Geochemistry
We examine the tracing of Earth system processes at both low and high temperature using geochemical methods.
We focus on tracing Earth system processes at both low and high temperature using geochemical methods.
We build upon the varied and highly complementary expertise in geochemistry across the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences to foster new collaborative projects.
Our group also showcases the unique capacity of the School in analytical geochemistry to the rest of the UK community.
Aims
We aim to tackle some of the most important questions in Earth Sciences.
- How did Earth's continents form?
- How did the Earth's surface become oxygen-rich?
- The nature of mantle compositional heterogeneities.
- Causes and consequences of Earth's changing climate.
- Tracing ocean circulation through time.
- Magmatic and eruptive processes.
- Weathering and the carbon cycle.
Funding
Millet, M. Titanium stable isotope insights into adakite formation. Royal Society, £14,132
Millet, M. NIIICE: Novel Isotope Insights Into Continent Evolution – Titanium isotope insights into juvenile and reworked crust. NERC. Standard Grant, £515,000
Fru, E. Coevolution of life and Arsenic in Precambrian oceans. ERC Starting grant, £292,092 to Cardiff
Lear, C. A revised record of ice volume change through the Neogene and its impact on carbonate reservoirs offshore Kenya. NERC and BG Group, £117,504
Lear, C. Paleoceanographic records from the NW Pacific. NERC, £44,397
Lear, C. Pliocene Palaeoclimate off SE Africa. NERC, £70,694
Bailey and Lear, C. Raising public awareness of Ocean Acidification via a pop-up museum, £16,400
Lear, C. Super-warm Early Eocene Temperatures. NERC, £722,067
Buchs, D. and Kerr, A. Early tectonic evolution of the Panama arc and the inter-American seaway. 2016-2017. National Geographic Society's Global Exploration, €19,000
Buchs, D. International Collaboration Seedcorn Fund to collaborate with the Panama Canal Authority. Cardiff University. 2016, £6,710
Buchs, D. Volcano-stratigraphic evolution of the Panama Canal area. Chinese Scholarship Council for Jian Wang’s PhD studies, CSC and Cardiff University. 2016-2020, £80,913
Buchs, D. Stratigraphy of the Panama Canal. Consultancy for the Panama Canal Authority. 2016-2017, USD $98,085
Buchs, D. and Fagereng, A. Precambrian geological evolution of the Isle of Anglesey (Newborough area) and valorisation of Anglesey UNESCO Global Geopark. Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship 2 (KESS2) for a PhD student. 2017-2020, £52,020
Sosdian, S. Cardiff Incoming Visiting Fellowship Scheme & International Collaboration Seedcorn Fund to collaborate on boron-based proxies in marine carbonates. Cardiff University. 2017, £6,000
Andersen, M., Millet, M., Fru, E. and Maier, W. Rutherford Strategic Partner Fellowships for Dr Carolina Moreto and Wagner da Silva Amaral, £48,000 each
Selected publications
- Lissenberg, C. J. and MacLeod, C. J. 2017. A reactive porous flow control on mid-ocean ridge magmatic evolution. Journal of Petrology 57 (11-12), pp.2195-2220. (10.1093/petrology/egw074)
- Pilet, S. et al., 2016. Pre-subduction metasomatic enrichment of the oceanic lithosphere induced by plate flexure. Nature Geoscience 9 (12), pp.898-903. (10.1038/ngeo2825)
- Lear, C. H. et al. 2016. Breathing more deeply: deep ocean carbon storage during the mid-Pleistocene climate transition. Geology 44 (12), pp.1035-1038. (10.1130/G38636.1)
- Gurenko, A. A. , Kamenetsky, V. S. and Kerr, A. C. 2016. Oxygen isotopes and volatile contents of the Gorgona komatiites, Colombia: a confirmation of the deep mantle origin of H2O. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 454 , pp.154-165. (10.1016/j.epsl.2016.08.035)
- Millet, M. et al. 2016. Titanium stable isotope investigation of magmatic processes on the Earth and Moon. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 449 , pp.197-205. (10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.039)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2016. Cu isotopes in marine black shales record the Great Oxidation Event. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113 (18), pp.4941-4946. (10.1073/pnas.1523544113)
- Buchs, D. M. et al. 2016. Evidence from accreted seamounts for a depleted component in the early Galapagos plume. Geology 44 (5), pp.383-386. G37618.1. (10.1130/G37618.1)
- Renforth, P. , Pogge von Strandmann, P. A. E. and Henderson, G. M. 2015. The dissolution of olivine added to soil: implications for enhanced weathering. Applied Geochemistry 61 , pp.109-118. (10.1016/j.apgeochem.2015.05.016)
- Andersen, M. B. et al. 2015. The terrestrial uranium isotope cycle. Nature 517 (7534), pp.356-359. (10.1038/nature14062)
- Hughes, H. S. R. et al. 2014. Enriched lithospheric mantle keel below the Scottish margin of the North Atlantic Craton: Evidence from the Palaeoproterozoic Scourie Dyke Swarm and mantle xenoliths. Precambrian Research 250 , pp.97-126. (10.1016/j.precamres.2014.05.026)
Academic staff
Dr Andrew C Kerr
Reader in Petrology & Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions
- kerra@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 4578
Postgraduate students
Associated staff
Professor Ian Hall
Head of School, Earth and Ocean Sciences
Research Professor
- hall@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5612 / +44 (0)29 2087 6689
Dr Sandra Nederbragt
Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometer Specialist
- nederbragta@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 6665
Dr Michael Nairn
Senior Technician in Laser Ablation ICPMS Analysis
- nairnmg@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 20874 573
Isotope lab
The lab hosts a Nu Plasma II MC-ICP-MS (delivery Oct 2016), an Element 2 XR ICP-MS and an Excimer Laser Ablation System. It also comprises of 2 class 1000 clean rooms dedicated for low blank processing of geological samples for isotope measurements.
ELEMENT Facility for Geochemical Fingerprinting of Earth Materials
The facility was originally set up under NERC award NER/H/S/2000/00862 (£546k) and has recently been upgraded by a new award from Cardiff University Research Infrastructure Fund.
The suite of instruments comprises: two Thermo iCAP RQ quadropole ICP-MS spectrometers, a Thermo iCAP ICP-OES spectrometer, a 213nm laser ablation system, a micromill and microbalance and an Olympus Delta Pro portable XRF spectrometer.
Dedicated fire assay laboratory
The laboratory supports analysis of precious metals in rocks, ores and other environmental samples. We also have a Wet geochemistry laboratory for preparation of samples in liquid form for ICP analysis.
Zeiss Sigma HD Field Emission Gun Analytical SEM
High-resolution imaging and X-ray element mapping as well as quantitative analysis of major, minor and trace elements. FEI XL30 Field Emission Gun Environmental SEM for high-resolution imaging and semi-quantitative X-ray element analysis of samples. Philips PW1710 Automated Powder X-ray diffractometer.
Stable isotope facility
The facility is equipped with a Finnigan MAT 252 and 253 mass spectrometer attached to a Kiel carbonate device, and Delta V advantage mass-spectrometer coupled with a GasBench-II and Flash EFCt Elemental Analyser.
