معرفی
Alan Rooney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at Yale University, affiliated with the Yale School of Arts and Sciences. He leads the Rooney Geochronology and Geochemistry Group, which is part of the Yale Metal Geochemistry Center. His research integrates radiogenic isotope geochemistry (e.g., Re-Os, Sr, Nd) with field-based methods like sedimentology and stratigraphy to investigate tectonic, climatic, and biologic transitions in Earth history. Current projects include refining Neoproterozoic chronology, studying Mid-Pleistocene ice sheet dynamics, and advancing EARTHTIME’s Re-Os geochronometer standards.
His research interests are centered on three main areas: 1) Proterozoic tectonics and eukaryotic diversification, 2) ice sheet dynamics over the last 5 million years using multiple geochemical proxies, and 3) radiogenic isotopes as tracers of crustal-mantle processes. He collaborates with researchers at Dartmouth College, Oxford University, and other institutions to address these topics. The Rooney Lab emphasizes experimental approaches, such as simulating seafloor weathering of mafic rocks, to better understand isotopic fluxes into the sedimentary record.
His articles highlight a focus on geochronology and isotopic analysis to unravel climate-tectonic interactions, with recent work emphasizing the Great Oxidation Event, Ediacaran biogeochemical shifts, and Mid-Pleistocene glacial variability. These studies often combine field observations with laboratory experiments to deconvolve complex Earth system processes.
Dr. Rooney has no listed scientific awards. He advises three graduate students: Gryphen Goss, Sam Shipman, and Carey Ciaburri. The lab’s NSF-funded involvement in EARTHTIME underscores its commitment to advancing geochronological standards. The Rooney Geochronology Lab operates within ultra-clean facilities equipped with advanced mass spectrometers (e.g., Thermo Fisher Neptune-Plus MC-ICP-MS, Triton-Plus TIMS), adjacent to the Microprobe Facility’s electron microprobe resources, enabling precise geochemical and petrological analyses.
