Climate & Earth Surface Geochemistry Group | Sarah M Aarons

The primary focus of the Climate & Earth Surface Geochemistry Group is to understand and reconstruct the geochemical evolution of Earth’s surface. We apply radiogenic and non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry to gain new insight into processes that shape this evolution. Below are some of the examples of projects we work on.

Extending dust records beyond 800 ka & using changes in dust provenance to reconstruct ice sheet extent during past warm intervals

Application of zirconium isotopes as a tracer of particle scavenging and water mass movement in the ocean

Evaluating the impact of particulate matter deposition upon ecosystems & human health

Research Focus

One of the main goals in our research group is to provide a more mechanistic understanding of processes that shape Earth surface geochemistry in the modern so that we can accurately interpret past records . Within our current research group, we focus on dust (fine grained mineral particles), seawater, marine sediments, and modern and ancient rocks.

Our group utilizes an array of geochemical and isotopic techniques along with physical measurements to inform us on source(s), formation mechanism, nutrient content, and biogeochemical cycling. We conduct a significant amount of fieldwork depending on the research area and project ranging from Alaska to Antarctica. Our research requires clean lab chemistry and isotope analysis on a variety of mass spectrometers.