Exploring the origins of Earth and our Solar System.
Our Research
We aim to build a timeline of Earth and our Solar System’s early development. Our cosmochemists address the early history of the solar system, and the formation and early evolution of meteorites and their asteroidal parent bodies, Mars, Mercury, and the Moon. Our geochemists combine laboratory and field studies of modern and ancient rocks from diverse geographic areas to investigate the origin of Earth’s crust and the dynamic processes that exchange material between surface and interior.
Research Staff
Conel M. O'D. Alexander - Cosmochemistry; isotopic chemistry and origin of interstellar grains, the origin of the organic compounds in meteorites
Richard W. Carlson - Isotope geochemistry; history and nature of chemical evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle; early history of the solar system
George Cody - Geochemistry; the chemical history of the early Solar System; geobiological applications of Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR)
Yingwei Fei - Earth and planet evolution; planetary interior processes; compositions of the Earth's mantle and core; physical properties of materials at high P and T; materials synthesis at high pressure; development of high-pressure techniques
Dionysis Foustoukos - Geochemistry; planetary science; the evolution of geofluids in a wide range of natural environments
Shaunna Morrison - Data-driven approaches to characterizing the coevolution of the geosphere and biosphere; applications of advanced analytics to Earth and planetary systems, with a particular emphasis in mineral relationships; Martian mineralogy via surface missions and meteorites; crystal-chemical behavior and bonding systematics in minerals
Bjørn Mysen - Physics and chemistry of materials; melting phase relations of mantle materials; isotope fractionation; structure and properties of silicate melts; solubility mechanisms, transport mechanisms in amorphous materials
Larry R. Nittler - Cosmochemistry; presolar grains in meteorites; secondary ion mass spectrometry and planetary remote sensing
Douglas Rumble, III (Staff Scientist Emeritus) - Geochemistry; petrology
Anat Shahar - Geochemistry; high pressure; planetary science
Steven B. Shirey - Igneous petrology; isotope geochemistry; trace element geochemistry; geochemical evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle
Michael Walter - High-pressure experimental petrology; geochemistry; mineral physics
Technical Staff
Emma Bullock - Electron Microprobe Lab Manager
Mary Horan - Geochemistry Laboratory Manager
Timothy Mock - Mass Spectrometry Laboratory Manager
Brian Schleigh - Electronic Design Engineer
Jianhua Wang - SIMS Lab Manager
Suzy Vitale - FIB Lab Manager
Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates
Asmaa Boujibar - Ph.D., Petrology, Université Blaise Pascal (2014)
Nico Küter - Ph.D., Experimental Petrology, ETH Zurich (2018)
Peng Ni - Ph.D., Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan (2017)
Nicole Xike Nie - Ph.D., Isotope Geo/Cosmochemistry, University of Chicago (2019)
Kei Shimizu - Ph.D., Geological Sciences, Brown University (2016)
Jonathan Tucker - Ph.D., Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University (2016)
Da Wang - Ph.D., Geology, Washington State University (2018)
Tools of the Trade
