Spatio-Temporal Isotope Analytics Lab
The SPATIAL group combines stable isotope techniques with field and laboratory data, modeling, and statistical/data science tools to tackle big-picture problems in the Earth and environmental sciences.
Our team embraces diversity of backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and disciplines to forge new approaches to long-standing natural and applied science problems and identify new challenges to be solved. We are always looking for curious problem solvers who want to collaborate in this work.
Our research is currently structured around four main themes
Paleoclimate
Hydrology
Forensics and Movement Ecology
Informatics and Data Science
Recent Highlights
Gabe is a native of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and graduate of the University of Michigan (B.S. in Geology, 1999) and University of California, Santa Cruz (Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, 2003). He spent two years as a postdoc at the University of Utah (Dept. of Biology, 2004-2005) before taking a faculty position in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN). At Purdue he helped develop the Purdue Stable Isotope Facility, launch a new research community focused on spatial analytics using isotope data, and initiate a program to develop cyber-GIS infrastructure for the environmental isotope community.
In the summer of 2012 Gabe re-joined the University of Utah as a faculty member in the Department of Geology and Geophysics and founded the Spatio-Temporal Isotope Analytics Lab (SPATIAL) group. The group leverages the outstanding infrastructure at the U, including the SIRFER lab and the Center for High-Performance Computing, and has developed a new lab facility focused on mobile and high-throughput laser spectroscopy for environmental isotope analysis.
Gabe's research interests span the fields of biology and geology, and this is reflected in the breadth of ongoing research in the SPATIAL group. The central focus of this work is on humankind’s impacts on and relationships with Earth’s environment, particularly those that promise to have immediate and important consequences for our continued survival and comfort as a species. The wide-ranging, large-scale changes we are causing in the global water cycle represent one such set of impacts, and have developed as a central theme in many of our research projects. This work focuses on (1) understanding natural environmental change, through study of the geological record, as a baseline or analogue for human-induced changes, and (2) observation and modeling of the current state of the environment and changes therein. Members of the SPATIAL group apply a wide range of tools in their research, including stable isotope ratio analysis, geochemical modeling, and statistical and data science methods.
Sagarika has a BS degree in Genetics from Bangalore University, India. She completed two Master’s degrees in Biotechnology and Plant/Soil sciences in India and at the University of Kentucky, respectively. Her graduate research involved livestock antibiotics effects on soil biogeochemical cycling. Her principal research interests revolve around the intersection between plant ecology, soil biogeochemistry, stable isotope, and global environmental change. After moving from Kentucky, she started working in the University of Utah Biology Department as a lab technician. She joined the SPATIAL group as Lab Coordinator in 2015.
Stephannie has a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah and Master's from UC Berkeley. Her previous work included using isotopes to map dietary differences among socioeconomic groups within the Salt Lake Valley. She serves as the study coordinator for the FIND-EM project.
Dustin received a BS in Earth Sciences from UC San Diego in 2010. He first got involved in geochemical proxies of paleoenvironments, including applications of stable isotopes and trace/minor elements in carbonates, while completing his MS in Earth Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2012). He received his PhD in Earth Sciences from UC Santa Cruz in 2018. His dissertation focused on numerical simulations and marine proxy-based reconstructions of shifts in mid latitude climate, the hydrological cycle, and ocean pH (acidification) associated with increased atmospheric CO2 levels during the Paleocene-Eocene. Following his PhD, he worked as a postdoc at the University of Kansas on terrestrial paleoclimate and atmospheric CO2 reconstructions during the mid Cretaceous. He has done field work in the Tasman and Norwegian Seas, sailing twice on International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions (371 and 396). Going forward, Dustin will be involved with the CO2PIP project within SPATIAL, helping to build CO2 proxy models and update Phanerozoic atmospheric CO2 reconstructions.
Sarah explores how Pleistocene humans responded to climate change and seeks to improve how we generate palaeoclimatic data for the archaeological record using stable isotope and biomarker methods.
Sarah began working with stable isotope proxies of past ecologies and environments during her BSc (2014) and MA (2016), which she completed at the University of Kiel, Germany. She then moved to the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, where she used multi-stable isotope analyses of faunal remains to explore the climatic drivers of Homo sapiens dispersals and Neanderthal ecology during the Late Pleistocene as part of her PhD (2016-2020) and a 1-year follow-up postdoc.
During a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship (2022-2024) at the University of La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain, she expanded her work into lipid biomarker analysis and developed multi-proxy approaches to better characterize climate-driven site occupation patterns of Late Pleistocene humans.
Sarah joined the SPATIAL group as a member of the California fire project, where she is building a speleothem proxy system model for stable isotope, trace element, and biomarker proxies of palaeoclimate and wildfire history. One of her favorite parts of her job is R programming and she regularly teaches beginner and advanced workshops.
In her free time Sarah rock climbs, plays D&D, and works on improving her Spanish.
Rachel loves to use a variety of isotope tools to ask questions about modern environments, climates of the past, and about the interaction of climate and tectonics. She currently is a postdoctoral fellow In the Science Research Initiative at the University of Utah where she leads a team of 15 undergraduate students all learning the nitty gritty of stable isotope geochemistry.
Rachel was first bit by the isotope bug while getting her B.A. from Pomona College in 2014. After that, Rachel completed an MSc at the University of Colorado Boulder in the CU TRaIL lab, where she used zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology to better understand the tectonic evolution of the Colorado Front Range. Rachel stayed at CU Boulder for her PhD, but pivoted into stable isotope geochemistry. During her PhD, Rachel developed the Soil Water Isotope Storage System to better understand pedogenic carbonate formation in modern soils. She then used her improved understanding of how pedogenic carbonate records information about climate to create a high temporal resolution record of temperature change during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum in the Bighorn Basin, WY. Following her PhD, Rachel was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Idaho. There, she worked on disentangling the influences of climate and tectonics in the Northern Patagonian Andes in the middle Miocene.
