Asish R. Basu
Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Ph.D. University of California, Davis. 1975
Research Interests
My research interests are diverse, primarily based on petrological, mineralogical and geochemical approaches in understanding aspects of Earth evolution. I use trace element, radiogenic and stable isotopes as principal tools in most of these studies, in conjunction with other standard laboratory and field observations. Using these approaches, we study igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks from different periods of Earth history to interpret petrogenesis and its broader implications for tectonics and geodynamics. Although my research interests may be broadly described under the general heading of solid earth geochemistry, I am also interested in the hydrosphere, in particular its interaction with the lithosphere.
Some of my recent and ongoing projects are on continental flood basalt volcanism, their chronology, and a deep mantle plume origin for each of these large igneous provinces. We are also involved in studies of subduction zone metamorphism, such as in the world's most well-known Franciscan Subduction Complex of California, in identifying the protoliths of the high pressure rocks and their plate -tectonic evolution. This study has extended our interests in mechanisms of ophiolite emplacement, and also on several aspects of ultra high pressure metamorphism, such as those in the Himalyan suture zone. Other current activities include geochronology and the origin of possibly the world's oldest and largest banded iron formations from the Indian craton; petrology, geochemistry and the origin of ultrabasic lavas in the West Rift of the East African Rift System. We are also involved in studies of the mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry of meteorites, terrestrial impact craters and impact products.
Selected Publications
Monograph
A.R. Basu and S.R. Hart (Editors), Earth Processes: Reading the Isotopic Code, Geophysical Monograph 95, 437 p., American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 1996.
Publications in Refereed Journals
R. Chakrabarti, A. R. Basu, P. K. Bandyopadhyay, and H. Zou, Age and origin of the Chilka anorthosites, Eastern Ghats, India: Implications for massif anorthosite petrogenesis and break-up of Rodinia, Monograph, Springer-Verlag, in press, 2010.
J. Wakabayashi, A. Ghatak, and A. R. Basu, Supra-subduction zone ophiolite generation, emplacement, and initiation of subduction: A perspective from geochemistry, metamorphism, geochronology, and regional geology, Bulletin Geological Society of America, v 122, no9/10, 1548-1568, 2010.
S. Banerjee, I. Richards, K. Ferguson, R. T. Gregory and A. R. Basu, Archean fluid-rock interaction: Oxygen and Hydrogen isotope ratio from Iron Ore Group, India, Geochimica et Cosmochimica acta, v 74(11), A48, 2010.
R. Chakrabarti, K. W. W. Sims, A. R. Basu, M. Reagan, and J. Durieux, Timescales of magmatic processes and eruption ages of the Nyiragongo volcanics from 238U-230Th-226Ra-210Pb disequilibria, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 288, 149-157, 2009.
R. B. Georg, A. J. West, A. R. Basu, and A. N. Halliday, Silicon fluxes and isotope composition of direct groundwater discharge into the Bay of Bengal and the effect on the global ocean silicon isotope budget, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v 283, 67-74, 2009.
B.A.Sargent, W.J. Forrest, C.Tayrien, M.K.McClure, A.Li, A.R. Basu and seven others, Silica in Protoplanetary Disks, Astrophysical Journal, v 690,1193-1207, 2009.
R.Chakrabarti, Basu A.R., A.P.Santo, D.Tedesco and O. Vaselli, Isotopic and geochemical evidence for a heterogeneous mantle plume origin of the Virunga volcanics, Western Rift, East African Rift system, Chemical Geology 259, 273-289, 2009.
S.B.Shirey, B.S.Kamber, M.J.Whitehouse, P.A.Mueller and A.R. Basu, A Review of the isotopic evidence for mantle and crustal processes in the Hadean and Archean: Implications for the onset of plate tectonic subduction, Special Paper, Geological Society of America, v 440,1-29, 2008.
R. Chakrabarti, A.R. Basu, and D. K. Paul, Nd-Hf-Sr-Pb and trace element geochemistry of Proterozoic lamproites from southern India: Subducted komatiite in the source, Chemical Geology, v236, 291-302, 2007.
R. Chakrabarti, and A.R. Basu, Trace Element and Isotopic Evidence for Archean Basement in the Lonar Crater Impact Breccia, Deccan Volcanic Province, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v247, 197-211, 2006.
A. Saha, A.R. Basu, S.B. Jacobson, R.J. Poreda, Q.-Z. Yin, and G.M. Yogodzinski, Slab devolatilization and Os and Pb mobility in the mantle wedge of the Kamchatka arc, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v236, 182-194, 2005.
L. Becker, R.J. Poreda, A.R. Basu, K.O. Pope, T.M. Harrison, C. Nicholson, R. Iasky, Bedout: A Possible End-Permian Impact Crater Offshore of Northwestern Australia, Science, v304, 1469-1476, 2004.
O. Katz, M. Beyeth, N. Miller, R. Stern, A.R. Basu, and A. D. Anbar, A late Neoproterozic high-magnesian andesite from southern Isreal: Implications for the consolidation of Gondwana, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v218, 475-490, 2004.
A. Saha, A.R. Basu, C. N. Garzione, P. K. Bandyopadhyay, and A. Chakrabarti, Geochemical and Petrological evidence for subduction-accretion processes in the Archean Eastern Indian Craton, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v220, 91-106, 2004.
A.R. Basu, M.I. Petaev, R.J. Poreda, S.B. Jacobsen, L. Becker, Chondritic meteorite fragments associated with the Permian-Triassic boundary in Antarctica, Science, v302, 5649, 1388-1392, 2003.
