 284-292. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Richter, F.M. (1985) Models for the Archean thermal regime. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 73, 350-360.
Richter, F.M. and McKenzie, D. (1984) Dynamical models for melt segregation from a deformable matrix. J. Geology 92, 729-740.
Richter, F.M. (1984) Time and space scales of mantle convection. In Patterns of Change in Earth Evolution (H.D. Holland and A.F. Trendale, eds.), pp. 271-289. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Richter, F.M. (1984) Regionalized models for the thermal evolution of the earth. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 68, 471-484.
Richter, F.M., Nataf, H.C. and Daly, S.F. (1983) Heat transfer and horizontally averaged temperature of convection with large viscosity variations. J. Fluid Mech. 129, 183.
Nataf, H.C. and Richter, F.M. (1982) Convection experiments in fluids with highly tem¬perature dependent viscosity and the thermal evolution of the planets. Proc. NATO Adv. Study Inst.
Richter, F.M., Daly, S.F. and Nataf, H.C. (1982) A parameterized model for the evolu¬tion of isotopic heterogeneities in a convecting system. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 60, 178-194.
Richter, F.M. and McKenzie, D. (1981) On some consequences and possible causes of layered mantle convection. J. Geophys. Res. 86, 6133-6142.
McKenzie, D. and Richter, F.M. (1981) Parameterized thermal convection in a layered region and the thermal history of the earth. J. Geophys. Res. 86, 11,667-11,680.
Richter, F.M. and McKenzie, D. (1981) Parameterizations for the horizontally-averaged temperature of infinite Prandt 1 number convection. J. Geophys. Res. 86, 1738-1744.
Parsons, B. and Richter, F.M. (1981) Mantle convection and the oceanic lithosphere.
The Sea VIII.
Parsons, B. and Richter, F.M. (1980) A relation between the driving force and geoid anomaly associated with mid-ocean ridges. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 51, 445-450.
Richter, F.M. (1979) Focal mechanisms and seismic energy release of deep and interme¬diate earthquakes in the Tonga-Kermadec region and their bearing on the depth extent of mantle flow. J. Geophys. Res. 84, 6783-6795.
Johnson, C.E. and Richter, F.M. (1979) Stereoviews of seismicity associated with sub¬duction zones. J. Geol. 87, 467-474.
Jeanloz, R. and Richter, F.M. (1979) Convection, composition and the thermal state of the lower mantle. J. Geophys. Res. 84, 5497-5504.
Richter, F.M. and Ribe, N.M. (1979) On the importance of advection in determining the local isotopic composition of the mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 43, 212-222.
Richter, F.M. and McKenzie, D. (1978) Simple plate models of mantle convection. J. Geophys. 44, 441-471.
Richter, F.M. (1978) Mantle convection models. Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 6, 9-19.
Richter, F.M. (1978) Experiments on the stability of convection rolls in fluids whose vis¬cosity depends on temperature. J. Fluid. Mech. 89, 553-560.
Mendiguren, J. and Richter, F.M. (1978) On the origin of compressional intraplate stresses in South America. Phys. Earth Planet. Int. 16.
Richter, F.M. and Daly, S.F. (1978) Convection models having a multiplicity of large horizontal scales. J. Geophys. Res. 83, 4951-4956.
Richter, F.M. (1977) On the driving mechanism of plate tectonics. Tectonophysics 38, 61-88.
Richter, F.M. and McKenzie, D. (1976) Convection currents in the earth's mantle. Scientific American 235, 72-89.
Richter, F.M. and Parsons, B. (1975) On the interaction of two scales of convection in the mantle. J. Geophys. Res. 80, 2529-2541.
Richter, F.M. and Johnson, C.E. (1974) Stability of a chemically layered mantle. J. Geo¬phys. Res. 79, 1635-1639.
Richter, F.M. (1973) Convection and the large-scale circulation of the mantle. J. Geo¬phys. Res. 78, 8735-8745.
Richter, F.M. (1973) Finite amplitude convection through a phase boundary. Geophys. J.R. Astron. Soc. 35, 265-276.
Richter, F.M. (1973) Dynamical models for sea-floor spreading. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 11, 223-287.
Courses:
Geosci 131 - Introductory course in Geology
Geosci 342- Modeling in the Geophysical Sciences
CV:
Frank M. Richter
Department of the Geophysical Sciences
The University of Chicago
Place of birth: Dominican Republic (naturalized U.S. citizen 1974)
Education
Prof. Eng. 1965 Colorado School of Mines
M.S. 1971 University of Chicago
Ph.D. 1972 University of Chicago
Professional Experience
1994- Sewell Avery Distinguished Service Professor
Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago
1985-1994 Chairman, Department of the Geophysical Sciences
The University of Chicago
1981- Professor, Department of the Geophysical Sciences
The University of Chicago
1978-1981 Associate Professor, Department of the Geophysical Sciences
The University of Chicago
1975-1978 Assistant Professor, Department of the Geophysical Sciences
The University of Chicago
1972-1974 Research Associate, Department of Earth and Planetary Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Honors
2007 Fellow, Geological Society of America
2006 Arthur L. Day Medal of the Geological Society of America
2001 Member, National Academy of Sciences
1999 George Woollard Award of the Geological Society of America
1995 Norman L. Bowen Award of the American Geophysical Union
1993 Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1983 Fellow, American Geophysical Union
1981 Royal Society Research Fellow
1979 Green Scholar, Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, La Jolla, CA.
1978 Fairchild Distinguished Scholar, California Institute of Technology
1974 John Simon Guggenheim Fellow
