Stefano Bernasconi

Stefano Bernasconi is a senior research scientist and head of the Stable Isotope Laboratory in the Department of Earth Sciences at the ETH-Zurich, Switzerland. His research focuses on the application of stable isotope geochemistry to study sediments and biogeochemical processes in terrestrial and marine environments. He is particularly in the interactions between the biosphere and the geosphere and in understanding how biological activity influences carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles. He will be contributing to the efforts of the science team as a shore-based investigator.

During the cruise Stefano will be keeping the children busy so that Gretchen can participate on the expedition. After the cruise he will be keeping the mass spectrometers busy to help discover the secrets of Lost City. He will use sulfur and nitrogen isotopes to reconstruct the history of the sediments at Lost City and to understand how sediment formation, cementation and mineral precipitation are influenced by biological activity. His research group at the ETH-Zurich currently includes three graduate students.