PhD position(all genders welcome)

The project aims to reconstruct the formation conditions and diagenetic alteration history of Neoproterozoic carbonates using triple oxygen isotope measurements. The primary focus is on sediments associated with the Shuram Excursion, the most pronounced negative carbonate carbon isotope anomaly observed in the geological record. The origin of the Shuram Excursion, whether a result of a carbon cycle perturbation or a diagenetic artifact, remains a subject of debate. Given its global scale and its temporal proximity to the emergence of the earliest macroscopic animal fossils, understanding the drivers of the Shuram Excursion is essential for comprehending the environmental conditions under which complex life evolved. The project is financed through the German Research Foundation (DFG). Conduct triple oxygen isotope analyses of carbonates using laser spectroscopy and fluorination techniques Develop numerical models to assess the impact of diagenesis on the stable isotope composition of carbonates Refine the oxygen isotope fractionation factors associated with the acid digestion of different carbonate mineralogies Contribute to interlaboratory standardization efforts for carbonate triple oxygen isotope analyses Assist in the development of our analytical setup for measuring triple oxygen isotope values in carbonates and CO2 gas Publish and present research findings in scientific journals and conferences