William McMahon

William McMahon is a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences and a member of Clare Hall College. His research focuses on sedimentology, clay mineralogy, paleobiology, and planetary geology, particularly exploring how Earth's early environments and extraterrestrial landscapes evolved. He holds a PhD from Cambridge and has conducted postdoctoral research at Utrecht University and the University of Hull.

His work investigates the interplay between biological evolution and sedimentary processes, such as the impact of early land plants on fluvial systems and the role of microbial mats in fossil preservation. Key projects include analyzing Martian sedimentary rocks, studying Devonian forest ecosystems, and examining Ediacaran macrobiota habitats. McMahon employs advanced techniques like SEM-EDS mineral mapping to study clay assemblages and their implications for Earth's geochemical history.

Publications span topics from pre-vegetation river dynamics to the fossil record's chronostratigraphic fidelity. Collaborations with institutions globally highlight his role in interdisciplinary Earth science research, including contributions to the UK Space Agency's Mars Utah Rover Field Investigation (MURFI 2016). His research bridges sedimentology, geobiology, and planetary science, offering insights into Earth's deep-time ecosystems and extraterrestrial environments.