Dr. Fernanda Gervasoni: Investigating Mineral Inclusions in Diamonds to Reach the Deep Earth
Hi, I’m Fernanda Gervasoni, a Brazilian geologist currently living in Pelotas, in the south of Brazil. I have always been fascinated by the petrological processes that occur in the Earth’s mantle. That’s why, during my previous research in Münster, I conducted numerous high-pressure and high-temperature experiments to simulate reactions between mantle rocks and fluids that possibly take place in the Earth’s upper mantle.
Now that I’m back home in Brazil, I’m still researching the deep Earth, but this time my focus is on working with natural samples – diamonds! For my current project, I’m delving into the redox state of the Earth’s mantle by analyzing mineral inclusions in diamonds formed at depths of 300 km to 700 km. These inclusions record the chemical and physical conditions under which they formed. I’m extremely passionate about this research because it could give us a better understanding of the chemical evolution of our planet!
A fun fact about me: I’m not the quickest to catch a joke – I’m usually the one laughing five minutes after everyone else!