Contact Information
Research Areas
Biography
I am a second year PhD student in the Department of Geology at UIUC. I work in the Helium Analysis Lab (HAL) with my advisor, Dr. Willy Guenthner, on my research that employs multiple thermochronometers to study the exhumation history of Precambrian basement rocks in cratonic interiors.
Research Interests
The Great Unconformity (GU) is a ubiquitous erosional/non-depositional surface separating Precambrian basement rocks and Paleozoic strata. My research utilizes low- to medium - temperature thermochronometers, including (U-Th)/He, fission track, and Ar/Ar, to unravel the > 1-billion-year thermal histories of Precambrian basement rocks in the US upper midwestern cratonic platform. Consequently, we want to resolve the timing, rate, and magnitude of the Neoproterozoic GU formation in this study location.
In my research, I perform forward and inverse thermal history modeling that employs the kinetics of radiation damage and annealing in the apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He systems. Near future work will incorporate other thermochronometers (ie. fission track & Ar/Ar) that would complement the (U-Th)/He data in increasing the resolution and robustness of the thermal history models. Beyond figuring out the timing of the GU formation, I want to further understand the tectonic/geodynamic mechanism(s) driving the GU formation and their implications on Earth's Neoproterozoic oceanic and atmospheric chemistry.
Education
B.S. in Geosciences (with Honors), University of Arizona (2020)
Minor: Business Administration