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Juan Carlos Silva-Tamayo
Prof. Juan Carlos Silva-Tamayo (PhD)
 
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
312 Science & Research 1
Rm #312
Houston, TX 77204-5007
 
Contact info.
jsilva-tamayo@uh.edu
 
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Paleobiology Group Stanford University
 

Juan Carlos Silva-Tamayo (PhD)

I am an Assitant Professor at the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of the, University of Houston, Hosuton (USA). I am also Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Earth and Environment of the Stanford University (USA) and at the Department of Earth and Environment University of Leeds (UK).

 

My research primarily focuses on sedimentary geology, stratigraphy and low temperature isotope geochemistry.

 

Some of my specific research activities aim on:

 

1) Investigating the effects of past changes in environmental conditions on the global marine biogeochemical cycles using non-traditional stable isotopes (Ca, Mo, U, Mg, Sr)

 

2) Investigating how past changes in carbonate factories paralleled major fluctuations in climate and ocean chemistry during periods of high atmospheric pCO2 (Neoproterozoic, Permian-Triassic, Cretaceous OAEs, Paleogene)

 

3) Modeling the evolution of marine sedimentary basins along the Circum Caribbean using multi-proxies ; i.e., sequence stratigraphy, detrital zircons U-Pb dating, carbonate U-Pb dating and C, Sr isotope chemostratigraphy.

 

4) Evolution of Cenozoic continental sedimentary basins along Northern South America using sequence stratigraphy, detrital zircons U-Pb dating, petrography and heavy mineral analysis.

 

5) Investigating Holocene climate variability using multi-isotope and multi elemental techniques in speleothems and lakes.   

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Academic history

 

 

2009

Ph.D. in geochemistry. Universitat Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Tittle of dissertation: Major variations in the global biogeochemical cycles in the aftermath of the Neoproterozoic glaciation: A multi-proxy approach.

 

2004

M.Sc. in environmental and sedimentary sciences. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.

Tittle of dissertation: C, O- and Sr-isotope stratigraphy of the Sao Caetano Complex, Borborema Structural Province, NE Brazil.

 

1999

B.Sc. in Geology. Universidad EAFIT, Medellin, Colombia.

Tittle of dissertation: Sequence stratigraphy and petrography of the Upper Amaga Member of the Coal Amaga Formation-Antioquia.

 

Employment history

 

Research and Academic experience

 

2012-

present

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow. Stanford University (USA) -University of Leeds (U.K.)

I am using multi-isotope proxies (d44/40Ca, d26Mg, d238/235U, d98/95Mo, d34/32S, d88Sr/86Sr) in carbonates and black shales to investigate the effects of past ocean acidification and deoxygenation during periods of high atmospheric pCO2 and biologic crises and diversifications; i.e. Permian-Triassic and Ediacaran-Silurian.

 

2011- present

Assistant professor in Geology. Universidad de Caldas, Manizales Colombia.

I am teaching curses in stable isotope geochemistry, environmental geology, carbonate sedimentology and geochemistry, field geology.

 

 

2010-2011

Postdoctoral Fellow. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, USA-Panama.

I applied sequence stratigraphic, chemostratigraphy (Sr-, C- and O- isotopes) and carbonate U-Pb geochronology to establish the timing of environmental and climatic controls on Cenozoic Caribbean carbonates deposition.

 

2004-2005

Research Assistant. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.

Use of S-, C-, O- stable isotopes, minor, major and trace element to investigate biospheric oxygen levels in ancient oceans.

 

Industrial experience

 

2013

Consultant. Gran Tierra Petroleum Company.

Sequence stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy and paragenetic characterization of Cretaceous carbonate and siliciclastic successions along the Putumayo Basin, southern Colombia.

 

2012

Consultant. PETROBRAS, REPSOL, Colombian Petroleum Company (consortium).   Sequence stratigraphy and carbonate characterization (using Petrography, CL, elemental and isotope geochemistry, carbonate U-Pb dating) of Cenozoic carbonate successions along La Guajira Peninsula, northern Colombia and Panama.

 

2011- 2012

Consultant. PETROBRAS, Pacific Rubiales, Colombian Petroleum Company (consortium).

Sequence stratigraphy and reservoir characterization of Cretaceous carbonates along the Cesar Rancheria Basin, northern Colombia.

 

2010-2011

Consultant. Colombian National Agency of Hydrocarbons (ANH)

Stratigraphy and carbonate characterization (using Petrography, Cathodoluminiscence, elemental and isotope geochemistry) of potential carbonate gas reservoirs along the San Jacinto frontier basin, NW Colombia and the Colombian Pacific.

 

2010-2011

Consultant. Colombian Petroleum Company (ECOPETROL).

Stratigraphy and carbonate characterization (using Petrography, CL, elemental and isotope geochemistry, carbonate U-Pb dating) of Cenozoic carbonate successions along La Guajira Peninsula, Colombia and Panama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards and grants

 

 

 

2012

Marie Curie IOF program grant (European Union).

Investigating the effects of past and recent ocean acidification using multi-proxy geochemical indicators.

Grant Amount: € 400.000.

 

UNESCO Man and Biosphere grant program.

Holocene paleoclimatic reconstruction of the northwest of Latin America: a multi-proxy and multi-scale approach.  

