We are nearly always seeking hardworking and motivated graduate and undergraduate students to join our team. We can work on any topic that gets us excited, but below are a few active projects that might help grease the gears of collaboration.
The history of O2 in Earth's oceans during the Great Oxidation Event
It is well known that O2 first accumulated in Earth's atmosphere ~2.4 billion years ago, during and after the "Great Oxidation Event", or GOE. Yet, very little is known about the history of O2 in Earth's oceans at this time. What is the history of marine O2 across the GOE, and what can this information tell us about the environments inhabited by some of Earth's earliest lifeforms?
This is a NASA funded project and a collaboration with Drs. Sune Nielsen, Andy Heard, Andrey Bekker, and Simon Poulton.
Thallium (Tl) isotope cycling in ancient-Earth analogs
Thallium (Tl) isotopes are an emerging tool for tracking the history of O2 in seawater. This application requires a strong understanding of the modern Tl isotope cycle. How are Tl and its isotopes cycled on Earth today, and how can this information be leveraged to better understand Earth's past?
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This is an NSF funded project and a collaboration with Drs. Colleen Hansel, Sune Nielsen, and Betsy Swanner.
Marine oxygenation during early animal evolution
The history of O2 in Earth's oceans during the rise of animals remains debated. What might Tl isotopes tell us about ocean oxygenation at this time? What new lessons can be learned from under-utilized sedimentary sequences in Utah?
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This is a NASA funded project and a collaboration with Drs. Erik Sperling, Sune Nielsen, and Pedro Monarrez.