Ian Coulson

Contact Info

Research interests

Expertise and areas of study

Dr. Coulson's research focuses on the investigation of igneous activity and volcanism, and this work has expanded into the study of these products on other terrestrial planets and small bodies in our Solar System. He is also interested in cathodoluminescence techniques applied to the Geosciences.

Dr. Coulson is President of the Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division, Geological Association of Canada.

Courses I presently teach (or have taught in the recent past)

Internal Processes of the Earth (ESC 201): A study of Earth processes such as Plate Tectonics, Volcanism and Deformation, Geological Time and Earth materials.

Mineralogy I (ESC 210): An introduction to the study of minerals which focuses on their description, symmetry, crystallography and optical properties.

Mineralogy II (ESC 211): A systematic study of the principal ‘rock-forming’ minerals, including studies of mineral composition, structure, properties and paragenesis.

Metamorphic Petrology (ESC 315): Deciphering lithospheric processes as recorded through the chemistry, mineralogy and textures of metamorphosed rocks.

Igneous Petrology (ESC 313): A course that is concerned primarily with the classification and genesis of igneous rocks.

Selected recent publications (2021-2026)

Coulson, I.M. (In press, expected release late 2026) Chapter: Volcanism on Venus. In: Beech, M., Nag, A., Yaganoglu, M. and Kiruthika, M. (editors), Venus as an abode for life. Series: Astrobiology Perspectives on Life in the Universe. Wiley-Scrivener, Beverly, Massachusetts, USA. ISBN: 978-1-394-355204, 400 p.

Mitchell, J.L., Barbi, M., McKellar, R.C., Cliveti, M. and Coulson, I.M. (2025) In situ analysis of vascular structures in fractured Tyrannosaurus rex rib. Nature Scientific Reports. 15: 20327, 1-13.

Yang, R., Chen, Y. and Coulson, I.M. (2025) Geochronology, petrogenesis and geological significance of the Longchahe granite, Gejiu Sn polymetallic ore district, SW China. Geosciences 15: 71, 1-30.

Feng, C., Liu, S., Hou, C., Song, W. and Coulson, I.M. (2025) Mineralogical and elemental geochemistry constraints on provenance evolution of sediments in the lower reaches of the Shichuan River, Shaanxi Province, China. Acta Geochimica 44, 441-460.

Liu, S., Feng, C., Hou, C. and Coulson, I.M. (2025). Zircon U-Pb geochronology, major, trace elemental, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic geochemistry: constraints on the age and magmatic origin of Mesozoic mafic dykes in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China. International Geology Review 67:2, 233-250.

Guo, Z., Zhu, Y., Li, Y., Coulson, I.M., Li, X. and Liu, J. (2024) Microscopic mineralogy of zoned pyroxene in NWA 12522: Implications for the crystallization histories of the shergottites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 59:12, 3340-3352.

Mitchell, J.L., McKellar, R.C., Barbi, M., Coulson, I.M. and Bukejs, A. (2023) Morphological and organic spectroscopic studies of a 44-million-year-old leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in amber with endogenous remains of chitin. Nature Scientific Reports 13: 5876, 1-11.

Zhang, D., Coulson, I.M., Peng, J., Li, S. and Wang, G. (2023). Diffusion of Sm-Nd in scheelite and its significance to isotopic dating and tracing. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 97:2, 651-661.

Liu, S., Feng, C., Coulson, I.M., Fan, Y., Zhao, H., Xu, J. and Tai, K. (2022) LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age, whole-rock geochemistry, Sr-Nd-Pb isotope, and zircon Hf isotope constraints on the origin and dynamic setting of   Mesozoic mafic dykes, Henan Province, southeastern North China Craton. Geological Journal 57:4, 1682-1708. 

Coulson, I.M. (2021) Chapter 15: Vulcanism on Mars. In: Beech, M., Seckbach, J. and Gordon, R. (editors), Terraforming Mars. Series: Astrobiology Perspectives on Life in the Universe. Wiley-Scrivener. ISBN: 978-1-119-76196-9, p. 353-369.

Feng, C., Liu, S., Chi, G., Bi, X., Hu, R. and Coulson, I.M. (2021) Zinc, copper, and strontium isotopic variability in the Baiyangping Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag polymetallic ore field, Lanping Basin, Southwest China. Acta Geochimica 40:4, 557-574.

Guo, Z., Li, Y., Chen, H., Zhang, M., Wu, Y., Hui, B., Liu, S., Coulson, I.M., Li, S., Li, X., Liu, J. and Ouyang, Z. (2021) Evidence for the disproportionation of iron in a Eucrite meteorite: implications for impact processes on Vesta. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126: e2020JE006816, 1-12. doi: 10.1029/2020JE006816

Chen, X., Liu, S., Feng, C., Xu, J., Zhao, H., Feng, G., Coulson, I.M., Sun, J. and Fan, Y. (2021) Zircon U-Pb Age, Geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf Isotopic Constraints on the Time Frame and Origin of Early Cretaceous Mafic Dykes in the Wuling Mountain Gravity Lineament, South China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 95:2, 419-438.

Feng, C., Liu, S. and Coulson, I.M. (2021) Lithological and Si-O-S isotope geochemistry: constraints on the origin and genetic environment of the selenium (Se)-rich siliceous rocks in Enshi, Hubei Province, China. Acta Geochimica 40:1, 89-105.