Matthew Hurtgen

About

Matthew Hurtgen is a professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. He holds a Ph.D. in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. in Geosciences from the University of Missouri, a B.S. in Geosciences from the State University of New York, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester. His research group seeks to better understand how the fundamental coupled components of the Earth system—the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and solid Earth—interact to regulate the chemical composition of the ocean-atmosphere system and how this has changed over the past one billion years. Specifically, he focuses on the complex processes that influence the evolution of redox conditions during periods of marine anoxia, the biogeochemical feedback mechanisms regulating the exogenic carbon cycle, and the evolution of the marine biosphere. His work involves studying modern and ancient sedimentary systems, integrating field observations with geochemical tools, and employing simple geochemical models to investigate these relationships.

Research topics

• Oceanography
• Geology
• Paleontology
• Geochemistry
• Geomorphology
• Ecology
• Mineralogy
• Chemistry

Selected publications

• Stable Ca and Sr isotopes support volcanically triggered biocalcification crisis during Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a

  Geology · 2020 · 31 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Large igneous province (LIP) eruptions are hypothesized to trigger biocalcification crises. The Aptian nannoconid crisis, which correlates with emplacement of the Ontong Java Plateau and Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE 1a, ca. 120 Ma), represents one such example. The Ca isotope (δ44/40Ca) system offers potential to detect biocalcification fluctuations in the rock record because Ca isotope fractionation is sensitive to precipitation rate. However, other primary and secondary processes, suc…

  PublisherDOI

• Calcium isotope evidence for environmental variability before and across the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction

  Geology · 2019-10-28 · 21 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Carbon dioxide release during Deccan Traps volcanism and the Chicxulub impact likely contributed to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction; however, the intensity and duration of CO2 input differed between the two events. Large and rapid addition of CO2 to seawater causes transient decreases in pH, [CO32–], and carbonate mineral saturation states. Compensating mechanisms, such as dissolution of seafloor sediment, reduced biomineralization, and silicate weathering, mitigate thes…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Loss-On-Ignition Estimates for Soil Organic Carbon in Great Lakes Freshwater Coastal Wetlands

  Wetlands · 2020-03-07 · 16 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Application of the δ44/40Ca-δ88/86Sr multi-proxy to Namibian Marinoan cap carbonates

  Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · 2023 · 14 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Calcium isotope ratios of malformed foraminifera reveal biocalcification stress preceded Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

  Communications Earth & Environment · 2022-12-13 · 13 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Ocean acidification causes biocalcification stress. The calcium isotope composition of carbonate producers can archive such stress because calcium isotope fractionation is sensitive to precipitation rate. Here, we synthesize morphometric observations of planktic foraminifera with multi-archive calcium isotope records from Gubbio, Italy and the Western Interior Seaway spanning Cretaceous Ocean Anoxic Event 2 (~94 million years ago). Calcium isotope ratios increase ~60 thousand years prio…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Collaborative Research: Ocean Oxidation and the Biosphere During Neoproterozoic Glaciation

  NSF · $219k · 2009–2013

• CAREER: The Role of Sulfur in Regulating the Marine Carbon Cycle: Implications for Understanding Oceanic Anoxic Events

  NSF · $512k · 2010–2016

• Sulfur Cycling Through the Neoproterozoic Interglacial Interval: An Integrated Field and Geochemical Study of the Abenab Subgroup in Northern Namibia

  NSF · $190k · 2007–2011

Frequent coauthors

• Bradley B. Sageman

  29 shared

• Andrew D. Jacobson

  24 shared

• Jiuyuan Wang

  Peking University

  13 shared

• Galen P. Halverson

  McGill University

  12 shared

• Maya Gomes

  Johns Hopkins University

  9 shared

• Andrew L. Masterson

  6 shared

• Gabriella D. Kitch

  Northwestern University

  6 shared

• Benjamin J. Linzmeier

  University of South Alabama

  5 shared

Labs

• Matthew Hurtgen LabPI

Similar researchers at Northwestern University

• Bo Zhangh-61
• Suzan van der Leeh-41