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Geochemistry, mineralogy, and petrology share a common bond; all use chemical techniques or principles to solve geologic problems. Texas A&M University (TAMU) offers students an opportunity to apply modern techniques to a variety of geologic and environmental problems. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. Graduate students commonly collaborate with scientists in the Departments of Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Toxicology, and Oceanography, and in the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP).               TAMU, Texas' first state university, has grown to 43,000 students, including the Colleges of Medicine and of Veterinary Medicine. The university ranks in the top ten nationally in research expenditures and is science operator for the Ocean Drilling Program, the largest and most successful international earth science program in history. Opportunities at ODP include employment, participation on cruises aboard the drillship JOIDES Resolution, and research on the 57 km of ODP core stored at TAMU.                The Bryan-College Station metropolitan area has a population of about 120,000, and offers a variety of recreation facilities, a low cost of living, and low unemployment; on these strengths it was rated in 1991 by Money Magazine as the 3rd best place to live in the U.S.

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RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Grossman E.L., Cifuentes, L.A., and Cozzarelli, I.M., 2002. Anaerobic methane oxidation in a landfill-leachate plume. Environmental Science and Technology, v. 36, p. 2436-2442. Grossman, E.L., 2002. Stable carbon isotopes as indicators of microbial activity in aquifers, in Manual of Environmental Microbiology, 2nd ed., C.J. Hurst et al., (eds.), American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, DC, p. 728-742. Kobashi*, T., Grossman, E.L., Yancey, T.E., and Dockery, D.T. III, 2001. Reevaluation of conflicting Eocene tropical temperature estimates: Molluskan oxygen-isotope evidence for warm low-latitudes. Geology, v. 29. p. 983-986. Grossman, E.L., and Desrocher *, S., 2001. Microbial sulfur cycling in terrestrial subsurface environments. In Fredrickson, J.K., and Fletcher, M., Subsurface Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, New York, John Wiley and Sons, p. 219-248. Routh *, J., Grossman, E.L., Murphy, E.M., and Benner, R., 2001. Characterization and origin of dissolved organic carbon in Yegua groundwaters (Brazos County, Texas): Ground Water, v. 39 (5), p. 760-767. Mii *, H-S., Grossman, E.L., Yancey, T.E., Chuvashov, B., Egorov A., 2001. Isotope records of brachiopod shells from the Russian Platform-evidence for the onset of mid-Carboniferous glaciation. Chemical Geology, v. 175, p. 133-147 (invited; Special IGCP Project #386 issue). Routh *, J., Grossman, E.L., Ulrich *, G.A., and Suflita, J., 2001. Volatile organic acids and microbial processes in the Yegua formation, east-central Texas: Applied Geochemistry, v. 16, p. 183-195 (published 12/2000). Kobashi *, T., and Grossman, E.L., 2000. Seasonality during the Late Middle Eocene (ca. 39.5 Ma) indicated by Conus tortilis from the Moodys Branch formation, Mississippi. Mississippi Geology (in press)  Steelman, K. L., Rowe, M. W., Guillemette, R. N., Merrell, C. L., and Hill, R. D., in press Little Lost River Cave No. 1: Electronprobe Microanalysis of a Black Deposit Associated with Pictographs. American Indian Rock Art, vol. 28, ed. A. Woody. Castillo, S.J., Sotelo-Lerma, M., Zingaro, R.A., Ramirez-Bon, R., Espinoza-Beltran, F.J., Guillemette, R., and Dominguez, M.A., 2001. ZnO/CdS bilayers prepared by concurrent deposition from a chemical bath. Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids; Vol. 62, p. 1069-1073. Schafer, K., Johnson, B., and Guillemette, R., 2000. Strength and Microstructural Characterization of the Moab Sandstone Member of the Entrada Formation: Implications to Fault Development in Arches National Park, Utah, Trans. A.G.U., v. 81, p.F1185. Mamora, D.D., Nilsen, K.A., Moreno, F.E., and Guillemette, R., 2000. Sand Consolidation Using High-Temperature Alkaline Solution. Papers- Society of Petroleum Engineers; Vol. 2, p. 131-138. Stanton, R.J., Jeffery, D.L., and Guillemette, R.N., 2000. Oxygen Minimum Zone and Internal Waves as Potential Controls on Location and Growth of Waulsortian Mounds (Mississippian, Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico). Facies, Vol. 42, p 161-175. Lawrence, B.L., Moody, E.D., Guillemette, R.N., and Carrasquillo, R.L., 1999. Evaluation and Mitigating Measures for Premature Concrete Distress in Texas Department of Transportation Concrete; Cement Concrete and Aggregates, Vol. 21, No. 1, p. 73-81. He, W., Hajash, A., and Sparks, D., A model for porosity evolution during creep compaction of sediments, submitted (7/01) to Earth and Planetary Science Letters, accepted 12/ 2001. He, W., Hajash, A., and Sparks, D., Creep compaction of quartz aggregates: Effects of pore-fluid flow rates - A combined experimental and theoretical study, submitted to Am. Journal Science, November 2001, in review. He, W., Hajash, A., Chester, F., Chester, J., and Kronenberg, A., Creep compaction of quartz aggregates under dry, vapor- and liquid-saturated conditions - Experimental Investigations, submitted to Tectonophysics, Oct. 2001, in review.             Hajash, A., Carpenter, T.D., and Dewers, T.A., 1998, “Dissolution and time-dependent compaction of albite sand: experiments at 100°C and 160°C in pH-buffered organic acids and distilled water,” Tectonophysics, 295, 93-115. Dewers, T. A. and Hajash, A. 1995, Rate laws for water-assisted compaction and stress-induced water-rock interaction in sandstones. J. Geophys. Res. 100:13,093-13,112.               Hajash, A., 1994, Comparison and Evaluation of Experimental Studies on Dissolution of Minerals by Organic Acids: In The Role of Organic Acids in Geological Processes, eds. Lewan, M. and Pittman, E., Springer-Verlag. 201-225.               Franklin, S.P., Hajash, A., Dewers, T.A., and Tieh, T.T., 1994, The role of carboxylic acids in albite and quartz dissolution: an experimental study under diagenetic conditions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 58:4259-4279.  Grimaldi, G., B.E. Herbert, B. Carraway and M. Schlautman. Prediction of pyrene sorption coefficients to low-organic carbon sediments based on sorption to single minerals. J. Environ. Qual. In review. Grimaldi, G., B.E. Herbert, M. Schlautman and B. Carraway. Influence of exchangeable cations on the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to mineral surfaces. Environ. Sci. Technol. In review. Zhu, D., B.E. Herbert, M.A. Schlautman and E.R. Carraway. Spectroscopic evidence of benzene-cation complexation in the aqueous phase – A 2H NMR relaxation study. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. In review. Yeager, K.M., P.H. Santschi, J.D. Phillips and B.E. Herbert. 2000. Resolution of fluvial sediment sources, residence times and resuspension using lithogenic, atmospheric and cosmogenic radionuclides, Bayou Loco, Texas. Water Resources Res. In review. Choi, J., and B.E. Herbert. Adsorption, bioavailability, and toxicity of cadmium to soil microorganisms. Environ. Sci. Technol. In review. Choi, J., and B.E. Herbert. Geochemical modeling of cadmium sorption to sediment as a function of sediment properties. Chemosphere. In review. Choi, J., and B.E. Herbert. Cadmium sorption and surface complexation to vertisol and reference smectite. J. Environ. Qual. Accepted. Zhu, D., B.E. Herbert, M.A. Schlautman, and E.R. Carraway, 2000. Spectroscopic evidence of cation-pi interactions in the aqueous phase – A deuterium NMR T1 relation study. J. Am. Chem. Soc. Submitted. Sarkar, S.L., B.E. Herbert, J.