Matthew Loocke, Ph.D.

Department of Geology & Geophysics,
Louisiana State  University

I am an igneous & metamorphic petrologist and electron/x-ray microbeam specialist with research interests spanning from the scale of the formation and evolution of the moon and terrestrial planets down to the use of electrons and x-rays to reveal the chemical and structural nature of materials at the micrometer scale. My primary research focus is mantle petrology and the formation, modification, and destruction of the oceanic lithosphere at Mid-Ocean Ridges and Subduction Zone Arcs. However, my extensive experience with electron microbeam instruments and x-ray analysis (among other techniques) has resulted in my involvement in a wide variety of collaborations beyond the boundaries of the Earth sciences and a significant broadening of my active research interests.

In general, my research relies on the marriage of traditional geologic mapping and field techniques with modern techniques in remote sensing, petrographic analysis, geochemical (micro)analysis, and computer programming. I serve as the director of the Chevron Geomaterials Characterization (CGC) Laboratory in the Department of Geology & Geophysics and as the EPMA/XRF specialist in the Shared Instrumentation Facility (SIF) at LSU. This enables me to expose and train my research group and my courses to the various analytical instruments and techniques employed within the CGC Lab and the SIF at LSU.