Experimental carbonate geochemistry and diagenesis

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My research focuses on the mechanisms and rates of biogeochemical processes and my approach is a blend of controlled laboratory experiments, modeling, and field studies. The proposed research will be carried out at two spatial scales: the molecular/interfacial scale (surface chemistry of carbonate minerals) and macroscopic scale (sediment diagenesis) but both programs are intimately related. In the first program, the objective is to develop a mechanistic model capable of predicting: 1) the sorption behaviour of carbonate minerals under a variety of environmental conditions and 2) the kinetics of reaction (dissolution/precipitation) of these minerals. The surfaces of carbonate minerals are highly reactive and determine the concentration and mobility of trace elements in a variety of aquatic environments (e.g., carbonate aquifers, marine sediments, mine tailings). Despite their environmental significance (remediation and proxies for paleoenvironmental reconstructions) and broad industrial applications, including the recent thrust in CO2 mineral sequestration strategies, many aspects of the reactivity of carbonate minerals in aqueous solutions have yet to be elucidated.