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Current Research Topics
 
I am interested in the rules of stable isotopic fractionation during various physical, chemical, and biological processes. These rules can be used to solve problems in natural sciences. Most of my current research topics are of geological interests.  

Hyperarid Environments
There are significant accumulations of atmospheric depositions (mainly sulfate and nitrate) in these settings. Multiple stable isotopic analyses (O, S, and N) provide powerful tools in identifying the sources, transport pattern, and evolution of these salt deposits.


Antarctic Dry Valleys (supported by  NSF OPP-0125842)
It has two extremes, dry and cold, combined.  It's surface can be as old as ~18 million years.

DVs


http://www.sciam.com/news/092800/1.html (Dry Valleys in Scientific American)

http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/raum/8853/1.html (Dry Valleys news in German)


The Central Namib Desert
It is dry but not that cold, and it's flat and low in elevation. A paper on pattern of O-17 anomaly of the desert soils has been published in EPSL.
Namib-4

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_830000/830514.stm (BBC news on fossil air)

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/earth-00d.html (O-17 anomaly)

The Atacama Desert
It is extremely dry and not that cold, but has distinct topographic features.

The central Atacama Desert


Mars
Its surface is extremely cold and dry.  Hope we’ll have samples soon.


A Series of Late Oligocene and Miocene (30 -7 Ma) Volcanic Eruptions
--(Supported by NSF EAR-0408986)

Mysterious oxygen isotopic signature (O-17 anomaly) are found in many layers of volcanic ash beds.
Our recent paper on this topic has been listed in AGU Journal Highlights.

  scottsbluff

Natural perchlorate
We have identified a unique oxygen-17 anomaly among perchlorate of atmospheric origin.
An article featuring this discovery in "AC Detector" in Analuytical Chemistry, Nov. 1, 2004.


Early Earth
James Farquhar and his colleagues in 2000 have discovered strange sulfur isotopic compositions (S-33 anomaly) in Archean sediments (or metasediments). It has since brought a great new excitement in Precambrian research.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0008/04o2life/ (S-33 anomaly)

Precambrian-Cambrian Transition

Neoproterozoic glaciations, rising of metazoa, shelly fossils, and extreme fluctuations in geochemical and isotopic signatures.


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