Paul Spry

  • Professor Emeritus

Contact

256 Science Hall
2237 Osborn Dr
Ames, IA 50011-1027

Bio

Research

Dr. Spry’s research interests are in economic geology, mineralogy and petrology, and the geochemistry of metallic mineral deposits. He is particularly interested in the petrological, mineralogical, structural, geochronological (Re-Os), light (S, C, O and H) and light and non-traditional stable isotope (Te, Zn, Cd), and fluid inclusion characteristics of epithermal and mesothermal gold deposits, as well as the effects of metamorphism on massive sulfide deposits. Current research projects include: the origin of metamorphosed Proterozoic base metal-gold deposits (Colorado); the origin of gold telluride deposits in Greece; the use of trace elements in oxides, silicates, and sulfides as exploration guides to metamorphosed Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Au ores; the origin of nodular sillimanite rocks and their genetic relationship to metamorphosed massive sulfide deposits; and the crystallographic characterization of precious metal sulfides and sulfosalts (see sulfosalt “Spryite” named after Spry).

Research Projects

  • Trace element chemistry of common silicates (garnet, biotite, staurolite, chlorite), oxides (gahnite, magnetite), and sulfides (pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite) as guides in the exploration for metamorphosed Proterozoic massive sulfide deposits in the the Bergslagen district (Sweden) and central Colorado.
  • The mineralogy and geochemistry (fluid inclusions and stable isotopes) of epithermal and mesothermal gold deposits and porphyry style copper and/or molybdenum deposits, Greece (with Panos Voudouris, University of Athens; Vasilios Melfos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki).

Full Publication List

Education

B.S. University of Adelaide South Australia, 1976

B.S. (with Honors) University of Adelaide South Australia, 1977

M.S. University of Adelaide South Australia, 1979

Ph.D. University of Toronto, 1984

Selected Publications

  • Spry, P.G., Jansson, N.F., and Allen, R.L.. 2024. A stable isotope (S, C, and O) study of metamorphosed massive sulphide deposits in the Bergslagen district: The Stollberg example. Geological Magazine, v. 161. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756824000153
  • Spry, P.G., Berke, E.H., Layton-Matthews, D., Voinot, A., Heimann, A., Teale, G.S., and von der Handt, A., 2024. Amphibole, magnetite, and ilmenite as potential exploration guides to metamorphosed Proterozoic Cu-Zn±Pb±Au±Ag volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in Colorado. Mineralogical Magazine, v. 88, p. 61-89.
  • Voudouris, P., Melfos, V., Melfou, M., Papadopoulou, L., Tarantola, A., Scheffer, C., Vanderhaeghe, O., Reisberg, L., Frenzel, M., Photiadis, A., Mavrogonatos, C., Spry, P.G., Stourairi, C., and Soukis, K., 2024. Re-Os geochronology, mineralogy, and conditions of formation of the potassic and sodic-calcic alteration associated with of the Plaka porphyry Mo system Lavrion, Greece. Journal of Geochemical Exploration. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2024.107609.
  • Berke, E.H., Spry, P.G., Heimann, A., Teale, G.S., Johnson, B., von der Handt, A., Alers, B., and Shallow, J.M., 2023. The genesis of metamorphosed Paleoproterozoic massive sulfide occurrences in central Colorado: geological, mineralogical and sulfur isotope constraints. Geological Magazine, v. 160, 1345-1375.
  • Cawood, T.-K, Rozendaal, A., and Spry, P.G., 2023. Discussion: Syn-metamorphic sulfidation of the Gamsberg zinc deposit, South Africa. Mineralogy and Petrology, v. 117, 775-785.