The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary is the world’s most ubiquitous plate boundary system, separating the high viscosity lithosphere from the underlying convecting mantle asthenosphere. Thoroughly characterizing the …
This dissertation explores the recent history of non-polar ice-rich paleodeposits on Mars, primarily through the analysis of pedestal craters. Pedestal craters are defined by having …
Volatile elements (C, H, F, S, and Cl) have a profound impact on the evolution and differentiation of planetary bodies and their atmospheres. Therefore, constraining …
Recent development of biomarker-based paleoclimate proxies provides new analytical capabilities through which paleoenvironmental change can be inferred. Here, I explore the utility of these organic …
“Pink” Mg-spinel is a rare mineral among rock samples returned during the Apollo missions and is typically associated with the lunar highlands Mg-suite (a small …
The agricultural frontier of the Brazilian Amazon is one of the fastest growing agricultural regions in the world, and rapid deforestation makes it one of …
The lithosphere, the plate in ‘plate tectonics’, preserves a record of past and present tectonic processes in its internal structures and its boundary with the …
Continental climate experiences significant changes and severely affects human's life. Quantitative reconstruction of past continental climate changes is extremely important for understanding their mechanisms in …
Thermal evolution of the planet interior is a fundamental problem in Earth and planetary sciences. Geothermobarometers and geospeedometers are powerful tools in studying the thermal …
The history of Mars’ paleoclimate is explored using sedimentary records from both the Noachian and Amazonian periods. Sedimentary structures indicative of a progradational delta are …
Under the current paradigm of Mars history, the planet is thought to have undergone a global climatic change, from relatively warm and wet conditions during …
Climate variability in the Indian Ocean region affects the livelihoods of billions of people. Paleoclimate reconstructions can provide critical insights into the fundamental oceanic-atmospheric processes …
Serpentine is a common mineral in many seismically active regions of the crust and mantle. In this dissertation, rock deformation experiments were conducted on serpentine …
Alkenones are lipids produced by certain haptophyte algae and are excellent sensors of temperature change. This dissertation investigates the stable isotopic and organic geochemical aspects …
Today, more than any preceding time, understanding the response of terrestrial ecosystems to changes in climate is imperative due to the extremes to which we, …
Geological materials in nature and in the lab are often subjected to intense driving forces created by large gradients in thermodynamic potentials. Under such conditions, …
This thesis investigates the diversity and ecology of alkenone-producing haptophyte algae. Focusing on lake-dwelling haptophytes, this thesis describes the paleoclimate implications of haptophyte diversity. Additionally, …
This body of research uses numerical models to investigate the dynamics of melt generation in the asthenosphere, accumulation at the base of the lithosphere by …