Fien Jonckheere

Research topic

The Earth has been bombarded by extraterrestrial material through time. This material is dominated by cosmic dust particles that are less than 2 mm in size, named micrometeorites. In the ERC-CoG FLUX project, we aim to extract fossil micrometeorites from selected intervals across the Phanerozoic, to trace the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth through time. We study the geochemical composition of the micrometeorites using analytical techniques including optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, µXRF, EMPA, and Raman spectroscopy.

 The aim of this project is to (i) determine the flux of cosmic dust in selected intervals across the Phanerozoic, (ii) identify stratigraphic intervals associated with enhanced cosmic dust, (iii) characterize the source materials and Solar System reservoirs that contribute dust to the inner Solar System, (iv) reconstruct paleo-atmospheric CO2 levels and gross primary productivity, and (v) define the long-term evolution of the dust complex, linking it to asteroid family-forming events or changes in Earth’s orbit.

Education

• Master of Science in Geology - Basins and orogens, Ghent University, 2024
• Bachelor of Science in Geology, Ghent University, 2022. 

Supervisor

Prof. Dr. Steven Goderis