Ph.D. (Geology) 2000

See Sisir's research homepage:http://sisirgeology.googlepages.com

Current Contact:

E-mail: sisir.mondal@gmail.com
Mobile: 091-9239078419

Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West @ 79th Street
New York, NY-10024, USA
Phone: 1-212-769-5459
Fax: 1-212-769-5339

Research Statement:

I am investigating on geochemical evolution of layered igneous complex such as the Bushveld Complex of South Africa and the Stillwater Complex of USA and genesis of PGE deposits by using petrological, geochemical and isotopic tools. I am also investigating on geochemical evolution of Mesoarchaean ultramafic-mafic rocks and associated chromitite and PGE deposits within greenstone belts in the Singhbhum Craton of eastern India to understand the early crustal evolution and mantle heterogeneity of Earth.

My research on layered intrusions is a part of current projects of Dr. Ed Mathez, Curator of the American Museum of Natural History, New York. The research on Indian rocks is a collaborative effort with Prof. Ed Ripley (Indiana University), Dr. Chusi Li (Indiana University), Prof. Robert Frei (University of Copenhagen), & Prof. Mei-Fu Zhou (University of Hong Kong).

Bifurcating chromitite layers, "Dwars River Section", Eastern Bushveld Complex, South Africa. (Photo:Sisir Mondal,2004)

PGE-rich gabbro-breccia assemblage in Mesoarchean
chromitite deposits, Sukinda massif, Singhbhum Craton, India.
(Photo:Sisir Mondal,2003)

Education, Research:

Postdoctoral Research (2004 – 2006). American Museum of Natural History.
- Origin of the UG2 chromitite layer, Bushveld Complex, South Africa.
- Investigation on geochemical evolution of the Stillwater Complex from Pb isotopic study.
Postdoctoral Research (2002 - 2003). Indiana University, Bloomington.
- Investigation on geochemical evolution of Mesoarchaean chromitite & PGE deposits in the Singhbhum Craton, India from stable isotope, Re-Os and petrologic study.
Ph.D. in Geology (2000). Jadavpur University, Calcutta.
- Study of Mesoarchean chromite-sulfide and PGE mineralization in Nuasahi massif, Singhbhum Craton, eastern India.
M.Sc. in Applied Geology (1993). Jadavpur University.
- Study of Chendapathar tungsten deposit, Chhotanagpur Craton, eastern India.
B.Sc. in Geology (1991). Jadavpur University.
- Major: Geology; Minor subjects: Physics & Maths.

Award, Fellowship, Project preparation:

• 2005 - Featured in Meet a Scientist section, text-book project for kids, National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology, American Museum of Natural History.
• 2005 - AMNH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship funded by USGS.
• 2004 - Co-chaired a session: Magmatic Ore Deposits Elsewhere, IGCP project 479 Hong Kong University Workshop.
• 2004 - Co-chaired the organizing committee, IGCP project 479 Hong Kong Workshop & Short Course on Recent advances in magmatic ore systems in mafic-ultramafic rocks, Hong Kong University.
• 2004 - AMNH Postdoctoral Research Fellowship funded by NSF.
• 2003 – DST young scientist scheme (sanctioned; opted fellowship with AMNH).
• 2003 – DST-NSF International collaborative project, short listed for final oral presentation (unable to defend, opted fellowship with AMNH).
• 2001 - BOYSCAST Fellowship, DST, New Delhi.
• 2000 - N.N. Chatterjee Gold Medal for outstanding research in Economic Geology, Asiatic Society of India.
• 1993 - CSIR Research Fellowship & UGC Lectureship after qualifying National Eligibility Test (NET) of CSIR-UGC, New Delhi.

Professional Societies Membership, Affiliation:

• American Geophysical Union (AGU).
• Fellow and Life Member, Geological Society of India.
• Mineralogical Society of America (MSA).

Seminar Organization, Review work, Collaboration:

• Coordinator (2004 Fall - 2005 Spring), Tuesday Seminar Series of Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences, American Museum of Natural History.
• Review scientific articles for national and international journals.
• Active member of IGCP project 479 to conduct research on ultramafic-mafic rocks and associated chromite and PGE mineralization in the Singhbhum Craton, India in collaboration with other geoscientists world-over. Details can be found in: IGCP Project 479

Field experience, Expedition:

• Bushveld Complex, South Africa (NSF chromitite project in AMNH, New York).
• Ti–Fe-deposits of gabbroic intrusions, Panzhihua, China (IGCP project 479).
• Archaean Nuasahi and Sukinda ultramafic-mafic complex, Singhbhum Craton, India (Ph.D. & post Ph.D. research).
• Chendapathar tungsten deposit, Bankura district, India (M.Sc thesis project).
• Archean granite-greenstone terrain-across the Singhbhum Craton, eastern India (collaboartive research).

Invited Talk:

Planetary and Geological Sciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, 13 March 2007.
Dept.of Earth & Planetray Sciences, American Museum of Natural History, New York, 6 June 2006.

Publications:

Manuscript in Preparation

Mondal, S.K., Ripley, E.M., Li, C., Frei, R.: Stable isotopic studies of Mesoarchaean gabbro-breccia hosted PGE deposits, Nuasahi massif, India: constraints on magmatic versus hydrothermal processes in ore genesis.

Mathez, E.A., Mullen, E.K., Mondal, S.K., Kent, A.J.R., McCallum, I.S.: Variability of Pb isotope ratios in the Stillwater Complex, Montana, as determined by laser ablation ICP-MS and identification of an unradiogenic primary magma.

