Dr Heather Buss
BS(Penn.State), PhD(Penn.State)
Expertise
Heather’s expertise is in aqueous geochemistry and biogeochemistry with a focus on weathering and mineral nutrient cycling at rock-soil interfaces, using a critical zone science approach.
Current positions
Associate Professor in Biogeochemical Weathering
School of Earth Sciences
Contact
Press and media
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Research interests
Heather’s expertise is in low-temperature geochemistry and biogeochemistry with a focus on weathering and mineral nutrient cycling using a critical zone science approach. Within this context, she studies the relationships between mineralogy and soil nutrients, mineralogy and phosphate fluxes in aquifers, microbe-mineral interactions in soils, and microbe-mineral interactions in the deep subsurface in the context of energy exploitation. Future global challenges to environmental sustainability and food security urgently require the ability to accurately “earthcast” changes in the critical zone (Earth’s “skin”), but that will not be possible until we can untangle the highly interconnected processes involved. Heather utilises a range of techniques at multiple spatial and temporal scales to examine these interconnected processes, including microscopy and spectroscopy (e.g. SEM, electron microprobe, synchrotron-based techniques), wet chemistry, reactive transport modelling, and microbiology.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Climate, Energy and Carbon in ancient Earth Systems
Principal Investigator
Role
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Earth SciencesDates
01/03/2023 to 29/02/2028
Determination of the nature and origins of riverine phosphorus in catchments underlain by Upper Greensand Aquifer
Principal Investigator
Role
Co-Principal Investigator
Description
Phosphorus is an important pollutant affecting the quality of water and aquatic biodiversity. As such, control of phosphorus loading to waters is required in order to meet the terms of…Managing organisational unit
Dates
01/04/2016 to 31/03/2020
Soil processes and ecological services in the karst critical zone of Southwest China
Principal Investigator
Description
The SPECTRA programme seeks to enhance the sustainable development of one of the poorest regions of China, Guizhou, through cutting edge critical zone science undertaken by integrated, complementary and multidisciplinary…Managing organisational unit
School of Earth SciencesDates
01/01/2016 to 31/12/2018
The Paleogene Greenhouse Earth System (TGRES) [GELY]
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of Earth SciencesDates
01/01/2014 to 31/12/2018
Application of a Novel Magnesium-Lithium Dual Isotopic Tracer to Biogeochemical Cycles in the Soil Critical Zone - Dr Heather Buss
Principal Investigator
Description
Chemical weathering exerts a key control on global CO2 cycles and ocean chemistry. Magnesium is a particularly important aspect of seawater chemistry, given that it controls the nature of carbonate…Managing organisational unit
School of Earth SciencesDates
01/08/2011 to 01/08/2013
Thesis supervisions
Chemical weathering of volcanic rocks in the tropics
Supervisors
Anthropogenic and lithological controls on production and bioavailability of mineral nutrients in agricultural karst critical zones
Supervisors
Critically Evaluating The Role of The Deep Subsurface In The Chemical Weathering Thermostat
Supervisors
Assessing the mineral nutrient flow and microbial activity in pasture soils
Supervisors
The fate of micronutrients in excreta of sheep supplemented with organic/inorganic micronutrients in a pasture system
Supervisors
Do oxalic acid exudates from mycorrhizal fungi influence the uptake of phosphorus by primary producers in the karst critical zone of south west China?
Supervisors
Determination of the nature and origins of phosphorus in catchments underlain by Upper Greensand
Supervisors
Publications
Recent publications
16/02/2023The impact of feeding supplemental minerals to sheep on the return of micronutrients to pasture via urine and faeces
Scientific Reports
The uptake of selenium by perennial ryegrass in soils of different organic matter contents receiving sheep excreta
Plant and Soil
Micro- and macro-elements in sheep excreta after consumption of feed supplements according to supplement formulation and level
Compound-specific amino acid 15N-stable isotope probing for the quantification of biological nitrogen fixation in soils
Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Geochemical Cycling in Aquifers Contributes to the Transport, Storage and Transfer of Anthropogenically-Derived Phosphorus to Surface Waters
Frontiers in Environmental Science
Related people
Professor Rich Pancost
Professor of Biogeochemistry
School of Earth Sciences
Dr Fanny Monteiro
Associate Professor in Ocean Sciences
School of Geographical Sciences
Professor Richard Evershed
Professor
School of Chemistry
Professor Penny Johnes
Professor of Biogeochemistry
School of Geographical Sciences
Dr Evangelos Mouchos
Senior Research Associate
School of Geographical Sciences