Research

Establishing the composition and thermal structure of the mantle underlying the oldest portions of the earth (cratons) is one of the greatest challenges to earth sciences. Cratonic mantle down to depths of 200 km can only be studied directly as xenoliths sampled by rare and exotic kimberlite magmas. Information on the mantle at greater depths can only be derived from studies of diamonds and their inclusions.

In contrast to cratons with well-explored kimberlitic provinces, the stratigraphy and thermal state of the Slave craton as a whole is poorly known. However, the coincidence of abundant and widely distributed kimberlite bodies and a strong exploration and exploitation program for diamond has provided scientists with a unique opportunity to study the deep mantle of northern Canada.

I study all kinds of geological samples that become available as a result of diamond exploration, i.e. kimberlites, diamonds and mantle xenoliths. I am interested in petrology and volcanology of kimberlites, in characterization of diamonds and their mineral inclusions, as well as in petrology of mantle xenoliths. See the Diamond Exploration Laboratory page for current info on research projects.

Research Areas

  • Geochemistry
  • Geology
  • Mineral Deposits

M.Sc. Lomonosov Moscow State University, USSR

Ph.D. Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, USSR

Visiting Researcher, Macquary University, Sydney, Australia 

NRC Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Cape Town, Republic of South Africa

PDF and Research Associate, UBC, Vancouver, Canada

NSERC University Faculty Award, UBC; 2000-2006;

Visiting researcher, Hebrew University, Israel, 2007

Royal Society Visiting Researcher Grant, UK, Durham, 2007

Guest professor, ETH, Switzerland, 2014

Professor, UBC ( 2013 - present) 

Researcher, Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russia (2018-2021)

2023

Nosova, A., Kopylova, M., Sazonova, L., Lebedeva, N., Larionova, Y., Kargin, A., Sazonova, L., Vozniak, A., Kovach, V., 2023. Melt sources for alkaline carbonate-bearing rocks of the Terskiy Coast (Kola Alkaline Carbonatite Province (N Europe). Chemical Geology v. 617. 121267, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.121267

2021

Kopylova MG, Tso E, Ma F. 2021. Constraining carbonation freezing and petrography of the carbonated cratonic mantle with natural samples Lithos 388–389, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2021.106045

Cone, D., Kopylova, M. 2021. Origin of megacrysts by carbonate-bearing metasomatism: a case study for the Muskox kimberlite, Slave craton, Canada. Journal of the Geological Society. https://doi.org.10.1144/jgs2020-184

Nosova, A., Kopylova, M., Sazonova, L., Vozniak, A., Kargin, A., Lebedeva, N., Volkova, G., Peresetskaya, E., 2021. Petrology of lamprophyre dykes in the Kola Alkaline Carbonatite Province (N Europe). Lithos. v. 398 – 399. Oct 2021, 106277, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2021.106277

Niyazova, S., Kopylova, M., Dyck, B., Benisek, A., Dachs, E., De Stefano, A. 2021. The assimilation of felsic xenoliths in kimberlites: insights into temperature and volatiles during kimberlite emplacement.  Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. 176: 84, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-021-01837-x2020

2020

Kopylova MG, Tso E, Ma F, Liu, J., Pearson, D. G. 2020. The metasomatized mantle beneath the North Atlantic Craton: Insights from peridotite xenoliths of the Chidliak kimberlite province (NE Canada), J. of Petrology, doi: 10.1093/petrology/egz061 

Pobric, V., Korolev, N., Kopylova, M. 2020. Eclogites of the North Atlantic Craton: insights from the Chidliak eclogite xenoliths (S. Baffin Island, Canada). Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 175:71 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-020-01709-w

2018

Gaudet, M.A., Kopylova, M.G., Zhuk, V. 2018. Geology of the Renard 65 kimberlite pipe,        Québec, Canada. Mineralogy and Petrology Special Issue, https://doi.org/10.1007/s0071 Mineral Chemistry Supplement  Figures Supplement 0

Korolev, N. M., Kopylova, M., Gurney, J., Moore, A.E., Davidson, J. 2018. The origin of Type II diamonds as inferred from Cullinan mineral inclusions, Mineralogy and Petrology Special Issue, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-018-0601-z

Fulop, A., Kopylova, M., Kurszlaukis, S., Hilchie, L., Ellemers, P., and Squibb, C. 2018. Petrography of Snap Lake kimberlite dyke (Northwest Territories, Canada) and its interaction with country rock granitoids. Journal of Petrology.  doi.org/10.1093/petrology/egy025  Phlogopite Chemistry Supplement   Mineral Chemistry Supplement   Bulk Composition Supplement 5

Nestola, F., Korolev, N., Kopylova, M., Rotiroti, N., Pearson, D. G., Pamato, M. G., Alvaro, M., L. Peruzzo, Gurney, J., Moore, A. E., Davidson J. 2018. Discovery of CaSiO3-perovskite in diamond confirms the deep recycling of oceanic crust into Earth’s lower mantle. Nature, 555, 237; doi:10.1038/nature25972

