David Green was born in Tasmania and obtained his B.Sc. (Hons First Class) and MSc from The Univesity of Tasmania. He obtained his PhD under the supervision of Professor C.E. Tilley, Cambridge University. Tilley had advised his new student “Someone needs to look at the Lizard peridotite in Cornwall, again”. David’s meticulous mapping and petrologic studies soon demonstrated his exceptional powers of observation and deduction. He proposed the (then) controversial idea that the Lizard was an intrusive, high temperature peridotite, complete with contact aureole. As in so much of his subsequent research, he was correct.

After the Second World War, the Australian Government had realised the need for a national university to provide the highest standard of research, and the Australian National University was established. Upon completing his PhD, David joined the Department of Geophysics and Geochemistry at ANU, which soon after became the Research School of Earth Sciences. Together with Professor Ted Ringwood, and ably supported by outstanding technicians, they quickly established themselves as world leaders in experimental petrology, principally with application to basalt petrogenesis, crustal and mantle phase relations.

At that time, conventional experimental studies elsewhere were systematically investigating simple system, subsolidus and liquidus phase relations. In what became a characteristic departure from convention, Green and Ringwood undertook experimental liquidus and subsolidus studies of natural, multicomponent basalt and peridotite compositions, with a view to defining the source mantle compositions, pressure-temperature-fluid controls on the origins of the complete spectrum of basalt types. The key here was the constraint that a primary magma must be in equilibrium with mantle peridotite, having liquidus olivine and orthopyroxene. At the same time, they researched and published classic works on the gabbro-eclogite transition. An examination of the more than 220 research publications (below) shows the extent of this work.

After their early collaboration, basalt petrogenesis research was divided up between them. Ted Ringwood examined subduction zone magmatism, and deep mantle phase transitions, and nuclear waste disposal, while David Green studied the origins of MORB, plume related alkaline and subalkaline basalt petrogenesis, komatiite phase relations and crustal metamorphism. David Green attracted numerous outstanding PhD students from around the world, whereas Ted Ringwood only supervised one PhD student, David’s brother Trevor Green. Trevor went on to his own stellar career as a world leader in trace element partitioning between mineral and melts. David Green also, with PhD students, undertook pioneering and novel research in major element exchange thermometry and barometry. The PhD supervised experimental and theoretical studies of garnet-cordierite phase relations has become a classic.

Green and Ringwood also undertook experimental studies of lunar samples, again defining lunar mantle compositions and depth-temperature origins for such igneous rocks. It is a telling point that by this stage, scientists elsewhere were following the RSES lead and conducting liquidus studies of actual lunar compositions, rather than restricting to simple system analogues.

The ANU and RSES superbly fulfilled the aim for establishing a national university. Research was funded through a block grant, unlike state universities that had to compete for funds through the competitive ARC grants system. Over time, RSES scholars assumed leadership roles in state universities. To mention just a few –John Lovering to Melbourne University, Alan White to Latrobe University, Bruce Hobbs to Monash University, Bob Pidgeon to Curtin University and in 1976, David Green to the University of Tasmania. There is no doubt that appointments such as these had a positive affect on the state university system. David Green was fortunate that he was able to quickly establish an experimental laboratory in Tasmania, as the RSES technician Bill Hibberson also moved to Tasmania. He set up and ran the new experimental laboratory for several years before returning to RSES and re-joining Ted Ringwood’s group. David Green’s leadership quickly established the University of Tasmania as a world leader in experimental petrology, funded through David’s extraordinary success rate in gaining competitive ARC grants. An examination of David’s publications from this period reveals just what a world class research group he led – PhD students, post-doctoral fellows and visiting academics from overseas. He and his wife Helen welcomed students into their home, as part of an extended family, a comfort to many students from overseas and interstate. Indeed Helen gave her own tremendous encouragement and support to students and their partners.

In 1994 David returned to ANU as Director, RSES until 2001. His continuing research, supervision of students and post-docs, as well as his leadership and vision required as Director, ensured that outstanding staff in geophysics, geochemistry, geochronology, petrophysics and petrology at RSES continued to excel. He saw the need for strengthening environmental science, and made such outstanding leadership appointments as Professor John Chappell.

His own research continued to explore the origins of basalt magmas, particularly under different H₂O-CO₂-CH₄ fluid and redox conditions. It is notable, that even though he had published some of the classics in mantle trace element geochemistry (e.g. Frey and Green 1974) David conducted most of his research dealing with major element high pressure phase relations. He once said that the petrography of erupted basalts was “merely secondary alteration, compared to the importance of high pressure phase relations for basalt petrogenesis”. This did not stop him of course, from publishing with Dallwitz and Thompson in 1966 the first description of terrestrial clinoenstatite bearing volcanics, in a rock type now recognised as boninite.

The author of over 220 publications, numerous scientists around the world, in academia, research organisations and industry directly owe their careers to this outstanding scientist. His capacity for sustained effort covering many responsibilities was exceptional. Besides his academic work, the attached web site lists the enormous contributions he also made to Australian society beyond what is discussed here.

Upon retirement, he and his wife Helen returned to Tasmania, where they had raised their six children. Helen died in June 2024, and David on the 6 September 2024. He is survived by his brother Trevor, his six wonderful children, Kathryn, Ronald, Elizabeth, Paul, Jeanette and Ian, their partners, 17 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Thankyou David for all that you and Helen have done by nurturing your students, collaborating with colleagues and being a wonderful friend and mentor to so many.

David Green publications: https://earthsciences.anu.edu.au/files/DavidGreenPublicationList.pdf

David Green activities: https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004123b.htm