Reviewed Papers

Mondal, S.K., Zhou M.-F., Ripley, E.M., Elswick, E.: PGE distribution in chromitites and mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Nuasahi massif (India) with implications for presence of subchondritic mantle beneath the Singhbhum Craton and origin of the gabbro-breccia hosted platinum deposits. (Draft manuscript prepared).

Mondal, S.K., Frei, R. & Ripley, E. M. (2007): Os Isotope systematics of Mesoarchaean chromitite – PGE deposits in the Singhbhum Craton (India): Implications for the evolution of lithospsheric mantle. (Chemical Geology, accepted pending revision).

Mondal, S.K., Mathez, E.A. (2007): Origin of the UG2 chromitite layer, Bushveld Complex. Journal of Petrology, 48, 495-510, doi:10.1093/petrology/egl069 Advance Access published November 29, 2006.

Mondal, S.K., Ripley, E.M., Li, C. & Frei, R. (2006): The genesis of Archaean chromitites from the Nuasahi and Sukinda massifs in the Singhbhum Craton, India. Precambrian Research 148, 45-66.

Mondal, S. K., Baidya, T.K., Rao, K.N.G. & Glascock, M. D., (2001): PGE and Ag mineralization in a breccia zone of the Precambrian Nuasahi ultramafic-mafic complex, Orissa, India. The Canadian Mineralogist 39, 979-996.

Baidya, T.K., Mondal, S. K., Balaram, V., Parthasarathy, R., Verma, R. & Mathur, P.K. (1999): PGE-Ag-Au-Mineralization in a Cu-Fe-Ni-Sulfide-rich breccia zone of the Precambrian Nuasahi ultramafic-mafic Complex, Orissa, India. Journal Geological Society of India 54, 473-482.

Chakrabarti, O.P., Das P.K. & Mondal S. K. (1999): Study of indentation induced cracks in MoSi2 - reaction bonded SiC ceramics. Bull. Material Science (Indian Academy of Science) 24, 181-184.

Mondal, S. K. & Baidya, T.K., (1997): Platinum-Group Minerals from the Nuasahi ultramafic-mafic complex, Orissa, India. Mineralogical Magazine 61, 902-906.

Mondal, S. K. & Baidya, T.K., (1996): Stichtite [Mg6Cr2 (OH) 16CO3.4H2O] in the Nuasahi ultramafites, Orissa, India - its transformation at elevated temperatures. Mineralogical Magazine 60, 836-840.

Conference Presentation & Publication
* Paper presented in the meeting/symposium along with abstract published in the conference volume.

Mondal, S.K., Frei, R., Ripley, E. M. (2006): Os Isotope Systematics of Mesoarchaean Chromitite – PGE Deposits in the Singhbhum Craton of India: Implications for the Evolution of Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle. Eos Trans. AGU,87(36), Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract V43A-01.

*Mondal, S.K., Mathez, E.A. (2005): Origin of UG2 and other chromitite layer of the Bushveld Complex. Abstract published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; GOLDSCHMIDT 2005 (Idaho). ‘Poster’

*Mondal, S.K., Ripley, E.M., Zhou, M. -F., Frei, R. (2004): Major, trace and platinum-group elements geochemistry of 3.2 Ga Nuasahi ultramafic-mafic massifs in Archaean greenstone belts of the Singhbhum craton, Eastern India: implications for Archaean mantle. In: J.G. Shellnutt, M.F. Zhou, K.N.Pang (eds.) ‘Recent Advances in Magmatic Ore Systems in Mafic-Ultramafic Rocks’, Proceedings of the IGCP 479 Hong Kong Workshop, Hong Kong University, 14-15 Dec., 2004. pp.114-117. ‘Oral’

#Sarkar, A., Mondal, S.K., Ripley E.M., Li, C. (2003): Mineralogic and Isotopic studies of chromite-bearing rocks of the Sukinda ultramafic complex, Orissa, India. GSA Annual meeting at Seattle, Abstract with program, November 2-5, 2003, USA. #‘Student supervision’

Mondal, S.K., Ripley, E.M., Li, C., Ahmed A.H., Arai, S., Liipo, J., Stowe, C., (2003): Oxygen isotopic compositions of Cr-spinels from Archaean to Phanerozoic chromite deposits. GOLDSCHMIDT 2003, (Japan). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 18S, Sept. 2003, A301.

*Mondal, S. K., Ripley, E.M., Li, C., Sarkar, A., (2003): Chemical composition and significance of Cr-spinel in Archaean greenstone belt ultramafic - mafic intrusive and extrusive rocks of the Singhbhum Craton, Eastern India. GAC-MAC-SEG joint meeting at Vancouver, Abstract with program, 25-28May 2003, Canada, Abstract No. 616. ‘Poster’

*Mondal, S. K., Ripley E. M., Li, Chusi, and Mariga, J. (2002): Stable isotopic studies of the chromite- Fe-Cu-Ni-sulfide and PGE mineralized Archaean Nuasahi ultramafic-mafic complex, Orissa, India, GSA Annual meeting at Denver, Abstract with program, October 2002, USA, Paper No. 52-4, Session No. 52. ‘Oral’

*Mondal, S. K., Glascock, M. D. and Ripley E. M. (2002): Characteristics of Cr- spinel and whole rock geochemistry of the Nuasahi Igneous Complex, Orissa, India. Proceedings of the 9th International Pt-Symposium, Abstract with program, July 21-25, Billings, Montana, 2002, USA. pp.317-320. ‘Oral’