This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant awarded under the Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) provides $321,593 to Montana State University to conduct collaborative research on pyrite oxidation and the resulting triple oxygen isotope composition of sulfate. The research aims to better understand the environmental conditions and atmospheric composition on Earth throughout its history, as recorded in ocean sediments and rock deposits. The key products of this 3-year project include: 1) detailed microbiological experiments and novel geochemical measurements to explore the biogeochemical and microbial processes behind the production of sulfate minerals, and 2) interdisciplinary training opportunities for two doctoral students as well as summer research internships for multiple Native American undergraduate students at Montana State University and Salish Kootenai College. The overarching goal is to reconstruct temporal records of Earth's redox budget and atmospheric composition using the triple oxygen isotope composition of sulfate as a proxy for past environmental conditions.
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