Dr. Alexander Gysi

Educational Materials

• New Gitbook thermodynamic modeling tutorial written by A. Gysi
• Open access MINES thermodynamic database and modeling tutorial files
• 2023 recorded Youtube lecture for the Lundin-Snider seminar series at U. Arizona: Fluid-rock interaction and hydrothermal REE transport in critical mineral deposits
• Earth Matters article on critical minerals in New Mexico
• 2020 Geochemical Society Online Workshops (2 days) introduction lecture YouTube movie: Simulation of fluid-rock interaction and ore-forming processes
• Radio Interview for Earth Matters: Field Notes on the Geology of New Mexico's Enchanting Landscapes. "Minerals in Our Lives" by A. Gysi.
• 3-D crystal structure simulation videos explaining the crystallography of silicate minerals:
  • Biotite
  • Tremolite
  • Diopside
  • Sanidine
  • Pyrophyllite
  • Kaolinite

Teaching

I have 9 years of teaching experience, including graduate and undergraduate level courses, and over a decade of organizing geochemical modeling workshops. I advised and graduated 16 students including Ph.D., M.Sc., and professional MS students, and also include undergraduate students in research projects.

Here is a list of new graduate courses developed for NMT students, which include an advanced ore deposits class and a thermodynamic modeling course, and an undergraduate mineralogy class:

• GEOC589/GEOL589 01 Lithogeochemistry of ore-forming processes (3 credits): Lithogeochemistry is the study of fluid-rock interaction in hydrothermal systems from a mineralogical perspective. Practical course combining geochemistry with observations of mineral assemblages in rocks and thin sections taking hydrothermal ore deposits as test examples including pegmatites and veins, greisen alteration, porphyry systems and REE deposits. Mechanisms of metal complexation, transport and mineralization processes in hydrothermal fluids are connected to mineral alteration textures, mineral/rock geochemistry and mineral paragenesis.

• GEOC589/GEOL589 02 Thermodynamic modeling of fluid-rock interaction (1 credit): Thermodynamics permit quantifying the interaction of fluids with rocks and give us information on the evolution of fluid chemistry, mineralogy, and mineral chemistry as a function of pressure (P), temperature (T), and composition (x) of a system. This course gives a general overview of basic thermodynamic principles and geochemical modeling methods, and aims at introducing a series of hands-on tutorials. Students will learn how to setup a geochemical problem and implement it in a geochemical modeling program. This courses covers several aspects of fluid-rock interaction such as rock alteration, mineral solubility, metal speciation, hydrothermal and ore-forming processes, and water geochemistry.
• EARTH200 Mineralogy (4 credits): This course gives the students a solid understanding of optical and physical properties of minerals and identification of main rock forming minerals in hand samples, single crystals, and thin sections. Basic understanding of crystallography, chemical composition of minerals and their applications in geology, geochemistry, and mineral engineering.

Courses I previously developed at Colorado School of Mines include:

• GEOL593 Lithogeochemistry of ore forming processes: Lithogeochemistry is the study of fluid-rock interaction in hydrothermal systems from a mineralogical perspective. Practical course on numerical modeling of fluid-rock interaction combined with observations of mineral assemblages in rocks and thin sections taking hydrothermal ore deposits as test examples including pegmatites and veins, greisen alteration, porphyry systems and REE deposits. Mechanisms of metal complexation, transport and mineralization processes in hydrothermal fluids are connected to mineral alteration textures, mineral/rock geochemistry and mineral paragenesis.
• GEOL598 Introduction to Linux and open source software in geosciences: This seminar based course aims at giving the students the tools necessary to effectively conduct and organize their research using Linux and open source software. The course is subdivided into four parts. Part 1 covers introduction to Linux, the command line, scripts and open source software. Part 2 covers the preparation of scientific manuscripts including text organization, bibliography, figures, tables and scientific data visualization. Part 3 covers an introduction to basic scientific programming (plots, fits and data analysis) using python and the jupyter notebook environment. Part 4 covers the LaTex typesetting system for the production and publication of technical and scientific reports and preparation of your thesis.
• GEGN330 Thermodynamics for geoscientists: Introduction to fundamental principles of thermodynamics applied to geosciences and geoengineering. Thermodynamics are used as a tool for evaluating the stability and chemical transformation of minerals and rocks, evolution of vapors and liquids and their reaction paths when subjected to different P-T geological regimes. The course will focus on basic principles of thermodynamics and make use of examples relevant to geoscientists encompassing: i) calculation of thermodynamic properties (volume, heat capacity, enthalpy and entropy) as a function of pressure, temperature and composition, ii) the study of heat transfer and volume change associated to chemical reactions and iii) evaluation of phase stabilities using Gibbs energy minimization and law of mass action. Introduction to pure phase properties, ideal and non-ideal solutions, activities, equilibrium constants, chemical potential, electrolytes, phase rule and Gibbs energy function.
• GEGN206 Earth materials (Mineralogy): Introduction to Earth Materials, emphasizing the structure, composition, formation, and behavior of minerals. Laboratories emphasize the recognition, description, and engineering evaluation of earth materials.