I am a geochemist interested in the broad processes occuring within and between the Earth’s crust, mantle, and surface. An interest in unraveling the history of the Earth, as well as predicting certain aspects of its future, is at the heart of much of the research going on in my group. By studying the vast geological record, we interpret the chemistry of diverse Earth materials (rocks, minerals, sediments, and more) to elucidate the timescales, rates, and mechanisms of broad and interdependant geological processes such as tectonics, metamorphism, subduction, global geochemical cycles, lithosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere interactions.

Earth processes can be most fully understood when research is grounded in a breadth of possible scales and methods of observation and analysis. In my group, our research brings together approaches including isotope geochemistry, geochronology, field studies, petrology & mineralogy, thermodynamics, experimental geochemistry, numerical & theoretical modeling.

The TIMS Facilty in the Center for Isotope Geochemistry provides an exciting tool for studying the ages, rates, and timescales of past Earth processes, and for tracing the transport and exchange of material within the Earth. I am always interested in finding students who bring broad scientific curiosity in the Earth Sciences combined with an interest in exploring and developing new cutting-edge geochemical and geochronological methods to study the Earth at ever-increasing levels of detail and precision.

If these research topics and approaches sound interesting or appealing to you, please contact me directly to learn more. In the meantime, please enjoy browsing the website.

Prof. Ethan Baxter