The Pavia Lab uses isotope geochemistry to discover linkages between the ocean and climate systems. We specialize in the use of uranium- and thorium-series isotopes, which are unique clocks that can be used to determine rates of chemical processes on Earth. We are particularly interested in developing and applying new geochemical proxies for understanding Earth system feedbacks. Our research spans the fields of oceanography, paleoclimatology, geochemistry, and geology.

A few of the many questions that interest us are:

How much sea ice covered the Arctic Ocean during periods warmer than today in the geologic past?

How do particle dynamics affect the rates of calcium carbonate dissolution and particulate organic carbon regeneration in the ocean interior?

How do water-rock interactions at the seafloor, within sediments and oceanic crust, affect chemical fluxes to and from the ocean, and how do these interactions manifest in the rock record?

How effective and durable are oceanic carbon removal techniques, and what are their chemical and ecological consequences?