Mihai Ducea - Curriculum Vitae#

PROFILE SUMMARY

A tectonic petrologist with background in field geology, petrography and elemental and radiogenic isotope geochemistry.

APPOINTMENTS

• Professor, University of Bucharest, 2021-present and ongoing, Bucharest, Romania
  
• Professor, University of Arizona, 2009-retiring in 2025
  
• Associate Professor with tenure, University of Arizona, 2004 - 2009
  
• Assistant Professor, University of Arizona — 2000-2004 Tucson, AZ
  
• Postdoctoral Scholar, Florida International University, 1999-2000 Miami, Florida

EDUCATION

• California Institute of Technology- PhD Geology, 1998, Primary Advisors, Jason Saleeby and Peter Wyllie
  
• California Institute of Technology, MS, Geology, 1995
  
• Duke University, MS, Geology, 1993.
  
• University of Bucharest, Geological Engineering BS, 1991

SUMMARY OF DISCOVERIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Crust mantle exchange at subduction systems. Mihai studies exposed arc lower crustal sections at various locations to quantify the exchange between crust and mantle via magmatism and foundering. His PhD thesis is the first to document igneous cumulate and residues as eclogite facies rocks under arcs (known today as arclogites) and the hypothesis of arc root foundering under thick continental arcs.

2. Fluxes and tempos of arc magmatism. He uses granitoid geochronology and field constraints to quantify regional and global fluxes of magmas in arcs and find causes for their non-steady-state behavior.

3. Regional geology. He contributes to regional geology studies (most recently in the Carpathians) via geologic mapping, geochronology, and thermochronology with a particular focus on basement terrains.

4. Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr and other geochronology applied to igneous and metamorphic rocks. He oversees a TIMS and ICP-MS laboratory where he pushes the envelope of various geochronologic techniques, focusing on metamorphic geochronology.

5. Ultra shallow subduction. He studies the field evidence for underplating mechanisms and their consequences for convergent margin evolution. The focus so far has been on Western North America and Mexico.

6. Crustal and mantle xenoliths. He is long-term interested in using xenoliths as tectonic tracers of lithospheric composition and evolution.

7. Mineral evolution. He studies the linkages between tectonic processes in a Wilson cycle and the distribution of mineral species in continental regions.

8. Geophysics and petrology of deep arcs. In collaboration with geophysics groups (seismologists and other geophysicists), he works on deciphering the composition and extent of magma bodies under subduction systems.

9. Basalt petrology. We use the geochemistry of basalts from various regions to test for magnitude of extension, and provide tests of delamination and other tectonic processes in various continental regions.

10. Geochemistry and crustal thickness over time. We use intermediate rock trace elemental geochemistry and that of derivative trace minerals (zircon, apatite) to quantify crustal thickness evolution over time in orogenic regions.