Shane Schoepfer

Shane Schoepfer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources at Western Carolina University. His work focuses on sedimentary geochemistry, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and the biogeochemical processes driving mass extinction events and recovery phases. He holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Space Sciences from the University of Washington, along with a BA and MS from Brown University.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of Washington, Earth and Space Sciences
• BA, Brown University
• MS, Brown University

Research Interests:

Dr. Schoepfer specializes in understanding Earth's environmental history through geochemical analysis of sedimentary records. His key areas include:

• Redox conditions in ancient oceans and their links to mass extinctions
• Nitrogen and carbon cycling across major geological boundaries
• Early animal evolution and paleoceanographic changes in the Iapetus Ocean
• Depositional processes in coastal and continental margin settings

Recent work emphasizes high-resolution studies of the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic mass extinctions, using techniques like XRF core scanning and isotopic analysis to trace environmental perturbations.

His publications reveal recurring themes of ocean anoxia, nutrient limitation, and volcanic impacts on marine ecosystems during critical evolutionary transitions.