Chris McFarlane

Current research interests

1. Accessory mineral petrogenesis and isotopic robustness, with recent focus on complex oxide U-Pb geochronology
2. Integration of textural, chemical, and in-situ U-Pb geochronological datasets to reconstruct timescales and tempo of high-grade metamorphism
3. Absolute dating of terrestrial impact craters and meteorite crystallization ages using in situ phosphate U-Pb geochronology
4. Development of laser ablation methods for rapid, precise, and accurate characterization of trace metals in human keratin

This research is supported by a wide array of analytical facilities available within the department and in collaboration with other university facilities. Our laser-ablation quadrupole ICP-MS systems will be used in many of these projects. Fundamental transmitted and reflected light microscopy and digital imaging is now supported by Zeiss Axiolmager.

Current graduate and undergraduate student research

Primary supervision
Chris Zelt (MSc): Evolution of the Hunt River greenstone belt, Hopedale block, Labrador

Co-supervised

Robin Adair PhD (co-supervised with D. Lentz) “Petrogenesis of the Crowsnest volcanics, SE Alberta” January 2017 – current

Sarah Speight (PhD, co-supervised with J. Hanley, SMU) Evolution, emplacement, geochemical characteristics, and metallogenic implications of magmatic intrusions in the Yellowknife greenstone belt, NWT

Recent graduates (last 5 years)

2020 Carlin Lentz (MSc): Reconstruction of physico-chemical conditions of W and Au mineralization in the Cantung Cu-Mo-W skarn deposit

2020 Travis McCarron (PhD): Trace-element and isotope systematics in garnet from prograde metamorphic terranes

2020 Taylor Ducharme (Msc): Petrogenesis of the Flowers River alkaline igneous complex, Labrador

2019 Nadieh Mohammadi (PhD, Lentz/McFarlane): Petrogenesis of tin-tungsten-molybdenum mineralized intragranitic systems within the highly evolved Mount Douglas polyphase intrusive complex, Southwestern New Brunswick, Canada

2018 Zeinab Azadbahkt (PhD TGI-4, Lentz/McFarlane): Magma Fertility and Mineralization Potential Based on Ferromagnesian Phase Compositions in Devonian Granites from New Brunswick, Canada

2017 Azam Soltani Dehnavi (PhD TGI-4, Lentz/McFarlane): Volatile trace-element signatures of massive sulphide deposits in the Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada

2016 Emily Palmer (MSc, Lentz/McFarlane): Geology, geochemistry, and geochronology of the Prosperous Lake pegmatite suite, NWT

2015 Wei Zhang (PhD, Lentz/McFarlane): Geology and Geochemistry of Porphyry deposit, Sisson Brook New Brunswick, Canada

Selected publications sorted by discipline

Laser ablation method development

Wind, C.S., Schneider, D.A., Hannington, M.D., McFarlane, C.R.M. (2020) Regional similarities in lead isotopes and trace elements in galena of the Cyclades Mineral District, Greece with implications for the underlying basement. Lithos, 366-367, 105559.

Soltani Dehnavi, A., McFarlane, C.R.M., Lentz, D.R., McClenaghan, S.H., Walker, J.A. (2019) Chlorite-White Mica Pairs’ Composition as a Micro-Chemical Guide to Fingerprint Massive Sulfide Deposits of Bathurst Mining Camp, Canada. Minerals, 9(2), 125

McFarlane, C.R.M., Soltani Dehnavi, A, Lentz, D.R. (2016) Pb-isotopic study of galena by LA-Q-ICP-MS: testing a new methodology with applications to base-metal sulphide deposits. Minerals, 6, 96-112

McFarlane, C.R.M. (2016) Allanite U-Pb geochronology by 193nm LA ICP-MS using NIST610 glass for external calibration. Chemical Geology, 438, 91-102.

Kelly, C.J., McFarlane, C.R.M., Schneider, D.A., and Jackson, S.E. (2014). Dating Micrometre-Thin Rims Using a LA-ICP-MS Depth Profiling Technique on Zircon from an Archaean Metasediment: Comparison with the SIMS Depth Profiling Method. Geostand Geoanal Res 38(4), 389-407

Igneous & metamorphic petrology

Azadbakht, Z., Lentz, D. R., McFarlane, C.R.M., & Whalen, J. B. (2020). Using magmatic biotite chemistry to differentiate barren and mineralized Silurian–Devonian granitoids of New Brunswick, Canada. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 175(7), 1-24

McCarron, T., McFarlane, C.R.M., Gaidies, F. (2019) The significance of Mn-rich ilmenite and the determination of P-T paths from zoned garnet in metasedimentary rocks from the Western Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia. Journal of Metamorphic Geology 37, 9, 1171-1192.

