Mona-Liza C. Sirbescu Associate Professor  Ph.D: University of Missouri - Columbia MS : State University of New York - Binghamton BS : Bucharest University, Romania Office:     314 Brooks Hall Phone:     (989) 774-4497 Email:      mona.sirbescu@cmich.edu Additional Information at Dr. Sirbescu's Homepage.

Courses Taught:

Introduction to Mineralogy, Earth Materials, Physical Geology Lecture and Laboratory, Earth Processes, Forensic Geology (Honors course)

Research Program and Goals:

I use field and petrographic study of igneous rocks, as well as microthermometry and geochemistry of fluid and melt inclusions trapped in minerals to decipher the generation, evolution, and crystallization of magmas at crustal levels. In particular, I am trying to understand disequilibrium crystallization of granitic systems at unusually low temperatures using inclusion research combined with conductive-cooling numerical modeling. I apply the fluid inclusion technique to determine the type and role of fluids in gold-ore forming processes as well as in deposition of evaporitic gypsum. I am also involved in an interdisciplinary research of apatite, a bone, tooth-enamel, and inorganic mineral, for its bio-material and geological applications.

Recent Publications (CMU student names underlined):

Sirbescu, M., Hartwick, E., and Student, J. (in review) Rapid crystallization of the Animikie Red Ace Pegmatite, Florence County, Northeastern Wisconsin: Inclusion microthermometry and conductive-cooling modeling. Submitted to Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology in August, 2007.

Clauzon, G., Popescu, S.-M., Suc, J.-P., Melinte, M.C., Quillevere, F., Sirbescu, M.-L.C, and Rubino, J.L. (in review) Messinian evaporates and erosion in Eastern Paratethys clarify the Salinity Crisis debate. Submitted as a Letter to Nature Geoscience in August, 2007.

Teng, F-G, McDonough, W.F., Rudnick, R., Walker, R.J., and Sirbescu, M-L. (2006): Lithium isotopic systematics of granites and pegmatites from the Black Hills, South Dakota. American Mineralogist, 91(10), 1488-1498.

* van Hees, E.H., Kirkham, G.D., Sirbescu, M-L., Shelton, K.L., Hauser, R.L., and Falck, H. (2005): Large lithogeochemical alteration around Yellowknife gold deposits and implications for fluid pathways; Chapter 16 in Gold in the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt, Northwest Territories: Results of the EXTECH III Multidisciplinary Research Project, (ed.) C.D. Anglin, D.F. Wright, H. Falck and E.J. Ambrose; Geological Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication No. 3, 233-248.

* van Hees, E.H., Sirbescu, M-L., Washington, G.D., Benda, K.J., Shelton, K.L., Falck, H., and Trenaman, R.T. (2005): Genesis of the Ptarmigan gold deposit: Is it of magmatic affinity?; Chapter 18 in Gold in the Yellowknife Greenstone Belt, Northwest Territories: Results of the EXTECH III Multidisciplinary Research Project, (ed.) C.D. Anglin, D.F. Wright, H. Falck and E.J. Ambrose; Geological Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication No. 3, 271-285.

Sirbescu M.-L. C. and Nabelek P. I. (2003) Crustal melts below 400 °C. Geology. 31, p.685-688.

Sirbescu M.-L. C. and Nabelek P. I. (2003) Dawsonite: an inclusion mineral in quartz from the Tin Mountain pegmatite, Black Hills, South Dakota. American Mineralogist, 88, p.1055-1059.

Sirbescu, M. and Nabelek P.I. (2003) Evolution of magmatic fluids in the Harney Peak Granite and associated pegmatites, Black Hills, South Dakota: Evidence from fluid inclusions. Geochimica and Cosmochimica Acta, 67, p.2443-2465.

Abstracts (CMU student names underlined):

Sirbescu, M. and Student, J. (2007) Rapid, undercooled crystallization of a thin pegmatite dike. Insights from microthermometry and conductive-cooling numerical modeling, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 39, nr. 6

Washington, G.D., Lemke L.D., Freeman, C.D., Sirbescu, M.C., Taranovic, V., and Van Hees, E.H. (2007) Delineation and significance of litho and stable-isotope geochemistry alteration halos in the giant Hollinger-McIntyre gold mine, Timmins, Ontario Canada. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 39, nr. 6

Tecklenburg, M., Dennis, S., Perala, A., Awonusi, A., Marcotte, A., Buckland, R., Sirbescu M. (2007) Analysis of the composition of biological apatites by Raman spectroscopy and Ion Chromatography, Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies , Memphis TN, Annual Meeting

Maloney, J.S., Nabelek, P.I., Sirbescu, M.C., and Halama, R. (2007) Lithium and lithium isotopes in tourmaline as indicators of crystallization processes: A study of San Diego County pegmatites, California. 6th Hutton Symposium, 123-124.

