The ultimate fate of materials in soils and sediments has relevance to both contaminant transport processes and global biogeochemical cycles. Consequently, we focus on the transformation of specific species in these subsurface environments. Chromium has become the second most common metal contaminant in the United States because of its utility in many industrial processes motivating us to study the stability of chromium containing solids. Furthermore, we are interested in unraveling an unclear process involving silica that occurs in marine sediments and may directly influence ocean pH.

My research focuses on the interactions between nitrogen and methane cycling in a northern latitude peatland in northern Minnesota, the site of the DOE Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental Change (SPRUCE) experiment. SPRUCE is a large-scale mesocosm project studying the effects of increased CO2 and temperatures on a nutrient-poor peatland ecosystem. Peatlands and permafrost regions have gained increased interest due to the predicted rise in temperature expected to impact these regions in the next century.

My research aims to understand the thermal evolution of pyroclastic flows during a volcanic eruption. Pyroclastic flows are composed of hot gas and rocks, and are fast moving currents that propagate due to the density differential between the flow and the ambient atmosphere. Due to the hazards and inability to see within a pyroclastic flow, we do not know how the temperature of the flow evolves or how particles are concentrated. Therefore, we do not fully understand the associated dynamics and hazards.

The amount of volatiles and the dynamics of bubbles play a significant role on the transition between different volcanic eruption behaviors. The transport of exsolved volatiles through zoned magma chambers is complex and remains poorly constrained. Salah, in his PhD study, mainly focuses on the different transport of volatiles under two end member regimes: crystal-poor systems (bubbles form a suspension) versus crystal-rich reservoirs (multiphase porous media flow).

The overarching goal of my research is to characterize and quantify the dynamics of subaqueous explosive volcano (aka Neptunian) eruptions. Neptunian eruptions are far less understood than their subaerial counterparts, yet equally hazardous. This discrepancy arises due to the near impossibility of collecting real-time eruption data.

I investigate the complex interactions between the solar wind and outer planet magnetic fields using sophisticated computer simulations. Planetary magnetospheres exhibit a wide variety of phenomena, thus functioning as natural laboratories in which we can investigate the behavior of magnetized plasma under different conditions. Understanding magnetospheric conditions is also vital to planning spacecraft missions, as high energy plasmas can pose a substantial radiation hazard.

My research interests revolve around developing sustainable solutions for environmental problems by utilizing the symbiosis between humans and nature. In the Taillefert lab I study how we can use uranium-breathing bacteria to clean up uranium-contaminated groundwater at nuclear facilities.  Cost-effective remediation strategies that address nuclear waste spills are necessary to ensure that nuclear power is a safe alternative to fossil fuels.

“My research focuses on discovering how tropical rainfall and atmospheric circulation patterns varied over the past two millennia. Since data from weather stations is only available for the last several decades, I use geologic archives like stalagmites to obtain information about Earth’s climate history. Stalagmites contain a record of past rainfall variability in the oxygen isotopic chemistry of their calcite layers.

Chastity Aiken is currently pursuing a PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech.  Her research with advisor Zhigang Peng focuses on studying deep tectonic tremor, a subtle fault movement in the lower crust, and its interactions with damaging earthquakes.  Her work includes identifying tremor sources that are triggered by seismic waves of a large, distant earthquake along strike-slip faults where tremor has not been previously observed. In 2012, she installed seismometers in Costa Rica that recorded a magnitude 7.6 earthquake.