Pe-Piper, G., Piper, D.J.W., McFarlane, C.R.M., Sangster, C., Zhang, Y., Boucher, B. (2018) Petrology, chronology and sequence of vein systems: systematic magmatic and hydrothermal history of a major intracontinental shear zone, Canadian Appalachians. Lithos, 304-307

Azadbakht, Z., Lentz, D.R., McFarlane, C.R.M. (2018) Apatite Chemical Compositions from Acadian-Related Granitoids of New Brunswick, Canada: Implications for Petrogenesis and Metallogenesis. Minerals 2018, 8(12), 598

Zulu, J.D.S., Lentz, D.R., Walker, J.A., McFarlane, C.R.M., (2016) Recognizing and quantifying metamorphosed alteration zones through amphibolite facies metamorphic overprint at the Key Anacon Zn–Pb–Cu–Ag deposits, Bathurst Mining Camp, New Brunswick, Canada. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 165, 143-158

Geochronology

Lentz, C., Thorne, K., McFarlane, C.R.M., & Archibald, D. A. (2020). U-Pb, Ar-Ar, and Re-Os Geochronological Constraints on Multiple Magmatic–Hydrothermal Episodes at the Lake George Mine, Central New Brunswick. Minerals, 10(6), 566

Mohammadi, N., McFarlane, C.R.M., Lentz, D., Thorne, K. (2019) Timing of magmatic crystallization and Sn-W-Mo greisen vein formation within the Mount Douglas Granite, NB, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 999), 1-26.

Pe-Piper, G. Nagle, J., Piper, D. J.W, McFarlane, C.R.M. (2019) Geochronology and trace element mobility in rutile from a Carboniferous syenite pegmatite and the role of halogens. American Mineralogist 104(4):501-513

McFarlane, C.R.M. (2015) A geochronological framework for sedimentation and Mesoproterozoic tectono-magmatic activity in lower Belt-Purcell rocks exposed west of Kimberley, BC. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 53, 444-465

Planetary geology

McGregor, M., Walton, E.L., McFarlane, C.R.M., Spray, J.G. (2020) Multiphase U-Pb geochronology of sintered breccias from the Steen River impact structure, Canada: Mixed target considerations for a Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary event. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 274, 136-156.

McGregor, M, McFarlane, C.R.M., Spray, J. G. (2019) Multiphase U-Pb Geochronology and Shock Analysis of Apatite, Titanite, and Zircon from the La Moinerie Impact Structure, Canada. Accepted June 2019 for publication in Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 174

McGregor M., McFarlane, C.R.M., Spray, J.G. (2018) In situ LA-ICP-MS apatite and zircon U–Pb geochronology of the Nicholson Lake impact structure, Canada: Shock and related thermal effects. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 504, 185-197

Economic geology

Sanchez-Mora, D., McFarlane, C.R.M., Walker, J.A., Lentz, D.R. (2020) Geochemistry and U/Pb geochronology of the Williams Brook area, Tobique-Chaleur zone, New Brunswick: stratigraphic and geotectonic setting of gold mineralization. Accepted for publication, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences

Mohammadi, N., Lentz, D. R., McFarlane, C. R., & Cousens, B. (2020). Geochemistry of the highly evolved Sn-W-Mo-bearing Mount Douglas Granite, New Brunswick, Canada: implications for origin and mineralization. Ore Geology Reviews, 117, 103266.

Petrella, L., Thébaud, N., LaFlamme, C., Miller, J., McFarlane, C., Occhipinti, S., Turner, S., Perazzo, S. (2019) Contemporaneous formation of vein-hosted and stratabound gold mineralization at the world-class Dead Bullock Soak mining camp, Australia. Mineralium Deposita, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-019-00902-7, p. 1-18

Mitchell, R., Chudyb, T., McFarlane, C.R.M., Wu, F-Y (2017) Trace element and isotopic composition of apatite in carbonatites from the Blue River area (British Columbia, Canada) and mineralogy of associated silicate rocks. Lithos 286-287, 75-91

Mitchell, R., Chudyb, T., McFarlane, C.R.M., Wu, F-Y (2017) Trace element and isotopic composition of apatite in carbonatites from the Blue River area (British Columbia, Canada) and mineralogy of associated silicate rocks. Lithos 286-287, 75-91

Materials characterization

L. M. Thompson, W. Stone, A. Eldesoky, N. K. Smith, C. R. M. McFarlane, J. S. Kim, M. B. Johnson, R. Petibon, and J. R. Dahn (2018) Quantifying Changes to the Electrolyte and Negative Electrode in Aged NMC532/Graphite Lithium-Ion Cells Batteries and Energy Storage. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2018 165(11): A2732-A2740; doi:10.1149/2.0721811jes

Ma, Lin; Young, Scott; Ellis, Leah; Huang, Que; Ma, Xiaowei; Chatzidakis, Michael; Li, Hongyang; Thompson, Lauren; Eldesoky, Ahmed; McFarlane, Christopher R. M.; Botton, Gianluigi A.; Hill, Ian; Dahn, Jeff (2018) Impact of a Ti-based Surface Coating Applied to Li[Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2]O2 on Li-ion Cell Performance. ACS Applied Energy Materials 1 (12), 7052–7064

Human metallomics

Fleming, D.E.B., Crook, S.L., Evens. C.T., Nader, M.N, Attia, M., , Hicks, J.M.T., Sweeney, E., McFarlane, C.R.M., Kim, J.S., Keltie, E., Adisesh, A. (2020) Assessing arsenic in human toenail clippings using portable X-ray fluorescence. Accepted for publication, Applied Radiation and Isotopes

Fleming, D. E., Crook, S. L., Evans, C. T., Nader, M. N., Atia, M., Hicks, J. M.,Sweeney, E., McFarlane C.R., Sung Kim, J., Keltie, E., Adisesh, A. (2020). Portable X-ray Fluorescence of Zinc Applied to Human Toenail Clippings. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 126603