Mr. Brearley was born September 7, 1958 in Knutsford, Cheshire, England. He is married to Mrs. Rhian H. Jones and has two children; Jonathon Glyn and Elena Rhiannon. Mr.Brearley has been the Associate Professor of Mineralogy in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of New Mexico since 1998. Beginning in 1990 he was involved in research on meteorites in the Institute of Meteoritics at the UNM and acted as curator for the Institute's meteorite collection.
Current research emphasizes the application of microbeam techniques (EPMA, SEM, TEM, SIMS and SXRF) to solving a wide range of problems in the fields of meteoritics, cosmochemistry, solid state phase transformations and metamorphic petrology. Current research projects include:
Studies of aqueous alteration processes in primitive carbonaceous chondrites
Mineralogy and chemistry of fine-grained accretionary rims in chondritic meteorites.
Nature and origin of fine-grained matrix materials in primitive chondrites.
Effects of metamorphism on the chemistry and microstructural characteristics of carbonaceous chondrite matrices.
Origin of carbonates and associated minerals in Martian orthopyroxenite ALH 84001.
Origin of dark inclusions in CV carbonaceous chondrites.
Distribution of light lithophile elements (Li, B, Be) in glassy chondrules in CH chondrites.
Thermal histories of chondrules and chondrites based on the microstructures of pyroxenes.
High pressure experimental studies of the mechanisms and kinetics of the olivine to modified spinel and spinel transformations.
High resolution TEM image of disordered biopyriboles replacing enstatite in a chondrule from the Allende meteorite
EDUCATION
Oct. 1977 - June, 1980 University of Liverpool, England, Departments of Geology and Chemistry. Class II(I) B.Sc. (Hons.) Degree in Geochemistry.
Oct. 1980 - Mar., 1984 Ph.D. degree. Department of Geology, University of Manchester, England. Thesis title: Petrological and electron optical studies of metamorphic reactions. PhD Advisors Prof. W.S. MacKenzie and Dr. P.E. Champness.
EMPLOYMENT
July, 1980- Oct, 1980 Vacation Studentship. British Museum (Natural History), Department of Mineralogy. EPMA and INAA analysis of REES in apatites.
Apr. 1984- Apr. 1986 Natural Environment Research Council Post-doctoral Research Fellowship. Department of Geology, University of Manchester, England. Metamorphic and microstructural studies of low-grade metamorphic rocks.
Apr. 1986- Sept.1986 Natural Environment Research Council Post-doctoral Research Fellow.
Department of Geology, University of Manchester. Mechanisms and kinetics of metamorphic reactions.
Sept. 1986 June, 1990 Post-doctoral Fellow (NASA), Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Geology, University of New Mexico. TEM studies of chondritic meteorites.
July, 1990-Sept. 1993 Research Scientist III and Museum Curator, Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Geology, University of New Mexico. Research in meteoritics, high pressure phase transformations, metamorphic and experimental petrology and mineralogy.
Sept. 1993- May 1995. Senior Research Scientist and Museum Curator, Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico.
May 1995-May 1997 Research Associate Professor, Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico.
May 1997-Aug. 1998 Research Professor, Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico.
Aug. 1998 to date Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico
VISITING RESEARCH POSITIONS
Sept-Oct. 1988. Invited visiting Research Scientist: CNRS-Centre de la Recherche Petrologique et Geochimique, Nancy, France working with Michel Pichavant and W.L. Brown.
April, 1989. Visiting Research Scientist, Bayerisches Geoinstitut, Universit�t Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
1990, 1992, 1994 Visiting Research Scientist, Bayerisches Geoinstitut, Universit�t Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
RESEARCH AREAS:
Petrology and mineralogy of meteorites, experimental mineralogy, kinetics and mechanisms of metamorphic reactions and high pressure solid state phase transformations, metamorphic petrology of low-grade and contact metamorphic rocks. Techniques: TEM, electron microprobe analysis, SEM, ion microprobe and SXRF.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Department of Geology, Manchester University, 1980-1986.
Teaching assistant for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate courses in crystallography, mineralogy, igneous and metamorphic petrology.
Academic tutor for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students.
Devised and taught 10 week University of Manchester extramural course entitled "Minerals in the optical microscope".
Instructor on undergraduate field and mapping classes in North Wales, Lake District and Isle of Mull, Scotland.
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, 1988-96
Devised and cotaught course E&PS 513 entitled "Meteorites and Cosmochemistry" (1991, 1993 and 1996).
Devised and cotaught graduate level course GEOL 518 "Electron microprobe analysis and scanning electron microscopy" (1991, 1993, 1995, 1997).
Presented numerous invited lectures in various undergraduate and graduate level courses (Geol 519- 'Crystal Chemistry of Trace Elements'; Geol 322- 'Introduction to Petrology'; EPS 265/365- 'Exploring the Solar System; E&PS 301- 'Mineralogy'; E&PS 303- 'Igneous and metamorphic petrology').
PhD thesis coadvisor for Jordi Llorca (1992)
PhD thesis advisor for Nicolaus Hanowski (1994-.
MS. Thesis Advisor for Kate Duke (1997-
Member, Ph.D. thesis committees for Steve Harlan, and Jane Pedrick.
Member, Comprehensive exam committee for Chris Daniel and Brad Ilg.
Member, Ph.D Thesis Committee Member for Tahar Hammouda, Universit� de Orl�ans, France (1995).
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES.
1986 to date. Abstractor for Mineralogical Abstracts
1992 to 1994. Member, NASA Lunar and Planetary Geosciences Review Panel. Planetary Materials and Geochemistry program.
1994 Group Chief, Petrology and Geochemistry Group, NASA Lunar and Planetary Geosciences Review Panel. Planetary Materials and Geochemistry program.
1994- 1999 Associate Editor, American Mineralogist.
1995 Member, NASA Rosetta Mission Instrument Definition Review Panel.
1998- Member - Meteoritical Society Meteorite Nomenclature Group
1999- Member - NASA Cosmochemistry Review Panel
1998- Associate Editor, Mineralogical Magazine
1999- Member Mineralogical Society Committee on Committees
HONOURS
Elected Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America, 1995.
Elected Fellow of the Meteoritical Society, 1998
AGU 1996 Editor's Citation Award for Excellence in Reviewing.
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Fellow of the Geological Society of London since 1980.
Member of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain since 1980.
Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America since 1995.
Member of the Meteoritical Society since 1986.
Member of the American Geophysical Union since 1988.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Scientific referee for papers submitted to American Chemical Society, American Mineralogist, Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, Mineralogical Magazine, Meteoritics, Nature, European Journal of Mineralogy, Science, Proceedings of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Meteoritics, Journal of Geophysical Research and Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta.
Reviewer for proposals submitted to National Science Foundation Geology, Geophysics and Petrology and Geochemistry programs and NASA Planetary Materials and Geochemistry, Planetary Geology and Geophysics and Origins of Solar Systems programs.