This summer, Isabelle travelled to the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)! She collected data for Micro X-ray Fluorescence maps on Ediacaran and Cambrian carbonate rocks in an effort to understand how sulfur is preserved in Ediacaran-Cambrian carbonate rocks.
Synchrotron analyses are unique because, not only can it provide elemental chemistry data but, it can parse out different phases of sulfur (e.g., sulfate, sulfonate, pyrite, pentlandite). We can then use this information to evaluate how co-located sulfur phases are with one another, which can help us interpret the likelihood that carbonate-assocated sulfate is primary or diagenetic. These maps will serve as important context for interpreting sulfur isotopes that we measure in our BRAND NEW LAB (woo!)
The Bryant Lab 