ABOUT ME
Dr. Nico Kueter
Hi!
I am a Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Earth and Planets Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington D.C. My main research field is experimental isotope geochemistry, influenced by a strong passion for classical geology and mineralogy (diamonds!). Stable isotope fractionation of light elements is of particular interest in my research. I am especially interested in the reactions and processes that lead to light stable isotope exchange between materials which can tell us about the origin and pathways of volatiles on Earth and other planets. Though trained in geology & petrology, my research interests are not restricted to the solid Earth, but also include the volatile evolution of planetary hydro- and atmospheres. Thus, my research usually expands into other disciplines such as organic and atmospheric chemistry, and material sciences. A large part of my work involves (re-)designing experimental and analytical setups to address new, challenging research questions. At the moment, I am working on the analysis of hydrogen and carbon isotopes of Earth mantle materials such as diamond, for which I currently set up a new gas handling laboratory. A second project takes a closer look on hydrogen isotope fractionation mechanisms inside silicate melts and glasses, which we study via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In 2018, I received my doctorate from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, on the work of high-temperature fractionation mechanisms of carbon isotopes. For more than 4 years, I managed the hydrothermal pressure vessel (“cold-seal”) laboratory and the self-designed gas preparation lab. My MSc (ETH) was on a self-designed project about the origin of alluvial diamonds from Indonesian-Borneo (Kalimantan). In the meantime, I am a big fan of fossil hunting (my passion), traveling, and discovering (for me) foreign cuisines. Thanks for reading! |
Quartz phenocrysts and fluid exsolution bubbles in a water-rich sodium silicate melt, which was slowly-quenched to glass.
Secondary electron image of a globule of amorphous carbon showing surface recrystallisation to graphite. The recrystallisation process took place in a carbonate melt and was accompanied by carbon isotope exchange between the melt and the newly-formed graphite.
Knorringite-Pyrope garnet inclusion in an alluvial diamond from Southeast Kalimantan, Indonesia. During million-years of residence in a sediment next to alpha-particle radiating minerals, the diamond developed brown radiation spots on its surface.
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Some Recent & Previous Projects
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CONTACT ME
nkueter(-at-)carnegiescience.edu
Carnegie Science - Earth and Planets Laboratory
5251 Broad Branch Road, NW
Washington D.C. 20015 - USA
Carnegie Science - Earth and Planets Laboratory
5251 Broad Branch Road, NW
Washington D.C. 20015 - USA
Sunrise at Brandberg Mountain, Namibia
