Research Overview
I study how reef systems and sea level have changed through time by pairing high-precision U–Th geochronology, carbonate geochemistry, and coral proxy records with transparent, Python-based workflows. I’m especially interested in extracting seasonal to multi-decadal signals (e.g., ENSO) from coral archives and improving chronologies in challenging materials such as meteoric calcite within altered fossil corals.
Research Focus
Coral Paleoclimate Archives
Seasonal to multi-decadal reconstructions from coral trace elements and isotopes (e.g., Mg/Ca, Li/Mg) measured by LA-ICP-MS and complementary tools.
U–Th Geochronology
High-precision dating of carbonates, including meteoric calcite phases in altered fossil corals, to refine Holocene sea-level histories.
Method Development
Instrument optimization, standards and QC design, and REE/trace-element workflows at ultra-low levels with reproducible data-reduction notebooks.
Current Projects
Sea Level from Meteoric Calcite
U–Th dating of meteoric calcite in highly altered fossil corals. Trace-element screening, micro-sampling, and open-system checks improve chronologies and reduce uncertainty.
ENSO from Coral Proxies
LA-ICP-MS Mg/Ca and Li/Mg time series with seasonal removal and anomaly detection toward consistent metrics of ENSO amplitude and frequency.
Mid-Holocene Coral Paleoclimate (Heron Reef)
Two ~60-year snapshots at ~6.9 and 5.2 ka from fossil corals. Laser profiles of Mg, Sr, Mn, and REEs test ENSO and monsoon behavior and link climate swings to coastal water quality.