James Gleason

James Gleason is an Associate Research Scientist and Lecturer in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. His research applies radiogenic isotope tracers to marine geology and paleoceanography problems, with expertise spanning sedimentary systems, paleoclimate reconstruction, and planetary geology.

Research interests focus on:

• Isotope geochemistry of marine sediments
• Paleoclimatology and paleoceanography
• Cretaceous and Paleogene climate systems
• Provenance analysis using detrital zircons
• Mercury isotopes as environmental tracers

His publications analyze sediment archives from key locations including the Bengal Fan, Arctic Ocean, and Western Interior Seaway. Recent work examines volcanic-climate interactions, atmospheric dust flux, and social networking patterns through isotopic analysis. Gleason participated in IODP Expedition 354, recovering 1.7 km of drill core from the Bay of Bengal to study Himalayan erosion history.

Current projects include NSF-funded research on Plio-Pleistocene sediment routing from the Himalaya to the Bengal Fan using zircon U-Pb geochronology at the University of Arizona's LaserChron Center.