Assessing the mode and fluctuations of Earth’s surface redox changes across and after the Great Oxidation Event using a unique set of Hamersley Basin iron formations, W-Australia

• Applicant: Professor Ronny Schönberg, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 442738734

In this project we aim to further our understanding of the evolution of oxygen levels and ocean chemistry throughout the Paleoproterozoic, assess different modes of precipitation for iron formations and evaluate a changing environment for the evolution of complex life. We will investigate a unique set of iron formations from Western Australia, spanning a time from 2.42 Ga to 1.86 Ga across and beyond the Great Oxidation Event, for their redox potential. For this, we will combine field observations and petrography with state-of-the-art major and trace element measurements (including REE+Y analyses), and stable Mo- and Fe-isotope data.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Australia
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Martin van Kranendonk