- Associate Professor, Geology and Geophysics, College of Arts and Sciences
I am high pressure-temperature mineral physicist. My research focuses on the structures, composition, and dynamics of the Earth and other planets through high pressure-temperature experiments. My primary research tool is Brillouin spectroscopy combined with diamond anvil cell technique for in situ sound velocity measurements of Earth and planetary materials, which are essential for interpreting various geophysical/geochemical observations in the planetary interiors. My ultimate goal is to establish a 3D mineralogical model of the Earth from the core to the surface. I also use various types of synchrotron X-ray techniques and large volume press to study other petrology and volcanology problems, such as high pressure-temperature phase equilibrium, magma viscosity, volatile storage and transport in the deep Earth and other planets. I have minor interest in material sciences as well.
- Ph.D. in Geology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign - (Urbana, Illinois, United States) 2014
- B.Sc. in Earthsciences, Nanjing University - (Nanjing, China) 2008
Academic Articles31
- Zhou, W., Olson, P. L., Shearer, C. K., Agee, C. B., Townsend, J. P., Hao, M., Hou, M., & Zhang, J. S. (2022). High pressure-temperature phase equilibrium studies on Martian basalts: Implications for the failure of plate tectonics on Mars. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 594, 117751-117751.
- Hou, M., Zhou, W., Hao, M., Hua, F., Kung, J., Zhang, D., Dera, P. K., & Zhang, J. S. (2022). Effect of structural water on the elasticity of orthopyroxene. American Mineralogist. 107(4), 703-708.
- Zhou, W., Hao, M., Zhang, J. S., Chen, B., Wang, R., & Schmandt, B. (2022). Constraining composition and temperature variations in the mantle transition zone.. Nat Commun. 13(1), 1094.
- Zhou, W., Zhang, J. S., Huang, Q., Lai, X., Chen, B., Dera, P., & Schmandt, B. (2022). High pressure-temperature single-crystal elasticity of ringwoodite: Implications for detecting the 520 discontinuity and metastable ringwoodite at depths greater than 660 km. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 579, 117359-117359.
- Zhang, H., Schmandt, B., Zhou, W., Zhang, J. S., & Maguire, R. (2022). A Single 520 km Discontinuity Beneath the Contiguous United States With Pyrolitic Seismic Properties. Geophysical Research Letters. 49(24),
Chapters1
- Bass, J. D., & Zhang, J. S. (2015). Theory and Practice: Techniques for Measuring High-PT Elasticity. Schubert, G. (Eds.), Treatise on Geophysics. 293-312. Elsevier.
Repository Documents / Preprints1
- Zhang, H., Schmandt, B., & Zhang, J. S. (2021). Localized anisotropy in the mantle transition zone due to flow through slab gaps.
Principal Investigator6
- Viscosity of kimberlitic magma at high pressure-temperature conditions awarded by UNM-WeR1Award 2021 - 2021
- CAREER: Upper mantle anisotropy: the effect of pressure, temperature and hydration ( awarded by NSF-CAREER 2019 - 2024
- Compositional heterogeneity and seismic anisotropy near the 410 km discontinuity awarded by NSF-CSEDI 2017 - 2022
- GEOL101 Principles Of Geology Instructor