About
Pronunciation: bloom
Joel Blum is no longer taking on new graduate students or postdocs
U-M's Joel Blum named editor-in-chief of new journal ACS Earth and Space Chemistry
University of Michigan environmental scientist Joel Blum is the inaugural editor of the American Chemical Society journal Earth and Space Chemistry which is dedicated to geochemistry, atmospheric and marine chemistry, and astrochemistry research.
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry unites the diverse and global community of scientists who explore the complex chemical nature of materials and processes that occur on Earth, within our solar system, and in the universe beyond.
"I am extremely excited about the ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, because it brings together a large community of scientists from around the world who are investigating the chemistry of natural materials and processes on Earth and beyond.“
Fields of Interest
Toxic Metals in the Environment, Global Climate Change, Water and Soil Quality, Sustainable Forestry.
Research Interests
Professor Blum's research group focuses on studies of geochemical controls on the structure and function of ecosystems, and on the application of trace element and isotope geochemistry across the Earth and Environmental Sciences. They utilize state-of-the art methods of chemical analysis and stable and radiogenic isotope measurement to address a wide variety of research problems from forest biogeochemistry and hydrogeochemistry to studies of fisheries and marine chemistry. Some student projects are fieldwork oriented and utilize relatively simple laboratory methods, whereas other projects involve the development of new laboratory procedures and methodologies.
Lab Research Group
Research Scientists: Dr. Jamie Gleason, Dr. Jason Demers
Research Associate: Mr. Marcus Johnson
Research Fellows:
Graduate Students: Elizabeth Crowther
Undergraduate Students:
Research Areas:
- Investigations of mercury (Hg) isotope variation in the environment and of biotic and abiotic mercury isotope fractionation during redox transformations.
- Field and laboratory studies of the sources, transport and fate of mercury (Hg) in atmospheric deposition, rivers, lakes, soils, forests and aquifers.
- Investigations of the effect of acid rain and forest succession on the forest biogeochemical cycling of calcium and other nutrients. This includes a whole-watershed manipulation experiment at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (New England) and other studies in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
- Field and laboratory studies of factors controlling silicate and carbonate mineral dissolution rates, with emphasis on the affects of micro-organisms and on the global carbon cycle.
- Tracing of hydrologic flowpaths using chemical and isotopic (e.g., Li, B, Sr, Pb) Hg tracers.
- Investigations of foodweb structure of songbirds and of fish using isotopic methods.
- Studies of fluid flow and hydrothermal activity in orogenic mountain belts.
- Studies of Hg and other volatile elements in primitive meteorites and ore deposits.
Affiliation(s)
Field(s) of Study
- Mercury Isotope Systematics
- Mercury Biogeochemistry
- Soil and Surface Water Geochemistry
- Forest Biogeochemistry
- Arctic Studies
