Alberto Saal

Alberto Saal is a Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Brown University. He holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in Geology from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. His career includes postdoctoral work at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory before joining Brown in 2003.

**Education**:

• B.S. in Geology, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (1985)
• Ph.D. in Geology, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (1993)
• M.S. and Ph.D. in Oceanography, MIT (1994/2000)

**Research Interests**: Dr. Saal focuses on mantle heterogeneity, volatile cycling (e.g., water, sulfur, CO₂), and geochemical processes in Earth and lunar magmas. His work integrates field studies, experimental petrology, and isotopic analyses to explore topics like lunar magma origins, mantle plume dynamics, and subduction zone recycling.

**Key Contributions**: His research on lunar water content revolutionized understanding of the Moon’s volatile budget. Recent work addresses volcanic degassing, mantle source variability, and Antarctic Peninsula magmatism.

**Awards**:

• Ph.D. Summa Cum Laude (1993)
• Ruth and Paul Fye Best Paper Award (2003)

**Teaching & Advising**: Teaches courses in geochemistry, petrology, and volcanology. Current advisees include Benjamin Parks, Mary Peterson, and Diane Wetzel. Former students include Alison Koleszar and Ashley Nagle.

**Funding**: Supported by NSF, NASA, and collaborative grants studying Galápagos plumes, lunar volatiles, and Andean volcanism.

**Labs/Teams**: Leads research groups analyzing melt inclusions, noble gases, and isotopic tracers to trace mantle processes and planetary evolution.