The chemical composition of seawater, and how it changes on geologic timescales, holds important clues into the processes that cycle rocks and volatiles (including greenhouse gases) at Earth’s surface. Our research efforts focus on better understanding the links between seawater chemistry, the weathering and formation of silicate minerals, and the global carbon cycle on geologic timescales.
Silicate weathering plays a key role in Earth’s climate stability, however aspects of this feedback are still unclear. For example, is marine silicate weathering as important as the weathering of continental silicates? And what is the role of secondary silicate minerals (a product of silicate weathering) in Earth’s CO2-thermostat? In our research, we apply radiogenic and non-traditional stable isotopes to investigate the cycling of silicate minerals across Earth's surface.
The extent to which oceanic crust alteration affects the elemental and isotopic composition of seawater remains poorly constrained. In our research, we combine isotope measurements, mineralogical observations, and dating methods to understand the mechanisms responsible for the heterogenous nature of seawater-basalt exchange. These efforts will improve our ability to use altered oceanic crust as archives of seawater chemistry.
