Research: Biogeochemiocal Cycles and Global Evolution

My research considers the influence of the biosphere on geological processes such as erosion and sedimentation, and also the tectonic evolution of the Earth since its formation 4.56 Ga ago. The evolution of life is strongly influenced by external factors, among them, plate tectonics (break-down of continents) and climate change (green-house or ice-house), mantle convection (degassing of deep plumes through hot spots), and meteoritic impacts.

Is life important enough to modify any of these geological events? Can we speak of a co-evolution of life and some geological processes, such as the marine sedimentation, the erosion of continents or global climate? Answering these questions is not an easy job and ongoing debates are still on the front scene, nearly three decades after the provocative idea of GAIA (the full planet Earth reacts as a living organism). This work includes field studies, but mainly takes advantage of new geochemical tracers affected by the biological cycle, such as Mg, Ca and Ge isotopes.

Current research includes:

  • Riverine chemistry in Tibet, Himalaya and Taiwan to evaluate the impact of life on erosion processes and on global climate
  • Fractionation of Mg, Ca and Ge isotopes during mineral precipitation: quantifying the biological and environmental controls on the isotopic composition of marine and continental record.
  • Kinetic of carbonate dissolution and precipitation in caves and karstic environment.
  • Analysis of meteorites and mantle rocks to better constrain the inorganic partitioning of Mg and Ca isotopes and the conditions that prevailed during the formation of planets

Publications by Dr Albert Galy


Publications: 2006-Present

Last updated on 22-Jun-10 09:23