GEOBIOLOGY AND ASTROBIOLOGY OF DARK, COOL, ROCK-HOSTED SYSTEMS
The spatial extent of the biosphere, on Earth and beyond, is a great unknown at the intersection of geology and biology. Current investigations into the deep biosphere on Earth are showing life persists to kilometers below the planetary surface, and extraterrestrial habitats are likely in subsurface ultramafics and/or oceans. My research examines biogeochemical processes in energy-poor environments, such as cool, dark, low energy settings in deep sea sediments and ophiolites undergoing alteration, and considers their importance to biogeochemical cycling, the origin of life on Earth, and astrobiology. In my work, I integrate sedimentary processes, aqueous and rock geochemistry, mineralogical and petrological data, chemical thermodynamics, and microbial transformations of the environment to understand how the geosphere cradles life.
Current graduate study opportunities exist in the Cardace Lab. Feel free to contact Dr. Cardace ([email protected]) about immediate field and lab research opportunities, in microbe-mineral interactions and astrobiology, mineralogy, geochemistry, microbial ecology, and remote sensing.
Current graduate study opportunities exist in the Cardace Lab. Feel free to contact Dr. Cardace ([email protected]) about immediate field and lab research opportunities, in microbe-mineral interactions and astrobiology, mineralogy, geochemistry, microbial ecology, and remote sensing.