MSA/DMG Workshop on: Application of diffusion studies to the determination of timescales in geochemistry and petrology
Every two years, dozens of participants from multiple countries from Europe, North and South America, and Oceania meet in Bochum over the course of a week to learn about diffusion modelling to obtain timescales of diverse (e.g. volcanic, metamorphic, planetary, etc.) geological processes.
Since 2015, dozens of participants from multiple countries from Europe, N America, S America and Oceania meet in Bochum over the course of a week to learn about diffusion modelling to obtain timescales of diverse (e.g. volcanic, metamorphic, planetary,..) geological processes. The workshop involves a mix of lectures, practical exercises to calculate timescales, and reports on case studies where such modelling has been applied. Participants are can also present their work in posters. The intense scientific programs was interspersed with social occasions that allowed the participants to interact and get to know each other better, beginning with an ice-breaker and ending with a round of farewell drinks and snacks on Friday afternoon. In between, the workshop dinner on Thursday is a well-attended social highlight.
The course was taught, with one exception, by current and ex-members of the Petrology group in Bochum. In particular, the Masters and doctoral students took an active part as lecturers and tutors and even some BSc students were involved and got to know the participants well during the course. This was an excellent opportunity for the students to get to know the world at their own doorsteps and plan future activities. As the lights were turned off and people diffused out on Friday, many email and social media contacts had been exchanged and networks formed that would hopefully sustain collaborative research and long lasting friendships well into the distant future.