Philippe Muchez is full professor in ore geology and geofluids at KU Leuven university (Belgium). He obtained his master, PhD and habilitation at KU Leuven. He was post-doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool (UK) and at the Free University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and in 2010 he was on sabbatical leave at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain). In 1995, he became research leader at the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders and part-time professor at KU Leuven. In 2000, he was nominated full time research professor at the latter university. Philippe is since 2017 dean of the Faculty of Science after being vice-dean education for eight years. He started his research career as a carbonate sedimentologist and geochemist which was followed by further specialization in fluid flow in sedimentary basins, geoarcheology and ore geology, which is currently his main research focus. Philippe has carried out extensive field work in China, Turkey, DR Congo, Zambia and Rwanda.
The current ore geology research line focusses on the study of (1) Sediment-hosted deposits such as the stratiform Cu-Co deposits in the Central African Copperbelt and stratabound Zn-Pb deposits worldwide, (2) Ta-Nb-Sn-Li pegmatite and Sn-W-Au quartz vein deposits in Central Africa and Europe, and (3) the characterization and metal distribution of base and critical elements in secondary metal resources. Both the emplacement processes and the broader geodynamic context of the ore deposits are studied. The focus of the geofluids research line concentrates on the relationship between basin development and tectonism on the one hand and fluid migration on the other hand. The main study area is the Variscides in Europe. Geothermal energy forms an applied research track of the geofluid studies.
Key publications
Dewaele, S., Muchez, Ph., Vets, J., Fernandez-Alonzo, M. & Tack, L. (2006). Mutiphase origin of the Cu-Co ore deposits in the western part of the Lufilian fold-and-thrust belt, Katanga (Democratic Republic of Congo). Journal of African Earth Sciences, 46, 455-469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afrearsci.2006.08.002
El Desouky, H.A., Muchez, Ph., Boyce, A.J., Schnieider, J., Cailteux, J.L.H., Dewaele, S. & von Quadt, A. (2010). Genesis of sediment-hosted stratiform copper-cobalt mineralization at Luiswishi and kamotot, Katanga Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo). Mineralium Deposita, 45, 735-763. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-010-0289-3
Hulsbosch, N., & Muchez, Ph. (2020). Tracing fluid saturatin during pegmatite differentation by studying the fluid inclusion evolution and multiphase cassiterite mineralisation of the Gatumba pegmatite dyke system (NW Rwanda). Lithos, 354-355, 26p. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2019.105285
Hulsbosch, N., Hertogen, J., Dewaele, S., André, L. & Muchez, Ph. (2014). Alkali metal and rare earth element evolution of rock-forming minerals from the Gatumba area pegmatites (Rwanda): Quantitative assessment of crystal-melt fractionation in the regional zonation of pegmatite groups. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 132, 349-374. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016:j.gca.2014.02.006
Muchez, Ph., Andre-Mayer, A.-S., El Desouky, H.A. & Reiberg, L. (2015). Diagenetic origin of the stratiform Cu-Co deposit at Kamoto in the Central African Copperbelt. Mineralium Deposita, 50, 437-447. https://doi.org.10.1007/s00126-015-0582-3