Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty

Ethan Baxter

Professor

Profile

I am a geochemist interested in the broad processes occurring within and between the Earth鈥檚 crust, mantle, and surface. An interest in unraveling the history of the Earth, as well as predicting certain aspects of its future, is at the heart of much of the research going on in my group. By studying the vast geological record, we interpret the chemistry of diverse Earth materials (rocks, minerals, sediments, and more) to elucidate the timescales, rates, and mechanisms of broad and interdependent geological processes such as听tectonics, metamorphism, subduction, global geochemical cycles, lithosphere-hydrosphere-atmosphere interactions.听听My research brings together approaches including听isotope geochemistry, geochronology, field geology, petrology & mineralogy, thermodynamics, and numerical modeling.听My research has taken my students and me to field areas including Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, the Greek Isles, China, Ontario, California, and throughout New England.


Current Graduate Students and Projects:
  • Adriana Morales (MS): Garnet Chronology and Chemistry in Skarns
  • Alexya Lee (PhD): Garnet Chronology and Chemistry in Peraluminous Granites
  • Kyra Schroeder (PhD): Timescales of Metamorphism and Fluid Flow in Modern and Ancient Orogens
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Recent Alumni and Projects:

  • Dylan Seal (PhD, 2026): Applications of Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd Isotope Geochemistry to Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Planetary Systems
  • Charlotte Lorthioir (MS 2023): Timescales of Oceanic Lithosphere Hydration: Constraints from Rodingites, Apennines, Italy
  • Skylar Goliber (MS 2022): Iron and Zinc Isotopes Reveal Redox Reactions Associated with Fluid Flow in Subduction Zones
  • Alex Leich (MS 2020): Geochronology and Petrogenesis of REE Ore Mineralization in Quebec
  • Thomas Farrell (MS 2019): Dating Tectonic Evolution of the Iberian Peninsula Using Microstructures Preserved in Garnet听
  • Anna Gerrits (MS 2018):听听Assessing Redox Change Due to Subduction Zone Dehydration Using Fe-Isotope and Chemical Zonation in Garnet

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Recent Publications听(听*听= Baxter student coauthor;听鈥�听= TIMS Facility user/collaborator)
  • *鈥燬eal, DM, *鈥燙hen, MZ, 鈥燦icklas, RW, Baxter, EF, Day, JMD, Rider-Stokes, BG, Love, AB, Malley, J 2026. Implications for martian mantle reservoirs from petrogenesis of the 1.27 Ga olivine-phyric shergottite Northwest Africa 13441. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 426, 40-55,
  • *鈥燬eal, DM, Baxter, EF, Snyder, NP, Cook, TL 2025. Rb-Sr isochron method of sediment source fingerprinting reveals fundamental shift in erosion in response to anthropogenic land use. GSA Bulletin, 137, p. 1717-1730,
  • 听*鈥燜arrell, T, Aerden, D, Baxter, EF, *鈥燬tarr, PG, Williams ML, 2024. Rapid development of spiral garnets during subduction zone metamorphism revealed from high-resolution Sm-Nd garnet geochronology. Geology,
  • 鈥燬j枚qvist, A.S.L., Zack, T., 鈥燞onn, D.K., Baxter, E.F., 2020. Modification of a rare-earth element deposit by low-temperature partial melting during metamorphic overprinting: Norra K盲rr alkaline complex, southern Sweden. Chemical Geology, 545,
  • *鈥燝errits, A.R., Inglis, E., *鈥燬tarr, P.G., Dragovic, B., Baxter, E.F., Burton, K. (2019) Release of oxidizing fluids in subduction zones recorded by iron isotope zonation in garnet. Nature Geoscience.
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