Olivier Alard

Associate Professor Olivier Alard is a Geochemistry faculty member at the Research School of Earth Sciences (RSES) at ANU. He holds concurrent roles as Honorary Associate Professor at Macquarie University (2023–2028) and Research Director (DR2) at CNRS-Géosciences Montpellier. His research focuses on mantle processes, geochemical tracers, and planetary materials. Key areas include peridotite petrology, isotope systematics, and trace element geochemistry. He leads projects such as the ANU Futures 2022 initiative and the AusGeoChem data platform.

Education: PhD from Macquarie University (Australia) and HDR from Université de Montpellier (France). Research interests span mantle dynamics, fluid-rock interactions, and extraterrestrial materials. Notable work includes studies of kimberlite xenoliths, subduction zone geochemistry, and meteorite composition. He supervises HDR students and collaborates internationally on projects like the Wet but Dry Mantle hypothesis and metallogenic processes in oceanic lithosphere.

Recent publications address metasomatic controls in clinopyroxene xenocrysts, nitrogen recycling in subduction zones, and Rb-Sr geochronology advancements. His work integrates experimental petrology, isotope analysis, and novel analytical techniques to unravel Earth's deep processes and planetary formation histories.