I develop and apply geochronology methods – radiometric dating techniques that can decipher the time records stored in rocks - and combine them with geological observations to address an array of Earth science problems. I and my research team have tackled questions ranging from the origins of the Great Unconformity and the Grand Canyon to the genesis of diamond-bearing kimberlites and iron ores to the impact histories of the Moon and Mars. I established and lead the Thermochronology Research and Instrumentation Lab (TRaIL), which has produced data for >200 scientists and students worldwide (14 countries) and generates thousands of analyses annually. The lab’s instrumentation includes an ASI Alphachron quadrupole He system, an Agilent 7900 quadrupole ICP-MS, an ESI NWR193UC excimer laser, a KLA ZETA-20 optical profiler, and a custom, in-house-built He extraction and measurement system.
keywords
Thermochronology, geochronology, tectonics, geologic time
