Jaime D. Barnes is a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (Jackson School of Geosciences) at the University of Texas at Austin.

She completed her M.S., Ph.D., and post-doctoral research at the University of New Mexico. Jaime uses stable isotopes as geochemical tracers of fluids in various tectonic and geologic settings from the upper mantle, the oceanic lithosphere, the subducting plate interface, and volcanic systems. 

Much of her research involves volatile cycling, metamorphism and volatile transport in subduction zones, serpentinization, and fluid-rock interactions and metasomatism in high temperature environments with the overarching goal to improve our knowledge of the chemical evolution of the Earth. 

For further detail click here.

I am a petrologist on a quest to quantify the history of Earth’s atmosphere. A major issue for my research is that air does not precipitate a rock-forming mineral phases, meaning that there is no direct evidence to interrogate – such as a directly applicable rock record. 

To circumvent this unavoidable problem, I spend my time developing and leading an innovative array of indirect theoretical, analytical, and experimental approaches to understand the geochemical behaviour of light elements and the nature of metasomatic fluids in high temperature systems. 

The aim is to contribute to a community-wide endeavour which will improve the accuracy and precision of predictive models which can be used to simulate processes operating within the interior of our planet and use these models alongside empirical datasets to determine how the chemistry of our atmosphere was established – and has changed – over geological time. For further detail click here.

Carmen Sanchez-Valle experimentally investigates fluid-mediated mass transport processes in the crust and mantle to elucidate the recycling elements in subduction zones and the formation of ore deposits in the crust. 

An important aspect of her research focuses on the development of novel in situ experimental approaches to investigate fluid properties and fluid-rock-melt interactions at relevant high pressure-high temperature conditions. 

For further detail click here.