Ethan F. Baxter

Associate Professor

Office: Stone B45
Phone: 617.358.2844
E-mail: efb@bu.edu
Ethan’s Homepage

Educational Background

Ph.D. 2000 University of California, Berkeley
B.S. 1995 Yale University

Research

Ethan Baxter’s research involves applications of isotope geochemistry, geochronology, and petrology to understand and quantify the geological processes affecting the evolution of the Earth’s crust as well as its interactions with the mantle and surface. Interests include the rate and duration of metamorphic and tectonic processes, H2O and CO2 fluxes within the evolving crust, and the refinement of geochronologic methods (e.g. Sm/Nd, Rb/Sr, Ar/Ar) to better understand the history of the Earth. With his students, Prof. Baxter’s research includes lab work in the BU TIMS Facility and field work (e.g. New England, Austria, Greece).

Climate and Earth History research group
Geochemistry research group
Solid Earth and Tectonics research group

Teaching

  • Mineralogy (ES 222)
  • History of the Earth (ES 302)
  • Geochemical Modeling (ES 571)
  • Isotope Earth Science (ES 771)

Recent Students

  • Nora Sullivan; PhD (current); Development of a hydrothermal carbonate Sm-Nd geochronometer
  • Besim Dragovic; PhD (current); Subduction Zone Fluids and Reaction Kinetics
  • Anthony Pollington; MA (2009); A new method for high-precision microsampling and Sm/Nd dating of zoned garnets
  • Leah Mehl; MA (2007); Garnet Growth and Dehydration Rates from Sifnos Greece
  • Particia Clay; MA (2006); Ar Partitioning and Diffusion in Crustal Minnerals

Selected Publications (*=student)

  • *Pollington, A.D. and Baxter, E.F., 2010. High resolution Sm/Nd garnet geochronology reveals the uneven pace of tectonometamorphic processes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 293, p. 63-71.
  • Harvey J. and Baxter E.F., 2009. An improved method for TIMS high precision neodymium isotope analysis of very small aliquots (1-10 ng). Chemical Geology, 258, p. 251-257.
  • *Lancaster, P.J., Baxter, E.F., Ague, J.J., Breeding, C.M., and Owens, T.L. 2008. Synchronous peak Barrovian metamorphism driven by syn-orogenic magmatism and fluid flow in southern Connecticut, USA. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 26, p. 527-538.
  • Baxter, E.F., Asimow, P.D. and Farley, K.A. 2007. Grain boundary partitioning of Ar and He. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 71, p.434-451.
  • Baxter, E.F. (2003). Natural Constraints on Metapmorphic Reaction Rates in Geochronology – linking the isotopic record with petrology and textures. eds. Vance, Muller & Villa. Geological Society of London, Special Publication, 220, p. 183-202.