Robert J. Bodnar
· University Distinguished Professor and C.C. Garvin Professor of GeochemistryVirginia Tech · Geosciences
Active 1978–2026
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About
Robert J. Bodnar is a University Distinguished Professor and the C. C. Garvin Professor of Geochemistry at Virginia Tech in the Department of Geosciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Geochemistry and Mineralogy from Penn State University, obtained in 1985, and has a background in geology and chemistry from the University of Arizona and the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on fluid inclusion studies, experimental geochemistry, and mineralogy, contributing significantly to understanding hydrothermal fluid characteristics, fluid inclusion techniques, and water-rock interactions. Bodnar has authored numerous publications in these fields and has been recognized with various honors and awards for his contributions to geosciences.
Research topics
- Geochemistry
- Geology
- Chemistry
- Mineralogy
- Petrology
- Seismology
- Paleontology
- Astrobiology
- Oceanography
- Physics
Selected publications
Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu: Direct evidence from returned samples
Science · 2022 · 307 citations
Samples of the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu were brought to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. We analyzed 17 Ryugu samples measuring 1 to 8 millimeters. Carbon dioxide-bearing water inclusions are present within a pyrrhotite crystal, indicating that Ryugu's parent asteroid formed in the outer Solar System. The samples contain low abundances of materials that formed at high temperatures, such as chondrules and calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions. The samples are rich in phyllosilicates and carb…
International journal of greenhouse gas control · 2021 · 84 citations
Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions: A Microscopic Perspective on a Complex Magmatic World
Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · 2021 · 72 citations
Inclusions of basaltic melt trapped inside of olivine phenocrysts during igneous crystallization provide a rich, crystal-scale record of magmatic processes ranging from mantle melting to ascent, eruption, and quenching of magma during volcanic eruptions. Melt inclusions are particularly valuable for retaining information on volatiles such as H 2 O and CO 2 that are normally lost by vesiculation and degassing as magma ascends and erupts. However, the record preserved in melt inclusions can be var…
Reconciling early Deccan Traps CO <sub>2</sub> outgassing and pre-KPB global climate
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2021 · 61 citations
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Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems · 2021 · 27 citations
Abstract Constraining conditions and mechanisms of the early stages of exhumation from within subduction zones is challenging. Although pressure, temperature, and age can be inferred from the exhumed rock record, it is generally difficult to derive each of these parameters from any single rock, thus demanding assumptions that diverse data from multiple samples can be safely combined into a single pressure‐temperature‐time ( P ‐ T ‐ t ) path that might then be used to infer tectonic context and m…
Recent grants
Experimental Study of Water Leakage from Melt Inclusions in Quartz During Laboratory Heating
NSF · $226k · 2004–2007
NSF · $378k · 2007–2010
NSF · $478k · 2016–2019
Frequent coauthors
- 37 shared
Matthew Steele‐MacInnis
University of Alberta
- 33 shared
M. E. Zolensky
- 28 shared
Mantu K. Hudait
Virginia Tech
- 25 shared
H. Y. McSween
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
- 24 shared
J. Donald Rimstidt
Virginia Tech
- 22 shared
L. A. Taylor
- 22 shared
Hector Lamadrid
University of Oklahoma
- 21 shared
Benedetto De Vivo
Nanjing University
Labs
Department of Geosciences, Virginia TechPI
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