-L. Briaud and R. Scharlin. In review. Injection Stabilization of Expansive Clays Using a Hydrogen Ion Exchange Chemical. In Proceedings of GeoDenver 2000, Denver, Co., Aug. 5-8, 2000. American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, Va. Allan, K.A., B.E. Herbert, P.J. Morris, and T.J. McDonald. 1997. Biodegradation of petroleum in two soils: Implication for hydrocarbon bioavailability. p. 629-634. In Alleman, B.C., and Leeson, A. (eds.) In Situ and On-site Bioremediation: Papers from the Fourth International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium. New Orleans, April 28-May 1, 1997. V. 5. Batelle Press, Columbus, OH.           Stallard, W.M., B. Herbert, H.-C. Choi, and M.Y. Corapcioglu. 1997. Enhanced migration of gasohol fuels in clay soils and sediments. Environ. Eng. Geosci. 3:45-54.               Batson, V.L., P.M. Bertsch, and B.E. Herbert. 1996. Transport of anthropogenic uranium from sediments to surface waters during episodic storm events. J. Environ. Qual. 25:1129-1137. Newman, J., Lamb, W.M., Drury, M.R., Vissers, R.L.M. (1999) Deformation processes in a peridotite shear zone: reaction-softening by an H2O-deficient, continuous net transfer reaction, Tectonophysics, v. 303, no. 1-4, pp. 193-222.                      Lee, Y.-J., Wiltschko, D.V., Grossman, E.L., Morse, J.W.  and Lamb, W.M., 1998, Sequenntial vein growth with fault displacememnt: An example from the Austin Chalk Formation, Texas.  Journal of Geophysical Research (Solid Earth) 102:22,611-22,628.           Lamb, W.M., Morrison, J., 1997, Retrograde fluids in the Archean Shawmere anorthosite, Kapuskasing Structural Zone, Ontario, Canada. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 129:105-119.            Lamb, W.M., Popp, R.K. and Boockoff, L.A. (1996) the Determination of Phase Relations in the CH4-H2O-NaCl System at 1 kbar, 400 to 600°C using Synthetic Fluid Inclusions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60:1885-1897.               Letargo, C.M.R., Lamb, W.M. and Park, J.-S. (1995) Comparison and Calcite-Dolomite thermometry and Carbonate-Silicate equilibria: Constraints on the conditions of metamorphism of the Llano Uplift, Central Texas, U.S.A. American Mineralogist 80:131-143.               Lamb, W.M., R.K. Popp, and L.A. Boockoff (1994) Determination of fluid phase relations in COH +NaCl systems using synthetic fluid inclusions. (Invited) EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 75, 134.      Malone, M.J., Claypool, G., Martin, J.B., and Dickens, G.R., (submitted). Variable methane fluxes in shallow marine systems: the composition of pore waters and authigenic carbonates on the New Jersey shelf. Marine Geology. Schubel, K.A., Veblen, D.R., and Malone, M.J. (submitted) Microstructures and textures of experimentally dolomitized ooids: Implications for reaction mechanisms of dolomitization. Journal of Sedimentary Research. Mitterer, R.M., Malone, M.J., Goodfriend, G.A., Swart, P.K., Wortmann, U., Logan, G.A., Feary, D.A., and Hine, A.C. (2001) Co-generation of hydrogen sulfide and methane in marine carbonate sediments. Geophysical Research Letters, 28:3931-3934. Malone, M.J., Slowey, N.C., and Henderson, G.M. (2001) Early diagenesis of shallow-water, periplatform carbonate sediments, leeward margin, western Great Bahama Bank (ODP Leg 166). GSA Bulletin, 113:881–894. Exon, N.F., White, T.S., Malone, M.J., Kennett, J.P. and Hill, P.J., 2001. Petroleum potential of deepwater