Ariel Anbar

Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Affiliated Faculty, School of Sustainability

atmosphere, oceans, waters; paleoenvironments; geochemical cycles; trace metals; isotopes; climate change; energy

CHM 498/598: Chemistry for Sustainability

SOS 513: Chemistry for Sustainability

CHM 302: Environmental Chemistry

SOS 513: Science for Sustainability

GLG 490: Topics in Geology

CHM 494/598/GLG 490/598: Theoretical Geochemistry

CHM 494/598/GLG 581: Isotope Chemistry

Dr. Anbar is a biogeochemist interested in the past and future evolution of the Earth as a habitable planet and how knowledge of that evolution informs the search for inhabited worlds beyond Earth. His current research focuses on the chemical evolution of the environment, especially changes in ocean oxygenation through time, and its consequences for life. Dr. Anbar works to develop and apply new analytical methods in elemental and isotope geochemistry to tease information about ancient environments from the geologic record. This research involves chemical and biochemical experiments, quantum chemical modeling, and geological field work. Dr. Anbar has also studied the atmospheric chemistry of present-day Earth and Mars, the bombardment history of the early Earth, and the use of metal stable isotopes in biomedicine. He teaches courses in environmental chemistry and isotope biogeochemistry.

Select Publications

Anbar, A. D., and O. Rouxel. 2007. Metal stable isotopes in paleoceanography. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Anbar, A. D. 2006. Heavy stable isotopes: From exceptional to expected. Abstract V12A-01, EOS Transactions, Fall Meeting Supplement..

Anbar, A. D., and T. W. Lyons. 2006. Insight into ocean redoc evolution from metals and metal isotopes. Astrobiology.

Anbar, A. D., D. Wasylenki, L. Liermann, R. Mathur, and S. Brantley. 2006. Isotope fractionation during microbial metal assimulation. Abstract V14C-05, EOS Transactions, AGU, Fall Meeting Supplement.

Anbar, A. D., L. Wasylenki, L. Liermann, R. Mathur, and S. Brantley. 2006. Isotopic fingerprints of microbial metal assimilation. Astrobiology.

Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1996

M.S., California Institute of Technology, 1991

A.B., Harvard College, 1989