Geology Club Seminar

Revisiting the Rock Cycle

Prof. Claire E. Bucholz

Earth is unique in our solar system in having active plate tectonics. This dynamic system drives the rock cycle, linking the formation of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Over geological time, the geochemical interactions between these different rock reservoirs have evolved in response to surface changes, including shifts in atmospheric oxygen, weathering processes, and biological evolution. In this talk, I will share examples of how my group is investigating how changes in Earth's hydrosphere and atmosphere have impacted the rocks formed more deeply within.

Isotopes in geoscience, space science and health science

Prof. Francois Tissot

Isotope chemistry is unique among the physical sciences in that the length scales of the questions it aims to answer span more than 17 orders of magnitude. Wondering about the architecture of the early Solar System and its galactic neighborhood (>10^12 m)? Study the isotopic signatures of meteorites and their constituents. Musing about the age of the Earth or the Moon (~10^6 m)? The radioactive products of short-lived and long-lived parent isotopes in ancient rocks hold the answers. Trying to pinpoint metabolic pathways or identify organ/cellular dysfunction (<10^−6 m)? Once again, isotope fractionations can result in telltale signatures that the burgeoning field of isotope metallomics is exploring. This remarkable versatility makes isotope chemistry a naturally invasive discipline, which has, in the last few decades, rapidly expanded into numerous fields of Earth and planetary sciences, forensics, archaeology, biology, and, more recently, medical research. In this presentation, I'll talk about some of the current questions of the field and ongoing research at the Isotoparium.

For more information, please contact Maria Schmeer by email at mschmeer@caltech.edu