Professor Jamieson’s research is in the area of environmental geochemistry, and most but not all of her activities focus on the environmental impact of mining. Current projects include the development of mineralogical controls on the chemical evolution of extremely acid mine waters at Iron Mountain, California; the identification and evaluation of arsenic-bearing minerals in tailings, soils and sediments from the Yellowknife area; the study of mechanisms governing silicate dissolution, acid neutralization and secondary mineral precipitation at the Geco Mine, NW Ontario; modeling the long-term chemical stability of kimberlite tailings; the interaction of surface and ground waters with residual mine waste, alluvium and marl following the Los Frailes tailings dam accident, Sevilla, Spain; the determination of subzero sulfide oxidation rates and mechanisms; and the characterization of minerals on fracture coatings in clay-rich aquitards.

Professor Jamieson's research interests include:

• Environmental Geochemistry
• Mineralogical controls on water quality in mine waste
• Cold climates, metals, arsenic, mineral-water interaction
• XANES (X-ray Absorption NearEdge Spectroscopy), microPIXE (proton-induced x-ray emission) EMPA (electron microprobe analysis)

Also see Dr. Jamieson's Evironmental Science Site:

http://www.queensu.ca/ensc/faculty/reg-faculty/heather-jamieson.html

Advert for PhD student:

PhD projects in Mine Waste Mineralogy
Several interesting projects in the area of environmental geochemistry and mineralogy are available for September 2011. These include, but are not limited to, the stability of Ca-Fe-As secondary minerals, the mineralogy of windblown tailings dust, and the secondary mineralogy of rare metal and rare earth element mine waste. These projects will take advantage of Queen’s new microanalytical instruments and access to synchrotron microprobe beamlines.  Please send cv and transcripts to jamieson@geol.queensu.ca. I am particularly looking for Canadian applicants with a background in geological sciences but other interested candidates are encouraged to send relevant information.