Donald J. Weidner

Distinguished Professor of Geosciences
State University of New York
Director of the Mineral Physics Institute

1963-1967 Harvard College A.B. cum laude, Physics
1967-1972 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D, Geophysics
Faculty Member at Stony Brook since 1972

Office: Earth & Space Sciences Room 167
Office Phone:(631)-632-8211
FAX: (631) 632-8140 Email: Donald (dot) Weidner (at) sunysb (dot) edu

Geosciences Department Faculty Page

Full List of Publications

Research Interests

Professor Weidner's research interests focus on mineral physics and seismology. The ultimate goals are to combine these areas to help define the physical and chemical state as well as the dynamic processes of the Earth's mantle and crust.

Weidner is currently director of the Mineral Physics Institute, which he helped form in 1988. He has served in many roles in the Geosciences department during the last several years, including deputy chairperson and coordinator for Geosciences. Weidner was instrumental in organizing the graduate study advisory committee, a committee of graduate students that represents the needs of the students to the faculty, and he served as faculty advisor to this committee for several terms.

Weidner's research has included earthquake seismology, but currently focuses on using laboratory studies of Earth materials to define constraints on the state and evolution of the Earth. He pioneered an experimental technique based on Brillouin spectroscopy for determining the elastic properties of single crystals. This technique allows such measurements on both natural and synthetic materials, thus enabling the determination of acoustic properties of phases that are stable only deep in the Earth's interior. This research effort was recognized by the American Geophysical Union in awarding him the James B. Macelwane award in 1981. Currently, this technique is being extended to high pressure, with the diamond anvil cell, and to high temperature.

Weidner, along with Professors Prewitt and Liebermann, built the high-pressure facility at Stony Brook. He leads the Stony Brook large-volume, high-pressure studies with synchrotron radiation. This facility is used to determine the equation of state of Earth materials, identify phase stability fields of minerals and the yield strength of earth materials. He was also the design team leader for the large-volume facility that the GSECARS program built at the Advanced Photon Source.

We learn about the Earth by understanding the properties of Earth materials. Seismic velocities are constrained by the acoustic properties of minerals. Deep earthquakes reflect the rheological properties of the slab materials. Weidner's research focuses on experimental measurements that provide new insights into Earth materials. In the past decade, he has focused on using synchrotron radiation as a tool for understanding these properties. Now, rheological properties and acoustic properties of mantle minerals at pressure and temperature conditions equivalent to those in the Earth's mantle can be pursued.

Selected Publications

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