Geochemistry

The Geosciences department at WMU is host to an energetic and growing program of diverse geochemical research, including low-temperature aqueous geochemistry, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, and isotope geoscience. Exploring a range of socially and scientifically relevant problems, our faculty employ a wide spectrum of modern instrumental techniques in both the laboratory and the field, and maintain active collaborative relationships with researchers in other WMU departments (e.g. Biology, Environmental Studies, Geography, Chemistry) and at other research institutions throughout the nation and around the world.

Our department has pioneered an innovative new undergraduate degree program in Geochemistry, the only one of its kind in the nation. Students enrolled in this cutting-edge program gain access to a rigorous and challenging curriculum that cultivates expertise in a range of geologic and geochemical subjects that are in high demand throughout the environmental consulting, geotechnical, remediation, monitoring, and policy fields.

Geochemical research facilities at WMU are housed principally in the Haenicke Hall science complex, a modern facility built in 1997 that integrates Geoscience, Biology and Chemistry research laboratories into one building to promote active cross-disciplinary research and collaborations. Additional research facilities are housed in Rood Hall, home of the Geoscience department. Major instrumentation managed by Geoscience faculty in the Haenicke and Rood buildings includes a PlasmaQuad Excel inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICPMS) for determination of trace elements in water samples, a QuantaChrome Nova 2200 particle surface area analyzer, an OI Analytical total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer, two large Coy glove-box anaerobic chambers, an ApplikonBio chemostated bioreactor, autotitration equipment, UV-Vis spectrophotometers, a Micromass Optima stable isotope mass spectrometer, an X-ray diffractometer, and a wide range of conventional laboratory equipment for routine geologic, wet chemical and microbiological work. Field equipment includes field-portable UV-Vis spectrophotometers and chemical analysis equipment, sediment coring equipment, a pore water squeezer, and pore water diffusion equilibrators for time-integrated groundwater sampling.

Research in geochemistry at WMU includes fundamental science and applied research directed at understanding and solving a range of environmental problems. Dr. Koretsky leads a major research initiative aimed at understanding the effects of plant life and burrowing organisms on sediment characteristics and chemistry in shallow marine and intertidal ecosystems. Dr. Koretsky's work is currently supported by a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER grant, and by the American Chemical Society's Petroleum Research Fund. Dr. Haas leads an effort to quantify basic thermodynamic attributes of reactions that precipitate or corrode uranium oxide, the principal component in nuclear fuel. Dr. Haas' work seeks to acquire fundamental reaction data that can be applied toward problems involving spent nuclear fuel, uranium ore materials, and high level nuclear waste. Dr. Haas' work also involves study of how bacteria in natural systems interact with toxic heavy metals and metalloids, including uranium, the rare earth elements, arsenic and chromium. Dr. Krishnamurthy leads a research team that focuses on stable isotope research, emphasizing the use of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen isotopes to investigate a variety of environmental and geochemical problems. Specific areas of research include paleoclimates, ground water / surface water interactions, carbon cycling in freshwater systems and the geochemical fate of contaminants in a hydrologic context. This group has pioneered the application of hydrogen isotopes in sedimentary organic matter as a climate proxy, and developed analytical techniques to extract dissolved organic carbon compounds in water samples for isotopic measurements as well as techniques for carbonate analysis. Dr. Kehew's research in hydrogeochemistry is respected worldwide, and focuses on problems associated with both point and non-point sources of contamination in ground and surface waters. Dr. Cassidy's research focuses on understanding the biogeochemical processes controlling degradation of halogenated hydrocarbons in natural groundwater systems. Using a combination of laboratory and field measurement techniques, Dr. Cassidy applies geochemical and engineering expertise to better assess the long term fate and transport of organic pollutants in the environment.