basins around Tasmania: insights from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 189. In: Hill, K.C. and Bernecker, T. (eds): Proceedings PESA Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium, Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, Special Publication, 49 60. Swart, P.K., Wortmann, U.G., Mitterer, R.M., Malone, M.J., Smart, P.L., Feary, D., and Hine, A.C. (2000). Hydrogen sulfide-rich hydrates and saline fluids in the continental margin of south Australia. Geology, 28:1039-1042. James, N.P., Feary, D.A., Surlyk, F., Simo, J.A., Betzler, C., Holbourn, A.E., Li, Q., Matsuda, H., Machiyama, H., Brooks, G.R., Andres, M., Hine, A.C., Malone, M.J., and the ODP Leg 182 Scientific Party (2000) Quaternary bryozoan reef-mounds in cool water, upper slope environments, Great Australian Bight. Geology, 28:647-650. Malone, M. and Baker, P. (1999) Temperature dependence of the strontium distribution coefficient in calcite: an experimental study from 40&Mac251; to 200&Mac251;C and application to natural diagenetic calcites. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 69:228-235. Thordarson, Th., Miller, D.J. and Self, S., in press. Sulfur degassing and atmospheric loading by the ~935 AD Eldgjá eruption in Iceland. J. Volc. Geothermal Res. Miller, D.J., and Cervantes, P., accepted with minor revision. Sulfide mineral chemistry and petrography and platinum group element composition in gabbroic rocks from the Southwest Indian Ridge. Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 176. Miller, D.J., Iturrino, G.J., and McGuire, J., in review. Core-Log Correlations In Oceanic Basement From Hole 1105A On The Southwest Indian Ridge. Proc. ODP, Scientific Results 179.  Lawrie, D., and Miller, D.J., 2000. Sulfide mineral chemistry and petrography from Bent Hill, ODP Mound, and TAG massive sulfide deposits. Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 169 [Online]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/169_SR/chap_05/chap_05.htm>                 Miller, D.J., 1998, "Geochemical analyses of massive sulfide and sediment samples from the TAG hydrothermal mound," In Herzig, P.M., Humphris, S.E., Miller, D.J., and Zierenberg, R.A. (Eds.), 1998, Proc. ODP, Scientific Results 158: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program):41-46. Zierenberg, R.A., Fouquet, Y., Miller, D.J., et al., 1998. The deep structure of a seafloor  hydrothermal deposit. Nature 392:485-488.           Miller, D.J. and Christensen, N.I., 1997. Velocity behavior of lower crustal and upper  mantle   rocks from the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge, south of the Kane Fracture Zone  (MARK), Proc. ODP, Scientific Results, v. 153: College Station, TX  (Ocean Drilling    Program), 437-454.            Carlson, R.L., and Miller, D.J., 1997. A new assessment of the abundance of serpentinite in the oceanic crust. Geophysical Research Letters, 24:457-460.           Miller, D.J., Iturrino, G.J., and Christensen, N.I., 1996, Geochemical constraints on velocity     behavior of lower crustal and upper  mantle rocks from a fast spreading ridge at Hess Deep, Proc. ODP, Scientific Results, v. 147: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 477-490. Lamb, W.M, C.J. McShane, and R.K. Popp (submitted) The determination of phase relations in the CH4-H2O-NaCl system at 2 kbar, 300 to 600°C using synthetic fluid inclusions. Geochemica et Cosmochima Acta, submitted 5/01. Popp, R.K., H. Hibbert, and D. Virgo (in preparation) Fe and Ti oxy-reactions in amphiboles: Experimental results for tschermakite and high-Ti kaersutite. American Mineralogist in preparation.            