Michael Schirra

Assistant Professor

Economic Geology, Fluid & Melt Inclusions, Igneous Petrology, Hydrothermal Systems, Mineral Exploration

Email: michael.schirra@unlv.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Education:

PhD. ETH Zürich, Switzerland (2021)
MSc. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany (2016)
BSc. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany (2014)

Research Interests:

My research focuses on advancing our understanding of magmatic-hydrothermal ore-forming processes on a trans-lithospheric scale. I leverage the informative power of fluid, melt, and sulfide inclusions, which offer a direct window into magmatic and hydrothermal processes that occurred millions of years ago at crustal to mantle depths. These inclusions provide crucial information on temperature, pressure, oxygen fugacity, timescales, and the compositional evolution of mineralizing systems.

To obtain this data, detailed petrographic analysis using conventional microscopy and modern techniques such as cathodoluminescence imaging and element mapping are a crucial first step. This foundational work is followed by a range of micro-analytical techniques, including LA-ICP-MS, SEM, EPMA, SIMS, and Raman spectroscopy, complemented by geochemical modeling. The overarching goal of my research is thereby to enhance our predictive capabilities to discover new mineral deposits at greater depths.

Beyond my field-oriented research, I aim to enhance the capabilities of LA-ICP-MS analysis for micrometer-sized inclusions. This includes the analysis of ultra-trace elements (e.g., Au, Pt, Te), halogens (e.g., S, Cl, Br), and potentially non-traditional stable and radioactive isotopes.

Recent Publications:

Schirra, M., Zajacz, Z., and Müller, D. (2024) Magnetite geochemistry of giant alkalic-type epithermal gold deposits: Insights into the magmatic evolution of mineralized alkaline systems. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, v. 551, SP551-2024-57.

Schirra, M., Zajacz, Z., and Müller, D. (2024) The hidden link between dry ankaramitic melts and giant alkalic-type epithermal Au deposits: The Lihir Island example. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 378, p. 82-98.

Schirra, M., Laurent, O., Zwyer, T., Driesner, T., and Heinrich, C.A. (2022) Fluid evolution at the Batu Hijau porphyry Cu-Au deposit, Indonesia: Hypogene sulfide precipitation from a single-phase aqueous magmatic fluid during chlorite–white-mica alteration. Economic Geology, v. 117, p. 979-1012.

Schirra, M., and Laurent, O. (2021) Petrochronology of hydrothermal rutile in mineralized porphyry Cu systems. Chemical Geology, v. 581, 120407.