Professional Expericence

since 2020

Post doctoral researcher, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

06/2017 - 12/2019

Post doctoral researcher, University of Oslo, Norway.

Education

02/2014 - 05/2017

PhD student, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Dissertation: Numerical modelling of grain-scale pressure variations in metamorphic rocks: interplay between mineral reactions, diffusion and mechanical deformation

09/2012 - 01/2014

Graduate student, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Master thesis: Physical properties of amphibole and phlogopite bearing peridotites from Ivrea Zone (Italy): an experimental and numerical investigation

09/2008 - 06/2012

Undergraduate student, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, China.

Bachelor thesis: Analogue modelling experiments on structural deformation mechanisms in Nanbao Basin.

Professional affiliation

Member of:

• European Geosciences Union

• American Geophysical Union

Invited Seminar Talks

• University of Woclaw, Poland, 2019

• Peking University, Beijing, China, 2018

• Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 2018

Current research interests

My research focuses on metamorphic petrology, particurarly about using and developing various tools to study the past pressure and temperature conditions experienced by the rocks. My current project during the post-doc is about the mechanics of mineral inclusion-host system. Mineral inclusions (e.g. quartz inclusion) preserve important geological information and can be used to infer the pressure-temperature history of their host. It is known that the elastic interaction between inclusion and host may result in residual stress and strain after exhumation, which can be used together with numerical/analytical modelling tools to study the conditions when the rocks were formed. Moreover, viscous creep and plastic yield may lead to further modification to the preserved residual stress, but their effect is not fully understood. The current project aims at understanding the significance of these processes and the implications to the application of mineral inclusions as proxy for paleo-stress, strain and temperature conditions. Thermodynamic equilibrium modelling can be used together for comparison purpose. This study will allow us to better understand the geological history and the involved physical/chemical processes.

Current Grants

04/2020 - 04/2022

Alexander von Humboldt post doctoral fellowship

Project: Deciphering the pressure and temperature history of inclusion-host systems: Development of Raman thermobarometry with applications to the Adula Nappe and the Tianshan metamorphic belt (Co-PIs: Xin Zhong, Timm John)

Peer-reviewed publications

Zhong, X., Loges, A., Roddatis, V., John, T. (2021) Measurement of crystallographic orientation of quartz crystal using Raman spectroscopy: application to entrapped inclusions. Contrib Mineral Petrol 176, 89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-021-01845-x

Schwarzenbach, E.M., Zhong, X., Caddick, M.J., Schmalholz, S.M., Menneken, M., Hecht, L., John, T. (2021). On exhumation velocities of high-pressure units based on insights from chemical zoning in garnet (Tianshan, NW China). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 570, 117065. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117065

Zhong, X., Petley-Ragan, A., Incel, S., Dabrowski, M., Andersen, N., Jamtveit, B. Lower crustal earthquake associated with highly pressurized frictional melts. Nature Geoscience (2021). doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00760-x

Szczepański, J., Zhong, X., Dabrowski, M., Wang, H., Golen, M. Lawsonite- and chloritoid–bearing metapelites from the Kamieniec Metamorphic Belt (NE Bohemian Massif): combined phase diagram modelling and quartz in garnet barometry. Journal of Metamorphic Geology,  (2021). doi.org/10.1111/jmg.12608

Zhong, X., Dabrowski, M., Jamtveit, B. (2021): Analytical solution for residual stress and strain preserved in anisotropic inclusion entrapped in isotropic host. Solid Earth. 12(4): 817-833.

Charoensawan, J. Adam, L., Ofman, M.W., Toy, V., Simpson, J., Zhong, X., Schuck, B. (2021): Fracture Shape and Orientation Contributions to P-wave Velocity and Anisotropy of Alpine Fault Mylonites. Frontiers in Earth Science. 9:238.

Dunkel, K., Zhong, X., Jamtveit, B. (2021): Highly stressed lower crust: Evidence from dry pseudotachylytes in granulites, Lofoten Archipelago, Northern Norway. Geology. 49 (2): 135–139

Zhong, X*., Moulas, E., & Tajčmanova, L., (2020): Post-entrapment modification of residual inclusion pressure and its implications for Raman elastic thermobarometry. Solid Earth (SE). 11, 223–240. doi. 10.5194/se-11-223-2020

Lierenfeld, M.B., Zhong, X., Reusser, E., Kunze, K., Putlitz, B., & Ulmer, P*., (2019): Species diffusion in clinopyroxene solid solution in the diopside-anorthite system. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. 174:46. doi. 10.1007/s00410-019-1571-9

Zhong, X*., Anderson, N., Dabrowski, M., & Jamtveit, B. (2019): Zircon and quartz inclusions in garnet used for complimentary Raman-thermobarometry: application to Holsnøy eclogite, Bergen arc, Norway. Contribution to Mineralogy and Petrology. 174:50. doi:10.1007/s00410-019-1584-4

Zhong, X*, Dabrowski, M., & Jamtveit, B. (2019): Analytical solution for the stress field in elastic half-space with a spherical pressurized cavity or inclusion containing eigenstrain. Geophysical Journal International. 216: 1100-1115. doi: 10.1093/gji/ggy447

Xu, J.*, Zheng, C., Tajcmanova, L., Zhong, X., Han, X., Wang, Z., & Yang, Y. (2018): Phase equilibria modeling and zircon dating for Precambrian metapelites from the Xinghuadukou Complex in the Lulin Forest of the Erguna Massif, Northeast China, Journal of Earth Sciences. 29(5):1276-1290. doi: 10.1007/s12583-018-0843-z

Zhong, X.*, & Frehner, M. (2018): E-Wave software: EBSD-based dynamic wave propagation model for studying seismic anisotropy. Computers and Geosciences. 118:100-108. doi: 10.1016/j.cageo.2018.05.015

Zhong, X.*, Moulas, E. & Tajcmanova, L. (2018) Tiny timekeepers witnessing high-rate exhumation processes. Scientific Reports. 8:2234. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20291-7

Zhong, X.*, Vrijmoed, J.C., Moulas, E. & Tajcmanova, L. (2017) A coupled model for intra-granular deformation and chemical diffusion. Earth and Planetary Science Letter. 474: 387-396. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.07.005

Zhong, X.*, Vrijmoed, J.C. & Tajcmanova, L. (2016): Effect of grain-scale pressure variations on garnet growth: a numerical approach. Journal of Metamorphic Geology. 35: 19–33. doi: 10.1111/jmg.12213

Zhong, X.*, Frehner, M., Kunze, K., & Zappone, A. (2014): A novel EBSD-based finite-element wave propagation model for investigating seismic anisotropy: Application to Finero Peridotite, Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Northern Italy. Geophysical Research Letters. 41: 7105–7114. doi: 10.1002/2014GL060490

Other Publications

Zhong, X.*, Vrijmoed, V.C., Tajcmanova, L. & Moulas,E.. (2015): On coupling of viscous relaxation and chemical diffusion under grain scale pressure variations. Geotectonic Research. 97:106-107. doi: 10.1127/1864-5658/2015-40

Zhong, X.*, Frehner, M., Kunze, K. & Zappone, A. (2015) A numerical and experimental investigation on seismic anisotropy of Finero peridotite, Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Northern Italy. IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering. 82:012072. doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/82/1/012072