Jeffrey Alt

Jeffrey Alt is Research Professor and Lecturer in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on geochemical processes in oceanic crust and subseafloor environments, examining microbial-mineral interactions, isotope fractionation, and element cycling. Alt investigates hydrothermal systems, subduction zone geochemistry, and the deep biosphere through field studies and laboratory analyses.

Research interests include geomicrobiology of subseafloor environments, stable isotope applications in geochemical systems, and alteration processes in oceanic crust. Current projects examine carbon cycling in altered basalt, microbial communities in ancient seamounts, and metal transport in hydrothermal systems.

Publications consistently address fluid-rock-microbe interactions in marine environments, with recent emphasis on oceanic core complexes, subduction recycling, and isotopic tracers of geochemical processes. Articles integrate field observations from drilling expeditions with laboratory geochemical analyses.

Alt teaches courses in geochemistry and geomicrobiology, guiding graduate research on geobiological processes in subsurface environments. His work involves collaborations with international ocean drilling programs and geomicrobiology consortia.