ON THE ORIGINS OF CONTINENTAL NUCLEI - A RESEARCH CAREER INSPIRED BY CHRIS BOLHUIS

Chris Bolhuis has inspired dozens, if not hundreds, of young students to pursue a career in geoscience. I am merely one of them. While taking 9th grade Earth Science from Mr. Bolhuis I gained a deep appreciation and interest in 'hard rock' geology - looking at metamorphic and igneous rocks. This interest grew at each educational step and continues unabated today. Earth's large swaths of continental crust set our home planet apart from all other known planets in our own solar system. These continental landmasses are not only instrumental to life, but have helped maintain a habitable planet, host many of the resources we depend on as a society, and contain the oldest geologic records of our planet. In this talk, I will highlight current research directions that focus on the old and cold roots of continents, so-called cratons, and discuss our current research into how they formed, matured, and eventually stabilized. The passion instilled in me by Chris Bolhuis nearly two decades ago led me on a career path I never knew existed, and Chris remains an educational inspiration through to today.