My research focuses on plaeoenvironmental changes across critical transitions in Earth’s history. In particular, I utilize an integrated field, petrographic, and geochemical approach to study the origin of carbon isotope anomalies and unusual oceanographic changes at the dawn of animal life and across the major Paleozoic greenhouse−icehouse transitions. Through comparative study of the Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic sedimentary archives in the Great Basin of western U.S. and in other continents such as South China, my research aims at a better understanding of the causal relationship of carbon isotope excursions, ocean redox changes, sea-level changes, and biotic innovations.
Selected Recent Publications: (Full Publication list )
Shang, M., Tang, D., Shi, X., Zhou, L., Zhou, X., Song, H., and Jiang, G., 2019, A pulse of oxygen increase in the early Mesoproterozoic ocean at ca. 1.57–1.56 Ga: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 527, Article 115797.
Wang, X., Jiang, G., Shi, X., Peng, Y., and Morales, D.C., 2018, Nitrogen isotope constraints on the early Ediacaran ocean redox structure: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta , v. 240, p. 220-235.
Maharjan, D., Jiang, G., Peng, Y., and Nicholl, M. N., 2018, Sulfur isotope change across the Early Mississippian K–O (Kinderhookian–Osagean) δ13C excursion: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 494, p. 202-215.
Maharjan, D., Jiang, G., Peng, Y., and Henry, R. A., 2018, Paired carbonate-organic carbon and nitrogen isotope variations in Lower Mississippian strata of the southern Great Basin, western United States: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 490, p. 462-472.
Song, H., Jiang, G., Poulton, S.W., Wignall, P.B., Tong, J., Song, H., An, Z., Chu, D., Tian, L., She, Z., Wang, C., 2017, The onset of widespread marine red beds and the evolution of ferruginous oceans: Nature Communications, v. 8, Article 399.
Chin Chai Huan (PhD student ) | Audrey Warren (PhD student ) | Deborah Morales (PhD student )
Graduate Students (Completed):
Uday Kara Ali (PhD, 2020 ) | Dev Maharjan (PhD, 2017 ) | Swapan K. Sahoo (PhD, 2015 ) | Robyn A. Howley (PhD, 2010 ) | Patricia (Suzy) Williams (MS, 2015 ) | Leon Taufani (MS, 2012 ) | Robert A. Henry (MS, 2011 ) | Ratna Widiarti (MS, 2011 ) | Adam Zeiza (MS, 2011 ) | Jonathan Baker (MS, 2010 ) | Paul Kosmidis (MS, 2009 )