Outside of the lab and office, you can find Rachel in the mountains either trail running with her dog Margo or on skis in the winter.
Kirsten has a BA in Anthropology and minor in Studio Art from Baylor University and an MA in Anthropology from University of Texas San Antonio. Her Master's thesis focused on using hair to reconstruct diet from a unique naturally mummified individual from the Lower Pecos region of Texas. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeological and Forensic Sciences from the University of South Florida. Kirsten's dissertation focused on using stable isotopes to reconstruct weaning patterns and understand childhood in two different cultural groups living in the same region of Hungary during the Migration Period. She has worked at several different laboratories using both stable and heavy isotopic analysis of human and animal teeth, bone, hair, nail and skin to study climate, diet, disease, and geographic origins for both archaeological and forensic applications. Her work at SPATIAL is focused on the FIND-EM project and using oxygen isotopes to aid in provenancing and identification of unknown service members remains.
Kyle is a Ph.D. candidate in the SPATIAL group, specializing in the use of stable isotopes—such as strontium (Sr), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and various metals—to address critical environmental challenges. His research leverages these chemical tracers across river networks to explore a wide range of biogeochemical topics, including fisheries ecology, watershed hydrology, climate stress in river basins, and the impacts of human activities. By applying innovative tools for climate adaptability and ecosystem research, Kyle's work also extends to understanding planetary biogeochemical cycles and Earth's deep-time habitability. His interdisciplinary approach bridges modern ecological questions and long-term planetary processes, filling knowledge gaps that enhance our understanding of planetary resilience and habitability while promoting information on how we can sustain ecosystem services and biodiversity amid rapid environmental changes.
Thomas is a queer and Latiné scholar whose research highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of (forensic) anthropology both scientifically and culturally. They’re a graduate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (B.A. in Anthropology, 2018) and California State University, Chico (M.A. in Anthropology, 2023). Their thesis explored the utility of multiple machine learning and artificial intelligence methodologies to classify water (H and O) isotope ratios into geographically distinct regions of Mesoamerica to assist in the identification of deceased migrants.
They have served in a variety of research and field positions including as a research specialist for UTK’s Forensic Anthropology Center where they oversaw research on the effects of toxicological and pathological loading on the decay process, a technician at CSU, Chico’s Stable Isotope Preparation Lab where they prepared human tissue samples for isotopic analysis for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), and as a field director for a large archaeological excavation project in downtown Sacramento, CA.
Their work at SPATIAL is focused on Project FIND-EM where they will explore how isotope variation can be used to estimate the lived histories of individuals, aiming to help identify the remains of U.S. service members. Outside of isotopes, their research also includes ethics within forensic anthropology, necroviolence and human rights, advocacy and activism, and methods development for gender-inclusive forensic sex estimation.
Originally from Colorado, Alison attended CU Boulder where she earned a BA in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a BA in Art History. She spent some time working in museums, first as a GSA intern for a National Monument in Colorado, then at an art museum in California. She eventually turned her eye back to science and has been working for the past few years as an Ecologist specializing in instrumentation and sensor maintenance at the National Ecological Observatory Network. Now back in school, Alison will be working with water vapor isotope data.
Aisha was raised in Tokyo, Japan, and moved to Utah six years ago. She has grown to love Utah for its beautiful views and mountains! She is now a junior at the University of Utah studying Biochemistry and her love for cooking and baking has also led her to a minor in Nutrition. Aisha hopes to attend dental school after undergrad. She started with SPATIAL during the fall of 2024 and takes part in sample preparation and outreach for Project FIND-EM.
Ben was born in Salt Lake City and spent most of his youth living in the Salt Lake Valley. Growing up, he spent countless hours on the University of Utah campus, attending summer camps and classes, cheering on the athletics teams, and generally exploring the university. Because of this, from the time he was a child his dream was to one day attend school at the U. Now, as an undergrad majoring in Geology, that dream is being realized. Ben started in the SPATIAL group in the summer of 2022, contributing to sample preparation and analysis for the FIND-EM project. As his undergraduate career has unfolded, he has nurtured a love for the study of geochemistry, Earth’s climate, and other related fields. In addition to his work on project FIND-EM, Ben operates a project concerned with investigating the shifts in tooth enamel oxygen isotope ratios that come as a result of chemically treating enamel prior to analysis. His ultimate goals include pursuing a career in research within the realm of geoscience, so that he can continue to make discoveries about the world around him.
Each summer since 2013 a dozen faculty and 20 students from around the globe gather in Salt Lake City for this intensive, interdisciplinary training experience. Click the photo to learn about the course and the community that it nurtures.
The SPATIAL group is collaborating with U.S. government agencies to develop new isotope-based approaches supporting the identification and repatriation of remains of service members lost overseas. Click the flag and visit the FIND-EM website to learn more about the project and how you can help.
Geological evidence strongly suggests that major changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations have occurred throughout Earth's history, but quantitatively reconstructing these changes is a major challenge. Click the logo to learn about our community-engaged project to transform paleo-CO2 reconstruction, or watch some videos introducing the effort.
Sharing data makes science easier, better, and more valuable. For researchers using stable isotope data, the near-universal need to interpret new measurements in the context of existing ones amplifies the importance of archiving and sharing high-quality data. Click the logo to visit the global Waterisotopes Database, or check out the multi-disciplinary IsoBank project.
About 70% of continental precipitation returns to the atmosphere as evapotranspiration, but the physical and ecological controls on this flux are poorly understood. Click the figure to learn how we are using data from the National Ecological Observatory Network to quantify evapotranspiration processes, or read a related study led by our partners at Oregon State University.