 Grant Amount: US$ 5000

 

2008

Honor and merit to the best graduate student in Geology

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

 

 

 

2005

Universitat de Bern- Swiss National Science Foundation scholarship.

Project: Mo and Ca- isotopes in carbonates.

Grant amount CHF$ 120.000 to Thomas F Nagler, PI.

 

Sigma-Xi research grant.

Project: Modeling changes in global oxygenation levels during the lower Paleozoic explosion of animal life.

Grant amount US$ 1000

 

Society of paleontologist and sedimentologists (SEPM) research grant.

Project: investigating changes in global oxygenation levels during the Ediacaran. Grant amount US$ 1.500

 

Geological Society of America (GSA) research grant.

Project: Major fluctuation in global biogeochemical cycles associated to the

Neoproterozoic global glaciations.

Grant amount US$ 1.500

 

University of Tennessee Travel Grant.

Grant amount US$ 1000

 

2002

Colombian Agency for the Advance of Culture and Science, COLFUTURO Research Grant.

Project: Stable isotope stratigraphy as a correlation tool of Mesoproterozoic Carbonate sequences.

Grant amount US$ 50.000

 

 

Publication record

 

Publication in peer-reviewed journals

 

 

 

2010

- Silva-Tamayo J.C., Nägler T, Newton R, Wignall P, Grice K & Böttcher M. 2010 Global Shallow Marine Euxinia Triggering the Latest Permian Mass Extinction: Evidence from Mo-Isotopes. Editor Choice, Science

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Nägler, T.F., Nogueira, A., Kyser, K., Villa Igor, Riccomini, C., Sial., A.N., Narbonne, G.M., James, N.P.  2010. Global perturbation of the marine Ca-isotopic composition in the aftermath of the Marinoan global glaciation. Precambrian Research, 182, 373-381

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Nägler, T.F., Villa, I.M., Kyser, K., Vieira, L.C., Sial, A.N.,  Narbonne, G.M., and James, N.P. 2010. Global Ca isotope variations in Post-Sturtian carbonate successions Terra Nova 22, 188-194

 

2008

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Sierra, G.M., Correa, L.G., 2008. Tectonic and climate driven fluctuations in the stratigraphic base level of a Cenozoic continental coal basin, northwestern Andes, Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 26, 3869-382

 

 

2005

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Sial, A.N., Ferreira, V.P., Pimentel, M.M., 2005, C- and Sr- isotope stratigraphy of the São Caetano Complex, northeastern Brazil: a Contribution to the study of the Meso-Neoproterozoic seawater geochemistry. Brazilian Academy of  Science, 35, 137-155.

 

2004

- Marques, W., Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Sial, A.N., Menor, A., 2004, Análises de δ13C e δ18O em foraminíferos da margem continental do Nordeste Brasileiro entre os estados do Ceará e Pernambuco. Boletim de Geologia UFC, v. 30, 1-25.

- Sierra, G., Silva-Tamayo, J. C., Correa, L., 2004. Estratigrafía Secuencial de la Formación A maga. Bol. Cien. Tierra, 15, 9-22.

 

Submitted in peer-reviewed journals

 

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Rosero, J.S., Sial, A.N., Machado, A., Pardo, A., Montes, C., Cardona, A., Zapata-Ramírez, P.A, Zapata, V., Ramirez, V., Nino H. Changes in the Eocene-Miocene marine carbonate factories along the tropical SE Circum-Caribbean Region follow major regional and global environmental and tectonic events, Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology (2013).

 

- Rosero, S., Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Alcides N. Sial, A.N., Borrero, C. Pardo, A.  Sr chemostratigraphy of some Eocene-Miocene successions of northern Colombia. Journal of South American Earth Sciences (2013).

 

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Weyer, S., Payne, J.L., Wignal, P.B., Newton, R., Bruetzke, A., Neubert, N., Maher, K., Lau, K. Mo- and U-isotopes suggest widespread ocean euxinia triggering the latest Permian mass extinction. Proceeding National Academy of Science of the USA (2013)

 

-Silva-Tamayo J.C., Payne J.L., Eisenhauer, A , Wignall P. B., Newton R. J. Global perturbation of the Marine Ca isotope cycle during the Permian-Triassic transition. Geological Society of America Bulletin (2013)

 

In preparation for peer-reviewed journals

 

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Weyer, Wignall, P., Newton. R., Rapid enhancement of marine euxina triggering the latest Permian mass extinction: Evidences from Mo-isotopes in carbonates.

 

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Weyer, S. Sial, A.N., Raiswell, R., Nogueira, A., Ricommini, C.  Mo and U isotope evidences of changing local and global oceanic redox conditions in the aftermath of the Marinoan global glaciation.

 

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Coccionni, R., Scopelleti, G. Mo-isotopes evidence for increased anoxia during OAE-2, distinguishing local from global signals.

 

-  Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Payne, J.L., Wignall P.B., Newton R.J., Neubert, N, Brueske, A., Eisenhauer A., Weyer, S, Fietzke, J., Maher, K. Ca, Mo and U isotopes suggest Neoproterozoic-like ocean conditions during the Late Permian Mass Extinction.

 

- Silva-Tamayo, J.C., Rise, Justin, Eisenhauer, A., Paytan, A. Major perturbations in the Ediacaran marine Ca and Sr stable isotope cycle reflect profound changes in ocean chemistry during the advent of biomineralization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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