Arizona Geological Society
2023 Speaker Series
Tuesday, 5 December 2023 | 5:30 - 8:00 PM
Location: Hexagon Mining Division Office
40 East Congress Street, Suite 150, Tucson, Arizona 85701
Parking: On the street or parking garage (Old Pueblo Parking)
Social Hour with Sandwiches from Beyond Bread (5:30-6:30 PM) Presentation (6:35 PM)
For those planning to attend the event, please register by 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 3, 2023
For those unable to attend, here is a
Link to Youtube video of this presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gecJeE6wWE&t=1s
The Arizona Geological Society also thanks Hexagon
for generously providing the venue and drinks
From Rocks to Stalks: Interpreting the Controls on Biogeochemical Signatures and the Applications of Trace Metals
Dr. Shelby Rader
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences,
University of Indiana
Abstract: Geologically-sourced metals are a bit of a double-edged sword: they are fundamental to the US economy, from extraction to processing to manufacturing, with future dependence estimated to increase nearly exponentially as we continue our green energy transition. Yet they can also pose serious environmental and human health threats, either when found at higher concentrations or with chronic, long-term exposure. This duality is even more pronounced for metals that can be easily transferred from geologic materials into nearby plant biomass, where they can accumulate in very high concentrations. Here, plant accumulators of metals can be employed as prospecting tools, be utilized as a passive monitoring system for changes in metal sourcing, or function as a vector of metal exposure in nearby communities.
In this talk, I will present new plant-based metal data in an attempt to better model and predict heavy metal (re)distribution near Earth’s surface and explore the potential applications, and limitations, of plant-based metal signatures for exploration and environmental planning. In particular, results from greenhouse studies with Brassica species grown in artificially contaminated soils will be highlighted for two unique metal systems of interest.
Bio: Dr. Shelby Rader is a geochemist whose research focuses on the redistribution and isotopic fractionation of trace metals through both geological and biological processes, with particular emphasis on how both reservoirs may influence the other and the potential applications therein. Shelby’s research group combines greenhouse studies, field work, and high-precision laboratory measurements to elucidate how metals move through the geosphere and how those geologic signatures may be reflected in biomass once metals are transferred into plant material, with potential applications in biogeoprospecting, remediation, and phytoextraction.
Shelby joined the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Indiana University as an assistant professor and Director of the Stable Isotope Research Facility (SIRF) and Metal Isotopes Laboratory (MIL) in 2022. Prior to her time at IU, Shelby completed her PhD at the University of Arizona before serving as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Hexagon Mining Division Office - 40 East Congress Street,
Suite 150, Tucson, Arizona 85701
