With a fellowship from the InterRidge Association, I performed a detailed characterization of silicate mineral separates from a 1500-m section of gabbro core samples from Atlantis Bank on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Such magnetic inclusions in plagioclase and pyroxene are frequently found in mafic intrusive rocks and are thought to be the result of subsolidus exsolution. In oceanic gabbros formed at both slow-spreading and fast-spreading ocean ridges, the Fe-Ti-oxide grains that dominate the paleomagnetic signal are often sub-microscopic inclusions in silicate minerals. A longer-term goal is to understand how vegetation interacts with other soil components and to influence iron mineralogy as weathering and soil development progress over time.Īnother ongoing area of interest is research on microstructures and formation of Fe-oxide minerals in lower oceanic crust. The findings from this project will help to develop a coherent model of iron dynamics between plants and soils for better understanding of terrestrial iron cycling.
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Extractions were also performed on charred and ashed plant samples to determine how wildfire affects the amount of reactive and bioavailable iron at the soil surface. Selective chemical extraction techniques for soils were modified to characterize the chemical fractions of iron present in plant litter. Iron is essential for plant growth and photosynthesis, but little is known about how much or what forms of iron is returned to soil after the plants die. Some of my current research involves recent work at the University of Iceland to study iron cycling from plants to soils. This research has taken me all over, giving me opportunities to live in France, Germany, and Iceland, in addition to two extended shipboard stays. Some examples of past research studies include using magnetic anisotropy to identify deformation fabrics in Alpine shear zones, laboratory deformation experiments to study the high-temperature strength and creep behavior of Fe-Ti-oxides, and bioreduction experiments with Fe-reducing bacteria to study microbially mediated mineral transformations. I study Fe-oxides in both hard rocks and surface environments with applications to soil science, geobiology, rock magnetism, and structural geology using geochemical characterizations, magnetic properties, and microscopy. My research addresses a broad range of questions about the various natural factors that influence the formation and properties of iron-containing minerals, including biological, physical, and chemical processes. Student Expression, Rights & Responsibilities.