Research

White River Group geology, geochemistry, and paleontology

The White River Group is one of the most fossil-rich deposits in western South Dakota, providing an unrivaled view into Eocene and Oligocene paleontology and paleoenvironments. This work incorporates sedimentary geology, geochemistry, and paleontology to better understand past climate. By using geochemical proxies we hope to reconstruct past temperatures in our mid-continental setting.

Critical minerals: manganese and tantalum

Where do critical minerals come from and how can South Dakota contribute to these resources? This ongoing research focuses on characterizing manganese deposits in South Dakota, and evaluating their potential as an economic resource. Additionally, our research on tantalum in the Democratic Republic of the Congo combines geochemistry and remote sensing to track minesite evolution.

Nutrient hotspots and animal decomposition

The first steps in a vertebrate's taphonomic history start after death. The breakdown of soft tissues by abiotic and biotic processes, including microorganisms and scavenger activity, releases compounds back into the environment. The complex biogeochemical processes that occur after death play an important role in determining the preservation potential of hard parts—bones—over geologic time. However, we have only begun to explore these processes. My research focuses on: (1) evaluating how and when animal-sourced compounds are recycled post-mortem; (2) what biogeochemical conditions bones are exposed to after animal death; and (3) assessing how bones change (physically and geochemically) during decomposition.

Modern and fossil bone geochemistry

Fossil bones provide a physical and chemical archive of past life, including paleoenvironment and the geochemical conditions leading to bone preservation. My research combines observations from modern bone interactions with the environment to guide interpretations about fossil bone preservation. This research focuses on a variety of depositional settings, including karst systems (sinkholes and caves), wetlands, and rivers.

Microbial interactions with bone

Microbial communities are known to degrade bone through the breakdown of organics (collagen) and mineral (bioapatite). Through field and experimental approaches, this research aims to unravel: (1) how microbes interact with bone (and when); (2) what microbial communities are involved (using next-generation sequencing approaches); and (3) how soil and water geochemical conditions facilitate (or restrict) microbial activity. This research integrates both field and lab-based experiments to quantify and characterize microbial activity.

Geochemistry and Geomicrobiology of Caves in the Black Hills

What's going on underground? How does the geochemistry and microbial ecology vary throughout Black Hills Caves? This project, the focus of Michael's MS Paleo research, is investigating several caves throughout the eastern flank of the Black Hills in South Dakota.

Water Geochemistry in western South Dakota

Water is critical to life. Understanding the geochemistry of water in surface and subsurface settings can help us predict changes to water quality at present and in the future. This work is motivated by a desire to understand how water quality changes across the region, and how water interacts with rocks/minerals.

Senior Research Presentations

Dylan Lau presenting his research on the geochemistry of manganese nodules from the Pierre Shale Formation (spring 2024)
Aynsley Melancon's presentation (bottom left) on speleothem geochemistry (spring 2021).
Seth Vandenberg (right) with Kenny Brown, retired rancher and former Museum of Geology volunteer standing by his poster (spring 2019).

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