Sedimentary Petrology and Geochemistry
In the Sedimentary Petrology and Geochemistry group at UT Permian Basin we investigate paleoenvironmental changes recorded in marine sedimentary rocks. Samples are collected through either field-based research or from core repositories. We then utilize traditional petrographic, elemental, and isotopic geochemistry to evaluate post-depositional changes recorded in the rock. Students in the Sedimentary Petrology and Geochemistry group become familiar with a wide range of analytical techniques including cathodoluminescence (CL) petrography, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). We then use this data to reconstruct diagenetic, paleoenvironmental, and paleoceanographic change.