Dr Ailsa Roper

Profile

I am a Research Fellow in Geochemistry at the University of Leeds, funded by the North York Moors National Park Authority through their planning agreement with Anglo American. My current research builds on the work from my PhD at Leeds, where I investigated how macrofossil calcite from marine organisms like bivalves and belemnites can be used to study historical changes in ocean chemistry. I focus on developing innovative geochemical proxies, such as phosphorus and sodium, to better understand past ocean chemistry and nutrient cycles. In particular, I’m working on using carbonate-associated phosphorus to explore changes in ocean phosphorus levels, nutrient cycling, marine eutrophication, and ocean anoxic events. I’m also developing the use of macrofossil sodium to track shifts in ocean calcium concentrations, which could reveal key insights into the ocean carbonate cycle and contribute to modern climate models. My research currently centres on the Early to Middle Jurassic, a time of significant global warming and oceanic shifts, which offers valuable parallels to today’s environmental changes. By examining how climate and atmospheric chemistry impact nutrient cycles and marine ecosystems, I aim to understand how these processes influence biodiversity and extinction over long timescales. Prior to my time at Leeds, I completed a Master’s in Chemistry at the University of York, specialising in environmental and analytical chemistry. My research there involved studying protein and wood degradation in preserved seeds from archaeological and palaeontological contexts, helping to shed light on ancient human diets, land use, and environmental change.
 

Research interests

My research interests lie in understanding how past environmental changes have shaped ocean chemistry and ecosystems. I am particularly focused on carbonate based geochemical proxies, using biogenic calcite to investigate changes in marine chemistry. I am also interested in the complex factors which affect the interpretation of carbonate proxies, including investigating taxonomic, biogenic, and chemical effects on geochemical proxies, including lattice and substitution effects from the co-incorporations of multiple elements simultaneously. By investigating these complex relationships, I hope to refine the use of carbonate-based geochemical proxies and enable the confident use of them to identify primary environmental changes. Using these proxies to examine the complex interactions between climate, atmospheric chemistry, and marine environments, I aim to uncover how these factors have influenced biodiversity and extinction events throughout Earth’s history.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

• PhD, Earth Science, University of Leeds
• MChem, Chemistry, University of York

Research groups and institutes

• Earth Surface Science Institute
• Palaeo@Leeds