Mineral nucleation, growth and alteration

(D. Daval, B. Wild, G. Montes-Hernandez, A. Fernandez-Martinez, C. Gautheron, and R. Hellmann)

The formation and dissolution of minerals and glass can be considered one of the most fundamental global earth processes. These reactions play a key role in the terrestrial carbon cycle, the chemical composition of natural waters such as lakes, rivers and oceans, and the cycling of major, minor and trace elements between crust and mantle. At the earth’s surface, within the critical zone, they control soil formation and contribute to the biogeochemical cycle of trace elements. The movement of pollutants and contaminant plumes in the subsurface and saturated zone is also strongly influenced by dissolution and precipitation reactions.

Many geoengineering techniques, including geothermal energy, geological storage of nuclear waste, CO2 mineral sequestration, hydraulic fracturing, concrete corrosion and H2 storage, depend on our understanding of these same reactions.

Other applications relevant to our studies include areas such as biomineralization and mineral-organic interactions in medicine, (metal-tissue nanoparticle interactions, growth and dissolution of apatite in bone). The study of mineral and glass growth and dissolution is a core research activity of ISTerre’s geochemistry group. Our approach is based on a broad spectrum of experiments and observations, from the macroscopic to the atomic scale.