Overview
The
Aqueous Geochemistry and Mineralogy Group, led by Prof. Jeff Catalano,
studies the geochemistry and mineralogy of terrestrial and planetary
aquatic systems. Our interests span the fields
of Environmental Biogeochemistry, Planetary Geochemistry, and
Geobiology. The group investigates processes
that control the distribution and cycling of major and trace elements
in modern and
ancient systems. These processes are controlled by chemical
interactions between water and rocks, organic matter, and organisms.
The goal of the group is to understand geochemical phenomena such as
biogeochemical element cycling, contaminant fate, and mineral
weathering and transformations on Earth, Mars, and other planetary
bodies. To accomplish these goals we
apply laboratory-based analytical and microscopy tools,
synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopic and scattering methods, and
geochemical modeling techniques.
News
December 11-15,
2023: Postdoc Yihang Fang and graduate students Emily Millman and Emily
Wright presented at 2023 AGU Fall Meeting.
October 31 & November 1, 2023: Graduate
student Greg Ledingham and former undergraduate student Sarah Wilson
presented at the 2023 ASA - CSSA - SSSA International Annual Meeting.
October 15-18, 2023: Prof. Catalano, postdoc Yihang Fang, and graduate student Greg Ledingham presented at GSA Connects 2023.
July 31, 2023: Congratulations to postdoctoral researcher Olwen Stagg on her accepting a permanent position with the UK Nuclear Waste Services (NWS).
July 1, 2023: Prof. Catalano was named the next Director of the Environmental Studies program.
March 29, 2023:
Graduate student Emily Wright was awarded a National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship! Congratulations Emily!
August 11,
2022: Installation of the easyXAFS 300+ X-ray absorption and emission
spectrometer is complete!
September 1,
2021: The group was selected for funding by the DOE Critical Minerals
& Materials program. We were also awarded a grant from the NSF
Major Research Instrumentation program to purchase an easyXAFS 300+ XAS-XES
spectrometer.
January 20,
2021: The website for our Analytical
Biogeochemistry Laboratory is now live. New users are welcome!