K. C. Benison, B. B. Bowen, R. M Foster, E. A. Jagneicki, D. A. LaClair, J. Walker, M. M. Gonzales, M. C. Sirbescu, J. J. Student, S. L. Story, F. E. Oboh-Ikuenobe, B. Hong, M. R. Mormile, M. Storrie-Lombardi,and S. S. Johnson (2007) Field observations and lab tests of acid brines: implications for past deposition, diagenesis, erosion, and life on Mars. Seventh International Conference on Mars, Pasadena, California, Program with Abstracts #3376

Lyter, M. and Sirbescu, M. (2006) Fluid evolution in a gem-bearing pocket pegmatite at the Cryo-Genie Mine, San Diego County, Califormia. A novel method of gemstone exploration, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 38(7), p.558

Sirbescu, M. and Student, J. (2006) The onset of crystallization of a rare-element pegmatite, Florence County, Wisconsin: a fluid and melt inclusion study, American Geophysical Union Baltimore, MD, Eos Transactions. AGU, 87(36), Joint Assembly Supplement, Abstract V53A-03

Nabelek, P. and Sirbescu, M. (2006) A kinetic model for crystallization of very low temperature pegmatitic melts, American Geophysical Union, Baltimore, MD American Geophysical Union Baltimore, MD, Eos Transactions. AGU, 87(36), Joint Assembly Supplement, Abstract V53A-02

Manke, D., Sirbescu, M., Tecklenburg, M. (2005) Halogen analysis of apatite using ion chromatography, Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 37(7), p. 299.

Murawski, J., Sirbescu, M. (2005) The impacts of deicing agents on the water chemistry of wetlands adjacent to roads, Geological Society of America, North-Central Section v.37(5), p. 96.

Tecklenburg, M.M.J, Awonusi, A., Dennis, S., Sirbescu, M.C. (2005) Ion-substituted apatites: Standards for Raman analysis of bone, V.M. Goldschmidt Conference, Journal of Conference Abstracts, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta v. 69(10S), p. A73.

Hartwick, E., Sirbescu, M.L-C., Student, J.J. (2004) Crystallization conditions and fluid chemistry of the Animikie Red Ace pegmatite, Florence County, Wisconsin. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, p. 115.

Matty, D.J., Wicander, R., Matty, J., Benison, K., Morgan, S., Sirbescu, M., Goetz, S., Kinnicutt, P.G., Dodson, A., and Student, J., (2004) What's worked for us: Partnerships build a strong undergraduate department at a research-intensive university, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, p. 443.

Sirbescu, M.L.-C., Hartwick, E., Nabelek, P.I., (2004) Fluid evolution in Li-bearing, rare–element granitic pegmatites, Geological Society of America - Penrose Conference, “Mass Redistribution in Continental Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems”.

Hartwick, E., Sirbescu, M.L-C., and Student J.J., (2004) Fluid evolution and emplacement conditions of the Animikie Red Ace Pegmatite dike, Florence County, Wisconsin, Geological Society of America - Penrose Conference, “Mass Redistribution in Continental Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems”.

Van Hees, E.H., Sirbescu, M.L-C., Washington, G.D., Shelton, K.L, Falck, H. (2004) Genesis of the Ptarmigan gold deposit: Is it magmatic in origin? Geological Society of America - Penrose Conference, “Mass Redistribution in Continental Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems”.

Research Grants

2006-2008 Faculty Research and Creative Endeavors (FRCE) Research #48286, $7,361 – Magmatic Inclusions in Apatite from Florence County, Wisconsin.

2005-2007 Faculty Insight Teams (FIT) #65001, $9000 – An Interdisciplinary Study of Apatite: From Rocks and Bones to Nanomaterials; with M. Tecklenburg (Chemistry) and M. Fornari (Physics). No cost extension to 2008.

2004-2006 President Research Investment F, #65153, $25,000 – Role of volatiles in the petrogenesis of rare-element pegmatites.

2002-2005 Faculty Research and Creative Endeavors (FRCE) Research #48321, $7,485 – Chemical composition of fluid inclusions – A clue to unusually low-temperature magmatic environments.

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