R.E. Hannigan, A.R. Basu, and F. Teichmann, Mantle reservoir geochemistry from statistical analysis of ICP-MS trace element data of equatorial Mid-Atlantic MORB glasses, Chemical Geology, v175, 3-4, 397-428, 2001.
A.R. Basu, S.B. Jacobsen, R.J. Poreda, C.B. Dowling and P.K. Aggarwal, Large Ground Water Strontium Flux to the Oceans from the Bengal Basin and the Marine Strontium Isotope Record, Science, v293, 1470, 2001.
A.R. Basu, R. E. Hannigan and S. B. Jacobsen, Melting of the Siberian mantle plume, Geophysical Research Letters, v25, 12, 2209-2212, 1998.
A.R. Basu and B. E. Faggart, Temporal isotopic variations in the Hawaiian plume: the Lanai anomaly, the Molokai fracture zone and a seawater-altered lithospheric component in Hawaiian volcanism, Geophysical Monograph 95, American Geophysical Union, Washington D. C., 149-159, 1996.
R. B. Cole, and A.R. Basu, Nd-Sr isotopic geochemistry and tectonics of ridge subduction and middle Cenozoic volcanism in western California, Geological Society of America Bulletin, v107, 167-179, 1995.
A.R. Basu, R. J. Poreda, P. R. Renne, F. Teichmann, Y. R. Vasiliev, N. V. Sobolev and B. D. Turrin, High 3He plume origin and temporal-spatial evolution of the Siberian flood basalts, Science, v269, 822-825, 1995.
P.R. Renne, Z. Zhang, M.A. Richardson, M.T. Black and A.R. Basu, Synchrony and causal relations between Permian-Triassic boundary crisis and Siberian flood volcanism, Science, v269, 1413-1416, 1995.
K. A. Farley, A.R. Basu and H. Craig, He, Sr and Nd-isotopic variations in lavas from the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, southeast Pacific, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, v125, 75-87, 1993.
A.R. Basu, P. R. Renne, D. K. Dasgupta, F. Teichmann and R. J. Poreda, Early and late alkali igneous pulses and a high 3He plume origin for the Deccan flood basalts, Science, v261, 902-906, 1993.
R. B. Cole, and A.R. Basu, Middle Tertiary Volcanism during Ridge-Trench interactions in Western California, Science, v258, 793-796, 1992.
M. Sharma, A.R. Basu, and G. V. Nesterenko, Temporal Sr, Nd and Pb - isotopic variations in the Siberian flood basalts: Implications for the plume-source characteristics, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v113, 365-381, 1992.
P.R. Renne, and A.R. Basu, Rapid Eruption of the Siberian Traps Flood Basalts at the Permo-Triassic Boundary, Science, v253, 176-179, 1991.
A.R. Basu, W. Junwen, A. Wankung, X. Guanghong, and M. Tatsumoto, Major element, REE, Pb, Nd and Sr-isotopic geochemistry of Cenozoic volcanic rocks of eastern China: Implications for their origin from sub-oceanic-type mantle reservoirs, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v105, 149-169, 1991.
A.R. Basu, W. Junwen, H. Wankang, X. Guanghong and M. Tatsumoto, Major Element, REE, and Pb, Nd and Sr Isotopic Geochemistry of Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks of Eastern China, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v105, 149-169, 1991.
A.R. Basu, M. Sharma, and P. G. DeCelles, Nd, Sr-isotopic Provenance and Trace Element Geochemistry of Amazonian Foreland Basin Fluvial Sands, Bolivia and Peru: Implications for Ensialic Andean Orogeny, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v100, 1-17, 1990.
J.S. Ongley, A.R. Basu and T.K. Kyser, Oxygen isotopes in coexisting garnets, clinopyroxenes and phlogopites of Roberts Victor Eclogites: Implications for petrogenesis and mantle metasomatism, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v83, 80-84, 1987.
A.R. Basu, J.S. Ongley, and I.D. MacGregor, Eclogites, pyroxene geotherm and layered mantle convection, Science, v233, 1303-1305, 1986.
B.E. Faggart, A.R. Basu, and M. Tatsumoto, 1985. Origin of the Sudbury Complex by Meteoritic Impact: Neodymium Isotopic Evidence, Science, v230, 436-439,1985.
Courses
Undergraduate Courses
EES 204, Mineralogy
EES 206, Petrology and Geochemistry
EES 240, Optical Mineralogy
EES 241, Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
Graduate Courses
EES 406, Petrology and Geochemistry
EES 441, Igneous-Metamorphic Petrology
EES 441, Solid Earth Geochemistry
EES 446, Neodymium Isotope Geochemistry
Research Opportunities for Graduate Students
In addition to the graduate courses taught by Asish Basu, students usually take the geochemistry courses taught by Robert Poreda and Udo Fehn, and other relevant courses in tectonics, geodynamics, sedimentology, marine geology and hydrology taught by the Earth Sciences faculty. These courses prepare the students for research opportunities in petrology and geochemistry. The types of projects chosen by the students vary according to student interests and may be in areas related to but not restricted to the ongoing projects as described under Asish Basu's Research Interests. The student research is facilitated by the analytical facilities available in the Department and described below.
The Department has isotope geochemistry laboratories that routinely measure Nd, Sr and Pb isotopes as well as He isotopes and trace elements in rocks, minerals, sediments and water. Asish Basu encourages his students to visit other laboratories in the country for training, if needed, for specific analytical measurements, such as Hf, and Os isotopes, and analysis with the LA-MC-ICPMS.