Virgo, D., and R.K. Popp , 2000. Hydrogen deficiency in mantle-derived phlogopites. American Mineralogist, 85, 753-759. Popp, R.K., and D. Virgo. The effect of Ti-content on the oxy-reactions in kaersutitic amphiboles. American Mineralogist. (in preparation) Mysen, B.O., Virgo, D., Popp, R.K., and Bertka, C.M, 1998.  The role of H2O in Martian magmatic systems.  American Mineralogist 83:942-946.           Young, E.D., Virgo, D., and Popp, R.K., 1997. Eliminating closure in mineral formulae with specific applications to amphiboles. Amer. Mineralogist 82:790-806.             D. Virgo, R.K. Popp, and H.S. Yoder, Jr., 1996. An experimental study of the iron oxidation-reduction mechanism in natural phlogopite. Sixth international symposium on mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry; Bayreuth, Germany, April, 1996.                Popp, R.K., D. Virgo, T.C. Hoering, H.S. Yoder, Jr., and M.W. Phillips, 1995. An experimental study of phase equilibria and Fe oxy-component in kaersutitic amphibole: Implications for the fH2 and aH2O in the upper mantle. American Mineralogist 80:534-548.               Popp, R.K., D. Virgo, and M.W. Phillips, 1995. H-Deficiencies in kaersutitic amphiboles: Experimental verification. American Mineralogist, 80, 1347-1350.       Kim, J.W., Berg, R.R., and Tieh, T.T., 2002. Trapping capacity of faults in the Eocene Yegua formation, East Sour Lake field, Southeast Texas: Accepted for publication by the Am. Assoc. Petroleum Geol. Special Publication editors.    Kim, J.W., Lee, Y.E., Bryant, W.R., and Tieh, T.T., 2001. Effects of laboratory consolidation on petrophysical properties of fine-grained marine sediments: electron microscopic observations: Marine Georesources and Geotechnology, v. 18, 347-360. Kim, J.W., Berg, R.R., Watkins, J.S. and Tieh, T.T., 2001. Texture, mineralogy, and petrophysical properties of georesource shales, Gulf of Mexico: Gulf Coast Assoc. of Geol. Soc. Transaction, v. 51, in print.   Kim, J.W., Bryant, W.R., Watkins, J.S. and Tieh, T.T., 1999. Electron microscopic observations of shale diagenesis, off-shore Louisiana, USA, Gulf of Mexico: Geomarine Letters, v. 18, 234-240.    Kim, J.W., Bryant, W.R., Watkins, J.S., and Tieh, T.T., 1998, “Mineralogical and fabric changes of shale during burial diagenesis and their effects on petrophysical properties,” Transactions of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, v. 48, p. 139-150. Hays, P.D., Walling, S.D., and Tieh, T.T., 1996. Organic and authigenic mineral geochemistry of the Permian Delaware Mountain Group, West Texas--Implications for the chemistry evolution of pore fluids, in Siliciclastic Diagenesis and Fluid Flow: Concepts and Applications, SEPM Special Publication No. 55, Crossey, Locks, and Totten (eds.), p. 163-186.               Kim, Y.J., Tieh, T.T., and Ledger, E.B., 1995. Aquifer mineralogy and natural radionuclides in groundwater--The lower Paleozoic of Central Texas. Gulf Coast Assoc. Geol. Soc. 45:317-325.               Hays, P.D., James, W.D., and Tieh, T.T., 1994. The role of NAA in studies of organic diagenesis of rocks. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 180:15-23.               Tieh, T.T., and Denham, M.E., 1993. Minor and trace authigenic components as indicators of pore fluid chemistry during maturation and migration of hydrocarbons. U.S. DOE, Bartleville Project Office, Publ. # DOE/BC/14656-8, 115 p.               Walling, S., Hays, P.D., and Tieh, T.T., 1992. Chlorites in reservoir sandstones of the Delaware Mountain Group. Trans. Southwest Sect. Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol., Publ. SWS 92-90, p. 149-154.

For more information, write, email, or phone individual faculty members in your field of interest or contact:

Dr. Ethan Grossman

Department of Geology & Geophysics

Texas A&M University

College Station, TX 77843-3115

grossman@geo.tamu.edu