In geochemistry, we strive to understand global processes, the distribution of natural resources and the impact of man on the environment. The faculty and students of the Department of Geology and Geophysics are engaged in a wide range of geochemical research. The excellent analytical facilities at LSU permit characterization of the chemical and isotopic compositions of Earth’s materials through space and time.

Early Earth genesis, mantle evolution, atmosphere and Mars surface

• Komatiite petrogenesis with implications for mantle evolution
• Early atmosphere and ocean, Archean-Proterozoic transition (2.0-2.5 Ga), the rise of atmospheric O2, and their links to biological evolution
• Geochemical and mineralogical signatures of large meteorite impacts
• Evolution of surface materials on Mars – history of water, spectroscopic analysis

Crust formation and metamorphism

• Application of lithium isotopes to subduction zone processes and arc magma genesis
• Geochemistry of flood basalts — search for signatures of hot spot derivation, links between basalt volcanism and bolide impacts and global faunal extinction events
• Metamorphism associated with igneous dike emplacement
• Modeling chemical interaction in metamorphic terrains
• Mineral chemistry as indicator of thermal, baric, and fluid history of metamorphic rocks

Fluids and sediments

• Origin of sediment-hosted ore deposits
• Chemical evolution of fluids in sedimentary basins and shield rocks
• Diagenesis of siliciclastic and carbonate sediments
• Geochemistry of marine sediments and interstitial waters

Geochronology

• Refinement of the geomagnetic polarity time scale, geologic boundaries (KT and Permo-Triassic).
• Timing duration of flood basalt provinces.

Climate change and paleoceanography

• Reconstruction of past ocean chemistry and conditions using trace element records in foraminiferal shells
• Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition (800-500 Ma) — ice ages and the rise of metazoans
• Early Cenozoic paleoclimate on land

Atmospheric chemistry

• Use of stable isotopes to understand sulfur and nitrogen cycles in the atmosphere and surface environments at present and in Earth’s early history

Environmental geochemistry

• Geochemical processes controlling retention and mobilization of suspected pollutants
• Fate and transport of organic and microbial contaminants in porous media
• Development of methods to characterize and remediate hazardous waste sites

• Finnigan MAT 262 thermal ionization mass spectrometer
• Finnigan MAT 253 gas source mass spectrometer
• Agilent 6890/5973 gas chromatograph mass spectrometer
• Agilent 1100 liquid chromatograph
• Laser-fluorination and vacuum line systems
• Perkin Elmer 3300 DV dual view inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer
• Perkin Elmer 3300 atomic absorption spectrometer
• Dionex 500 and ICS-90 ion chromatograph systems
• Class 100/1000 ultraclean laboratory
• Class 100/1000 ultraclean laboratory
• JEOL 840A scanning electron microscope (lab website)
• JEOL JXA-733 electron microprobe
• Siemens D5000 automated powder X-ray diffractometer
• Synchrotron x-ray source, LSU Center for Advanced Microdevices
• Sun Ultra60's and Blade workstations

• Ajoy Baksi
  E-mail: abaksi@lsu.edu
• Huiming Bao
  E-mail: bao@lsu.edu
• William Blanford
  E-mail: blanford@lsu.edu
• Gary Byerly
  E-mail: glbyer@lsu.edu
• Barbara Dutrow
  E-mail: dutrow@lsu.edu
• Ray Ferrell
  E-mail: rferrell@lsu.edu
• Jeffrey Hanor
  E-mail: hanor@lsu.edu
• Darrell Henry
  E-mail: glhenr@lsu.edu
• Jeffrey Nunn
  E-mail: gljeff@lsu.edu
• Martha Schaefer
  E-mail: mws@lsu.edu