Dr. McDonough's Homepage
Our Research into Cosmochemistry
What was the material available at 1 AU from the Sun 4.5 billion years ago? The Earth’s composition provides crucial insights into what was available for accretion to the planet. Cosmochemical studies involve the chemical and isotopic analyses of lunar and meteoritic materials in order to understand their origins, as well as that of their parent bodies. We also analyze products of experimental studies in which analog materials attempt to recreate temperature, pressure and oxygen (or gas) fugacity conditions that might have been involved in metal-silicate, silicate-silicate, or metal-metal differentiation processes. Our goals in all of these studies are to understand the structure, composition and evolution of the terrestrial planets and their moons. By relating insights from meteorites and the Earth we are able to understand better the building blocks of the planets and predict what might be the range of compositions of habitable exo-planets.
Cosmochemistry
- Goodrich, C.A., Ash, R.D., Van Orman, J.A., Domanik, K and McDonough, W. F. (2013) Metallic phases and siderophile elements in Main Group Ureilites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 112, 340–373 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2012.06.022
- Day, J.M.D., Walker, R.J., Ash, R.D., Liu, Y., Rumble, D., Irving, A.J., Goodrich, C.A., Tait, K., McDonough, W.F. and Taylor, L.A. (2012) Origin of felsic achondrites Graves Nunataks 06128 and 06129, and ultramafic brachinites and brachinite-like achondrites by partial melting of volatile-rich primitive parent bodies. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 81: 94-128, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2011.12.017
- Chabot, N.L., McDonough, W.F., Jones, J.H., Saslow†, S.A., Ash, R.D., Draper, D.S. and Agee, C.B. (2011) Partitioning Behavior at 9 GPa in the Fe-S System and Implications for Planetary Evolution. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 305: 425-434, doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.03.027
- Hayden, L.A., Van Orman, J.A., McDonough, W.F., Ash, R.D. and Goodrich, C.A. (2011) Trace element partitioning in the Fe-S-C system and its implications for planetary differentiation and the thermal history of ureilites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75: 6570–6583, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2011.08.036
- McCoy, T.J., Walker, R.J., Goldstein, J.I., Yang, J., McDonough, W.F., Rumble, D., Chabot, N.L., Ash, R.D., Corrigan, C.M., Michael, J. R. and Kotula, P.G. (2011) Group IVA Irons: New Constraints on the Crystallization and Cooling History of an Asteroidal Core with a Complex History. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75: 6821–6843, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2011.09.006
- McDonough, W. F. (2011) Meteoritic Clues Point Chromium Toward Earth's Core. Science, 331: 1397-1398, 10.1126/science.1203353
- Chabot, N.L., Safko, T.M. and McDonough, W.F. (2010) Effect of silicon on trace element partitioning in iron-bearing metallic melts. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 45: 1243–1257, 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01078.x.
- Lehner, S. W., Buseck, P. R. and McDonough, W. F. (2010) Origin of metal-sulfide nodules in the enstatite chondrite Sahara 97072 (EH3). Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences, 45: 289-303, 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2010.01027.x
- Chabot, N.L., Saslow†, S., McDonough, W.F. and Jones, J. H. (2009) An investigation of the behavior of Cu and Cr during iron meteorite crystallization. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 44: 505-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2009.tb00747.x
- Day, J.M.D., Ash, R.D., Liu, Y., Bellucci*, J.J., Rumble III, D., McDonough, W.F., Taylor, L.A. and Walker, R.J. (2009) Early Formation of evolved asteroidal crust. Nature, 457: 179-182. doi:10.1038/nature07651
- Day, J.M.D., Ash, R.D., Liu, Y., Bellucci*, J.J., Rumble III, D., McDonough, W.F., Taylor, L.A. and Walker, R.J. (2009) “Day et al. reply to Replying to: R. Arculus, I. H. Campbell, S. M. McLennan & S. R. Taylor Nature 459, doi:10.1038/nature08077 (2009) doi:10.1038/nature08078.
- Corrigan, C. M., Chabot, N. L., McCoy, T. J., McDonough, W. F., Ash, R. D., Saslow†, S. A. and Watson, H. C. (2009) The iron–nickel–phosphorus system: Effects on the distribution of trace elements during the evolution of iron meteorites. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 73: 2674–269. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2008.11.045
- Chabot, N. L., Campbell, A. J., McDonough, W. F., Draper, D. S., Agee, C. B., Humayun, M., Watson, H. C., Cottrell, E. and Saslow†, S. A. (2008) Trace Element Partitioning in the Fe-C system at 5 GPa: Implications for Earth's Core. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 72: 4146-4158.
- Walker, R.J., McDonough, W.F., Honesto*, J., Chabot, N.L., McCoy, T.M., Ash, R.D. and Bellucci*, J.J. (2008) Modeling fractional crystallization of group IVB iron meteorites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 72: 2198-2216.
- Chabot, N.L., Saslow†, S.A., McDonough, W.F. and McCoy T.J. (2007) The effect of Ni on iron meteorite crystallization. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 42: 1735-1750.
- Lundstrom, C.C., Sutton, A.L., Chaussidon, M., McDonough, W.F., Ash, R (2006) Trace element partitioning between type BCAI melts and melilite and spinel: Implications for trace element distribution during CAI formation. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 70: 3421-3435.