Faculty

German Mora

Associate Professor
Stable Isotope, Geochemistry, Organic Geochemistry, Quaternary Paleoclimatology

12 Science I
Dept. of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: (515) 294-7586
Email: gmora@iastate.edu

Education
B. Sc. in Geology at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 1992
M.Sc. in Geology at Indiana University, 1997
Thesis: Geochemical and isotopic record of climate fluctuations during the middle to late Pleistocene in lacustrine deposits from the Sabana de Bogota basin, Colombia.
Ph.D. in Geochemistry at Indiana University, with a minor in Environmental Sciences, 2000
Thesis: Stable-isotopic and geochemical assessment of Andean terrestrial ecosystems during Pleistocene climate changes.
 
Research Interests
My research activities focus on understanding the effects of climatic, biological, and geological processes on the biogeochemical cycles of major elements (C, O, H), and on applying and developing proxies for paleoenvironmental conditions. To pursue these topics, I study stable-isotope systematics, relying on field experiments because the partitioning of isotopes in sediments, organic matter, and water depends on environmental parameters and on the extent of diagenetic and biological processes. In general, my use of stable isotopes includes two main themes. One deals with understanding modern environmental processes using stable isotopes as natural tracers. The second includes the application of known modern environmental processes to reconstruct past climates.

Research Projects

Grants

Research Team / Students

Stable Isotope Laboratory

Teaching
GEOL 425/525 - Stable Isotopes in the Environment
GEOL 368 - Stratigraphy and Sedimentation
GEOL 415/515 - Paleoclimatology
GEOL 102 - History of the Earth
GEOL 590 - Seminar in Paleoclimatology

Selected Refeered Publications
Mora, G., and Hinnov, L., (submitted), Sulfur speciation in lake sediments as a proxy for rainfall patterns. In: G. Mora and D. Surge (Eds). Isotopic and Elemental Proxies for Paleoclimatic reconstructions. Geological Society of America, Special Publication.

Mora, G., and Jahren, A.H., (2003), Isotopic evidence for the role of plant development on transpiration in deciduous forests of southern United States. Global Biogeochemical Cycles.

Kopf, A., Mora, G., and Deyhle, A. (2003), Fluid geochemistry in the Japan trench forearc (ODP Leg 186): A synthesis. In: Sacks, S. et al. (Eds). Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program. Scientific Results. vol. 186.

Mora, G. (2002), Carbonate and organic carbon accumulation at Sites 1150 and 1151, Leg 186. In: Sacks, S. et al. (Eds). Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program. Scientific Results. vol. 186.

Mora, G., Boom, A., and Pratt, L.M., (2002), Biogeochemical characteristics of lacustrine sediments reflecting a changing alpine neotropical ecosystem during the Pleistocene. Quaternary Research, 58, 189-196.

Mora, G., and Pratt, L.M., (2002), Mixed C3/C4 vegetation in the alpine neotropics during the last glacial stage: stable-carbon isotope evidence from paleosols of the Bogota basin, Colombia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 21, 985-995.

Publications