Adam Maloof - Group
Ph.D. Students
Nick Swanson-Hysell, Ph.D. Student
The way in which sediments are shaped, moved, and eventually deposited, is governed by the physical and biological processes of a planet's surface. Through the study of ancient sedimentary rocks on Earth we can gain a window into our planet's varied, and sometimes tumultuous, past. My research seeks to peer through this window using a variety of geochemical (stable C, S and Sr isotopes, elemental analyses) and geophysical (paleomagnetic) methods. When such time-series records are paired with detailed field observations they became powerful recorders of Earth history revealing local and global stories about tectonics, climate, the biosphere and their interactions.
Catherine Rose, Ph.D. Student
I am interested in using original field observations and a range of geochemical proxies to explore key Earth history events. I am fascinated by Deep Time glacial deposits and their implications for past climate change. My research investigates the sedimentology and geochemistry of South Australian deposits associated with the youngest Neoproterozoic ice age to enhance our understanding of the physical conditions operating during the extreme climatic perturbations envisaged for a snowball Earth.
Jon Husson, Ph.D. Student
Deciphering Earth's history through the sedimentary record requires a decidedly multidisciplinary approach. Physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and modeling can all play important roles. Among the countless questions of earth history, I am currently interested in studying how climate, ocean chemistry and biology interacted to set the stage for the rise of animals. I seek to couple geological field observations and mapping with low-temperature geochemical analyses to help contribute to this question. Additionally, I will also learn techniques of U-Pb geochronology. Absolute dates are vitally important to the study of earth history, as they help to test and constrain our models of evolutionary, chemical and climatic change.
Postdocs
Ryan Ewing, Postdoc
I am a sedimentologist interested in the formation and evolution of modern and ancient aeolian dune systems. Sand dunes created by the wind are ubiquitous features on the surfaces of Earth, Mars, and Titan. Because these landforms are sensitive to environmental and climatic changes, their deposits have the potential to provide a robust and quantitative record of paleoclimate extending back to the early history of these planets. My research goal is to develop tools to read this record by studying dune fields using GIS, numerical modeling, and field work involving the ancient record and geomorphic mapping in modern systems. I am currently interested in how ancient aeolian dune deposits can be better utilized as a high-temporal resolution record of paleowind direction, strength and cyclicity. This research involves fieldwork in Mali, Australia, Utah and New Mexico.
John Higgins
Kevin Lewis
Undergraduates
From left to right: Jacquie Nesbit ('12) is working as a lab assistant preparing Moroccan and Australian samples for geochemical analysis; Mike Eddy ('11) is working on a Junior Project studying the relationship between lithology, isotopic composition and trace element concentration in early Cambrian carbonates from Morocco.
Previous Group Members
Bob Kopp, STEP Postdoctoral Fellow (2007-2009) is now a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow working in the Office of Climate Change Policy & Technology, U.S. Department of Energy.
Cristi Proistosescu ('09) is now a Ph.D. student with Peter Huybers at Harvard University. We hope to publish his senior thesis soon : Proistosescu, C., Huybers, P. and Maloof, A.C., An objective statistical test for eccentricity forcing of Oligo-Miocene climate.