Peter Crockford
Appointment
CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar 2025-2027
Earth 4D: Subsurface Science & Exploration
About
My research aims to understand the evolution of the Earth System from the origin of life to the present day with a specific emphasis on the Proterozoic. Key properties my group and I aim to constrain are the rate of primary production in Earth’s ancient biosphere and other associated processes related to carbon cycling on the ancient Earth. We work to achieve this aim through field geology, sedimentary petrography and geochemistry which we combine with insights from biology, biogeochemical cycling and biochemistry. The hope is that through this effort that we can elevate the understanding how life has shaped Earth’s surface environment through time and how the environment has also shaped life.
Awards
- Sloan Fellow, A.P. Sloan Foundation, 2025
Relevant Publications
- Crockford, P.W.,, Bar On, Y., Ward, L.M., Milo, R., Halevy, I. (2023) The Geologic History of Primary Production, Current Biology
- Crockford, P.W., Hayles, J.A., Bao, H., Planavsky, N.J., Bekker, A., Fralick, P., Halverson, G.P., Bui, T.H., Peng, Y., Wing, B.A., (2018) “Triple Oxygen Isotope Evidence for Limited mid-Proterozoic Primary Productivity” Nature 559 p. 613-161
- Crockford, P.W., Kunzmann, M., Bekker, A., Hayles, J., Bao, H., Halverson G.P., Peng, Y., Bui, T.H., Cox, G., Gibson T.M., Worndle, S., Rainbird, R., Lepland, A., Swanson-Hysell, N., Master, S., Sreevanis, B., Kuznetsov, A., Krupenik, V., Wing, B.A., (2019) “Claypool Continued: Extending the isotopic record of sedimentary sulfate” Invited Review Chemical Geology, 514, 200-225