Tracy Frank

Tracy Frank is a Professor and Department Head at the University of Connecticut, specializing in carbonate sedimentology, petrography, low-temperature geochemistry, and paleoclimate studies with a focus on mass extinctions. Her work bridges sedimentological, geochemical, and paleontological approaches to understand Earth's climatic and environmental transitions.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geology, University of Michigan
• M.S. in Geology, University of Michigan
• B.S. in Geology and Music (with distinction), Iowa State University

Research Interests:

• Carbonate sedimentary systems and diagenesis
• Climate dynamics across mass extinction events (e.g., end-Permian)
• Glacial-marine sedimentology and Antarctica's glaciomarine deposits
• Geochemical proxies for paleoenvironmental reconstruction

Key Contributions: Tracy Frank has led research on the end-Permian mass extinction's environmental impacts, glacial processes in Antarctica, and the transition from icehouse to greenhouse climates in the late Paleozoic. She co-authored studies on microbial blooms delaying post-extinction recovery and the role of Siberian Traps volcanic activity in atmospheric sulfur aerosol formation.

Expeditions & Collaborations: Participated in ANDRILL and IODP Expedition 400, focusing on Antarctic glacial margins and their climatic records.