Jarek Trela

I am an Economic Geologist at the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) with an Adjunct Faculty appointment at the University of Illinois Chicago. As an Economic Geologist, my goal is to research and characterize economic minerals in Illinois within the Critical and Strategic Minerals (CSM) section. My geologic background is rooted in igneous petrology, engineering geology, and mining. I grew up in the Chicagoland area and attended Illinois State University (BS) and Southern Illinois University (MS). I completed my PhD in 2017 at Virginia Tech where I investigated the geochemical and thermal evolution of the Galapagos mantle plume. After my PhD, I expanded my geologic knowledge and accepted an offer from Brierley Associates, and underground engineering and design firm. There, I participated in some of the largest tunneling and abandoned mine land reclamation projects in North America developed a plethora of new skills with respect to geotechnical engineering in underground spaces. I have also worked in international mineral exploration, mining & excavation design. This work includes prospecting for lithium (Argentina) and copper-gold deposits (Alaska and the Philippines).

At the ISGS, The CSM section and I explore for, and conduct research related to critical minerals, carbonatites, rare earth elements (REEs), and fluorite occurrences using geochemical, field-based, and aerial (magnetic/radiometric) techniques. Although it is not well-known, Illinois hosts numerous occurrences of igneous rocks, some of which outcrop at the surface as dikes and diatremes. The most well-known of these occurrences in Hicks Dome, a cryptovolcanic structure anomalously enriched REEs and located within the world-renowned Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District (IKFD).

My research interests include understanding how REE enrichment at Hicks Dome (and other igneous occurrences around the IKFD) and regional fluorite emplacement are petrogenetically related to carbonatite-lamprophyre magmatism and evolution. Understanding REE and fluorspar petrogenesis in Illinois is vital to maintaining and growing our nation’s economic independence and national security as well as developing new “green” energy systems. Domestic production and processing of these minerals have never been more important as the U.S. is largely dependent on countries that control most of these mineral supply chains.

I am thrilled to be included as an Adjunct Faculty member at UIC’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Department! My aim is to foster research collaborations between UIC and the ISGS. This work includes external graduate student advisement and developing field trips for students to learn about the petrology of Illinois.

Furthermore, I am delighted that I can share my knowledge as an igneous petrologist with my home state and can conduct research on some of the most exotic mantle melts and associated minerals I have encountered in my whole career. Please feel free to stop by my office (UIC) or drop me a line if you’d like to learn more about volcanoes and REEs in Illinois or to just simply say “hello”.

Research Interests

Igneous petrology of southern Illinois, fluorite, REEs, carbonatites-lamprophyres, ultramafic and carbonated mantle melts, underground construction, sustainable mining practices, mine-waste, abandoned mine land reclamation.

Publications

Trela, J., Freiburg, J. T., Gazel, E., Nuelle, L., Maria, A. H., Malone, D. H., & Molinarolo, J. M. (2024). Petrologic relationship between lamprophyres, carbonatites, and heavy rare-earth element enriched breccias at Hicks Dome. Terra Nova, 00, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/ter.12712

Gazel, E., Trela, J., Bizimis, M., Sobolev, A., Batanavo, V., Class, C., Jicha, B., 2018. Long-lived source heterogeneities in the Galapagos mantle plume. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. v. 19, issue 8, 2764-2779.

Filiberto, J., Gross, J., Udry, A., Trela, J., Wittman, A., Cannon, K.M., Penniston-Dorland, S., Hamilton, V., Ash, R., Jolliff, B., Carpenter, P., Ferré, E.C., Mustard, J., 2018. Shergottite North West Africa 6963: A Pyroxene-Cumulate Martian Gabbro. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. v. 123, 1823-1841.

Trela, J., Gazel, E., Sobolev, A., Moore, L., Bizimis, M., Jicha, B., Batanova, V., 2017. The hottest lavas of the Phanerozoic and the survival of ancient Archaean reservoirs: Nature Geoscience. NGEO2954.

Malone, D.H., Craddock, J.P., Garber, K.L. Trela, J., 2017. Detrital zircon geochronology of the Aycross Formation (Eocene) near Togwottee Pass, western Wind River Basin, Wyoming: The Mountain Geologist (Special Issue). v. 54 (2), 69-85.

Zamboni, D., Trela, J., Gazel, E., Sobolev, A., Cannatelli, C., Lucchi, F., Batanova, V.G., De Vivo, B., 2017. New insights into the Aeolian Islands and other arc source compositions from high-precision olivine chemistry: Lithos. v. 272-273, 185-191.

Zamboni, D., Gazel, E., Ryan, J. G., Cannatelli, C., Lucchi, F., Atlas, Z. D., Trela, J., Mazza, S. E. and De Vivo, B., 2016. Contrasting sediment melt and fluid signatures for magma components in the Aeolian Arc: Implications for numerical modeling of subduction systems: Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. v.17, doi:10.1002/2016GC006301.

Trela, J., Vidito, C., Gazel, E., Herzberg, C. Class, C., Whalen, W., Jicha, B., Bizimis, M., Alvarado, G. 2015. Recycled crust in the Galapagos Plume source at 70 Ma: Implications for plume evolution: EPSL. v.425, 268-277.

Trela, J., Ferré, E.C., Launeau, P., Bartz, D., and Morris, A. 2015, Magmatic accretion and thermal convection at the sheeted dikes-gabbros boundary in superfast spreading crust, ODP Hole 1256D: Tectonophysics. v. 660, 107-116.

Filiberto, J., Gross, J., Trela, J., and Ferré, E.C., 2014, Gabbroic Shergottite Northwest Africa 6963: an intrusive sample of Mars: American Mineralogist. v. 99, 601-606.

Professional Experience

2021-present: Economic Geologist, Illinois State Geological Survey

2017-2021 Geologist, Brierley Associates Corporation, USA

2017 Postdoc, Cornell University, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

2013 Contract Geologist, Steffen, Robertson & Kirsten (SRK) Consulting, Philippines

2012 Contract Geologist, Steffen, Robertson & Kirsten (SRK) Consulting, Alaska

2011 Geologist, Alta Drilling International, Salta, Argentina

2008 Intern, Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign IL

PhD. Geosciences at Virginia Tech (2017)
M.S. Geology at Southern Illinois University (2013)
B.S. Geology at Illinois State University (ISU), Normal IL (2011)