Melt inclusions offer a unique insight into the magmatic systems and processes though which they form. My Honours thesis examined the Oligocene aged magmatic episodes preserved as devitrified bentonitic tuffs hosted within the Paleogene strata of the Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania. The majority of this work involved the microanalysis of melt inclusions hosted within titanite, and provided fresh, substantiating insights into the rich history of alkaline magmatism in the region during this time.
Continuing on with the Rukwa Rift Basin Project, my PhD under the supervision of Dr Carl Spandler and Dr Eric Roberts will continue to adopt a melt inclusion approach in conjunction with comprehensive mineralogy of these volcanic tuffs to better understand the magmatic processes at Rukwa throughout the Oligocene. An extension of this research will examine major and trace element partitioning within alkaline systems, silicate-carbonatite liquid immiscibility processes and aim to integrate these findings and processes into the continually evolving model of East African Rift system development.
