Catherine A. Macris Ph.D.

Research

Catherine “Cam” Macris studies the interactions of minerals, melts, and fluids at extreme conditions. She uses laboratory experiments to simulate high temperatures and pressures corresponding to a wide range of planetary processes from crustal melting and vaporization caused by asteroid impacts on Earth’s surface, to the alteration of minerals by melts and fluids in Earth’s interior.

Cam teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses at IU Indianapolis:

1. Windows on Science – Climate Change and Sustainability
2. How the Earth Works
3. Introduction to Mineralogy
4. Reporting Skills in Geoscience
5. Applied Analytical Techniques in Geology

Education

• Ph.D. in Geochemistry - University of California, Los Angeles
• M.S. in Geochemistry - University of California, Los Angeles
• B.S. in Geology - Louisiana State University

Publications & Professional Activity

Recent publications: 

Pan, R., Macris, C. A., Menold, A. C. (2022) Multiple Fluid Events During Exhumation of The Tso Morari UHP Eclogite, NW India: Constraints from Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Thermodynamic Modelling, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 178 (1). DOI:10.1007/s00410-022-01982-x

Young, E. D., C. A. Macris, H. Tang, A. A. Hogan, and Q. R. Shollenberger (2022) Isotope velocimetry: Experimental and theoretical demonstration of the potential importance of gas flow for isotope fractionation during evaporation of protoplanetary material. Earth and Planetary Science Letters,589, 117575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117575

Cavosie, A. J., W. D. A. Richard, N. J. Evans, K. Rankenburg, M. Roberts, C. A. Macris, and C. Koeberl (2021) Origin of ß-cristobalite in Libyan Desert Glass‒ the hottest naturally occurring silica polymorph? American Mineralogist,107(7), 1325-1340. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7922

Ni, P., Macris, C. A., Darling, E. A., & Shahar, A. (2021) Evaporation-induced copper isotope fractionation: Insights from laser levitation experiments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 298, 131-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2021.02.007

Macris, C. A., Robert C. Newton, Jeremy Wykes, Ruiguang Pan, and Craig E. Manning (2020) Diopside, enstatite, and forsterite solubilities in H₂O and H₂O-NaCl solutions at lower crustal and upper mantle conditions, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 279, 119-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.03.035

Pan, R., C. A. Macris, C. A. Menold (2020) Thermodynamic Modeling of High-grade Metabasites: A Case Study Using the Tso Morari UHP Eclogite, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 175,1-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-020-01717-w

Macris, C. A., J. M. Eiler, P. D. Asimow, Y. Zhang, J. Badro, and E. M. Stolper (2018) Seconds after impact: Insights into the thermal history of impact ejecta from diffusion between lechatelierite and felsic host glass in tektites and experiments, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 241, 69-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.08.031

Affiliations

Cam also participates in efforts to increase diversity, equity, inclusivity, accessibility, justice, and belonging at IU Indianapolis. Some selected activities and groups that she has contributed to are:

• Co-Chair of the subcommittee, “Strengthening DEI Across the Research Enterprise,” for the Strategic Planning Research Committee

• 2021-2023 FACET Leadership Institute Team Workshop on “Inclusive Teaching through Authentic Assessment

• IU Indianapolis Equity Champions Program Facilitator

• School of Science DEI Ambassador

• Supervised the creation Geo-Equity Modules (GEMs). The freely accessible GEMs website consists of case studies about environmental issues that disproportionately and negatively impact historically marginalized communities on local, national, and global scales. The GEMs are presented with accompanying class activities including a pre-class worksheet, in-class instructions for guided discussions using an ethical decision-making framework, and post-class reflections.