Biogeochemical processes in the oceanic lithosphere

Hydrothermal alteration of ultramafic rocks has a major impact on the global biogeochemical cycles. In our group we study the links between mineral reactions and biogenic activity and how these chemical interactions impact the global geochemical cycles. Using mineralogical and petrological techniques (e.g., EMPA, SEM, m-XANES) combined with bulk rock and in-situ (isotope) geochemistry we study mafic und ultramafic rocks from ophiolite sequences and ocean drill cores to reveal the complex interplay between magmatic, hydrothermal, and biogenic processes in the oceanic lithosphere.