Earth Systems Group: Earth-life Processes theme

A fundamental concern in Earth Systems research is understanding Life at the Earth's surface.
  • Work on palaeobiosystems is concerned with the history of life on Earth; how it evolves in response to environmental change and the mechanisms by which modern and ancient organisms can provide evidence for such change.
  • We use taxonomic databases to explore biodiversity patterns in the fossil record and seek the driving forces for major radiations and extinctions in changes of climate, palaeogeography and palaeoecology.
  • Biominerals are commonly used for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions and we seek to ensure the correct application of such proxies by using modern materials to understand more fully the influence of kinetic and metabolic factors in their development.
  • Using high-resolution imaging and analytical techniques we also seek to understand organism-metal-mineral interactions at micro and macro scales, including the role of bacteria in biogeochemical cycling at the present-day and during their evolution on the early Earth.
  • Stable isotope and stoichiometric analyses are used to consider the contribution of bacteria and photosynthesising organisms in cycling carbon and other nutrients in the aquatic environment, biogeochemical cycling fundamental to life and in turn impacting the transfer of radiatively forcing gases such as carbon dioxide and methane from the aquatic environment to the atmosphere.

    Examples of current research projects

    Tracing the history of life on the planet

    Ordovician palaeogeography and palaeoclimate

    Carbon landscapes and Drainage (CLAD)

    Marine palaeoclimates

    Trilobite visual systems

    Theme members
    Based in the Department of Geographical & Earth Sciences (GES):
    Uwe Balthasar, James Bendle, Paul Bishop, Gordon Curry, Maggie Cusack, Simon Drew, Andrew Henderson, Nick Kamenos, Martin Lee, Al McGowan, Alan Owen, Vernon Phoenix, Dominique Tobler, Susan Waldron.

    Based at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center (SUERC):
    Gordon Cook, Rob Ellam, Tony Fallick, Angus MacKenzie, Gillian Mackinnon, Rhona McGill, Jason Newton, David Sanderson.

    Current postgraduate students
    Adrian Bass, Heidi Burdett, Stephanie Evers, Du-Jiao Guo, Bozhi Ji, Pauline Lang, Joanne MacDonald, Heiko Moossen, Helen Murray, Baheerathan Ramanan, Paula Sankelo.

    Facilities and resources
  • Imaging, Spectroscopy and Analysis Center (ISAAC)

  • Glasgow Molecular Organic Geochemistry Laboratory (G-MOL)

    2011 PhD projects

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