Korolev, N. M., Kopylova, M., Bussweiler, Y., Pearson, D. G., Gurney, J., Davidson, J. 2018. The uniquely high-temperature character of Cullinan diamonds: A signature of Bushveld mantle plume? Lithos, V. 304–307, 362-373  Appendix 1-Mineral Compositions 3

2016

Kopylova, MG., Gaudet, M., Kostrovitsky, S. I., Polozov, A. G., Yakovlev, D. A. 2016. Petrography of the Udachnaya East kimberlite: The effect of emplacement style on the mineralogy of the kimberlite phases and their carbonate and evaporite xenoliths. Journal Volcanology & Geothermal Research 327, 116-134.

Newton DE, Kopylova MG, Burgess J, Strand P. 2016. Peridotite and pyroxenite xenoliths from the Muskox kimberlite, northern Slave craton, Canada. Can. J. Earth Sci. 53: 41–58. Supplementary data

Kopylova MG, Beausoleil Y, Goncharov A, Burgess J, Strand P. 2016. Spatial distribution of eclogite in the Slave cratonic mantle: The role of subduction. Tectonophysics, 672: 87–103 Supplementary mineral chemistry data

Kosman, C., Kopylova, M. G., Stern, R., Hagadorn, J. W., Hurlbut, J. F. 2016. Cretaceous mantle of the Congo craton: Evidence from mineral and fluid inclusions in Kasai alluvial diamonds. Lithos, 
265, 42-56. 

Kopylova, M. Hill, P. J. A., Russell, J. K., Cookenboo. H., 2016. Lherzolitic versus harzburgitic garnet trends: sampling of extended depth versus extended composition. Reply to the comment by Ivanic et al. 2015. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 171(19)

2015

Smith EM, Kopylova MG, Frezzotti ML, Afanasiev VP. 2015. Fluid inclusions in Ebelyakh diamonds: Evidence of CO2 liberation in eclogite and the effect of H2O on diamond habit. Lithos. 216:106–117.

Hill, PJA., Kopylova M., Russell, J. K., Cookenboo, H. 2015. Mineralogical controls on garnet composition in the cratonic mantle. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 169, DOI 10.1007/s00410-014-1102-7

2014

Smith EM, Kopylova MG. 2014. Implications of metallic iron for diamonds and nitrogen in the sublithospheric mantle. Can. J. Earth Sci. 51:510–516.

Smith EM, Kopylova MG, Frezzotti ML, Afanasiev VP. 2014. N-rich fluid inclusions in octahedrally-grown diamonds. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.. 393:39–48.

2013

Miller, C., Kopylova, M. G., Smith, E. M., 2013. Mineral inclusions in fibrous diamonds: Constraints on cratonic mantle refertilization. Mineralogy and Petrology, 108, 317-331

van Straaten BI, Kopylova MG. 2013. Pyroclastic kimberlite deposits from the Victor Northwest pipe (Ontario, Canada): the transition from phreatomagmatic to magmatic explosivity. Can. J. Earth Sci. 50: 1059–1068.

Kopylova MG, Kostrovitsky S.I, Egorov K.N. 2013. Salts in southern Yakutian kimberlites and the problem of primary alkali kimberlite melts. Earth Science Reviews, 119: 1–16.

2012

Miller CE, Kopylova MG, Ryder J. 2012. Vanished diamondiferous cratonic root beneath the Southern Superior province: evidence from diamond inclusions in the Wawa metaconglomerate. Contrib Mineral Petrol. 164: 697–714.

Smith EM, Kopylova MG, Nowell GM, D. Pearson G, Ryder J. 2012. Archean mantle fluids preserved in fibrous diamonds from Wawa, Superior Craton. Geology. 40:1071–1074.

2011

Kopylova, MG., Afanasiev, V. P., Bruce, L. F., Thurston, P., Ryder, J., 2011. Metaconglomerate preserves evidence for kimberlite, diamondiferous root and medium grade terrane of a pre-2.7 Ga Southern Superior protocraton. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 312, 213-225

Smith, E., Kopylova, M., Dubrovinsky, L, Navon, O., Ryder, J.,Tomlinson, E., 2011. Transmission X-ray diffraction as a new tool for diamond fluid inclusions studies. Mineralogical Magazine, 75(5), 2549–2568 

van Straaten, BI, Kopylova, M.G., Russell, J.K., Webb, K.J., Scott Smith. 2011. A rare occurrence of a crater-filling clastogenic extrusive coherent kimberlite, Victor Northwest (Ontario, Canada). Bulletin of Volcanology, V73, N8, 1047-1062

Bruce, L., Kopylova, M., Longo, M., Ryder, J., Dobrzhinetskaya, L., 2011. Luminescence of diamonds from metamorphic rocks. American Mineralogist, 96, 14-22, 2011

Link to the references of 2010 and older