Dr Will Homoky
- Position: Associate Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry
- Areas of expertise: ocean biogeochemistry; carbon and metal cycles; sediment and porewater diagenesis; micronutrient trace elements and isotopes; benthic fluxes; hydrothermal vents; radio-isotope tracers; ICP-MS
- Email: W.Homoky@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: 9.149 Maths/Earth and Environment
- Website: Twitter | LinkedIn | Googlescholar | ORCID
Profile
- Associate Professor, Earth Surface Science Institue and School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds (2023-pres)
- University Academic Fellow, Earth Surface Science Institue and School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds (2019-2024)
- NERC Independent Research Fellow, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford (2013-2019)
- Junior Research Fellow, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford (2017-2019)
- Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton (2010-2013)
- Visiting Junior Specialist, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, USA (2007)
- Ph.D. Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton (2005-2010)
- Education Abroad Programme, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA (2002-2003)
- Masters in Geological Science, University of Leeds (2000-2004)
Responsibilities
- Academic Lead of the Aqueous Analytical Facility / Clean Lab
Research interests
I am a biogeochemist who studies the cycling of chemical elements between the land, ocean and seafloor to learn how these impact marine life and Earth's surface environment over time. I am interested in the trace element resources for primary production and carbon burial in the ocean (e.g. iron), and how exchanges between crustal rocks, seawater and sediments can impact marine food webs and Earth’s atmospheric oxygen and greenhouse gas compositions.
I specialise in the collection redox-sensitive trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) in the ocean and sediments, separating aqueous, solid and colloidal phases, and measuring these by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. I also look for the mechanisms controlling TEI distributions and evaluate their importance in nature using micro-cosm experiments and theoretical toolkits (e.g. Isotope mass-balance, 1-D steady-state, and 3-D atmospherically-coupled ocean box models).
Research activities fit into one or more of the following themes:
(1) Understanding controls of the global carbon cycle
(2) Developing TEI tracers of the environment
(3) Evaluating impacts of human activity
I am always interested to hear from aspiring Ph.D. or postdoctoral candidates. If this is you, feel free to contact me directly with project related enquires.
<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
- Ph.D. Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, UK
- M.Geol. 1:1 (hons), University of Leeds, UK
Professional memberships
- Member of the UK Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research
- Fellow of the Challenger Society for Marine Science
- Member of the European Association of Geochemistry
- Member of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Student education
I lead and support undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision in the School of Earth and Environment.
Current postgraduate research students:
Tess Ashen, University of Plymouth (secondary since 2022)
Lena Chen, University of Leeds (secondary since 2020)
Isobell Turnbull, University of Plymouth (secondary since 2019)
Graduated Ph.D. students:
Dr Sean Selzer, University of Oxford (primary, graduated 2022)
Dr Kieran Curran, University of Oxford (secondary, graduated 2018)
Dr Alistair Lough, University of Southampton (secondary, graduated 2016)
Research groups and institutes
- Cohen Geochemistry
- Earth Surface Science Institute
- water@leeds
- Palaeo@Leeds