Jonathan O'Neil

Dr. Jonathan O'Neil is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Ottawa. He holds a Ph.D. from McGill University (2009) and focuses on reconstructing Earth's earliest geological processes through radiogenic isotope geochemistry.

• Ph.D., McGill University (2009)

His research examines the Hadean and Eoarchean periods, specializing in crustal evolution, extinct isotope systems, and geochronology. By analyzing zircons and supracrustal rocks, he investigates how Earth's first continents formed and stabilized through reworking of older crustal sources.

Key trends in his publications include applications of Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf, and Hf-W isotopic systems to study Archean cratons and Hadean mafic crust. Recent articles explore abiotic carbon synthesis in ancient terranes and oxygen isotope heterogeneity in early crustal melts.

O'Neil's fieldwork spans the Saglek-Hebron Complex and Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt, supported by University of Ottawa's ISO 5/6 clean laboratory and Carleton University's Isotope Geochemistry and Geochronology Research Centre. His work combines field geology, petrology, and advanced mass spectrometry (QQQ-ICP-MS) to unravel Earth's earliest history.